In case you’re just catching up, COP is an international climate meeting held each year by the United Nations. The name stands for “Conference of the Parties,” meaning those countries who have joined the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Parties to the treaty have committed to take voluntary actions to Read more…
We’re experiencing a period of conflict around the globe more intense than any we’ve seen in recent years. One reason for this? Climate change, which is now recognized as a threat multiplier to international peace and security. When people are under the stress of environmental degradation caused by the climate Read more…
Virtual power plants (VPPs) are networks of hundreds or thousands of households and businesses that agree to share the power of their thermostats, electric vehicles (EVs), appliances, batteries, and solar arrays to support the grid. When these devices are combined and coordinated, they can provide many of the same energy Read more…
Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, poor and marginalized populations have borne the brunt of the toxic byproducts of industry. Low income neighborhoods are generally cheaper to build facilities in, and the people who live there have little power to object to the degradation of their environment. Often they Read more…
Carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines are essential components of carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems which are proposed to reduce atmospheric emissions of man-made CO2, a greenhouse gas. This in spite of the fact that despite extensive support, of projects that seek to commercialize carbon capture and sequestration technology, 80 percent have Read more…
Replacing peaker power plants with clean energy solutions represents one of the most important environmental justice opportunities in the country. Accelerating the retirement of polluting, fossil-fuel peaker power plants and replacing them with clean, cost-effective alternatives, such as energy storage, renewable generation, transmission, energy efficiency, and demand response brings benefits Read more…
Our energy needs can be supplied sustainably. Wind and water, heat and light from the sun, and the geothermal heat in the Earth are all energy sources that can supply our needs using technology that is available today. Most importantly, they represent our best hope in the fight against climate Read more…
Why is propane being discussed as an option for heating buildings?Propane is being proposed as a heating solution for buildings in Massachusetts by the fossil fuel industry despite the fact that propane is a fossil fuel that produces carbon dioxide (CO2) when combusted. Burning any fossil fuel for heating won’t Read more…
Welcome back!Some good news: for the first time, renewable energy comprised more electricity generated in the U.S. last year than coal or nuclear power, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The federal agency found the growth was largely driven by increased proliferation of wind and solar energy, which Read more…
Welcome back. Massachusetts legislators approved a pilot program last year to let 10 cities and towns ban fossil fuels in new buildings. However, under DOER’s proposed regulations, municipalities that have already asked the state for permission to ban fossil fuels in new construction would need to wait until early 2024 Read more…