The Climate Minute

In September 2024, the MBTA released its Climate Assessment, taking stock of its climate commitments and work undertaken to date. It articulates a vision for sustainability and resilience at the MBTA. Listen in to a recent MCAN Network meeting where officials from the MBTA discuss the report. 

On Beacon Hill, important climate legislation is being finalized this week. Listen in to hear the details of what currently is in-or out-of the bill and what you can do (right now)  to help get the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Call your representative and ask them to talk to the conference committee members, or send a postcard, or take a trip to Beacon Hill next week! We have all the details.

We get an update on the Massachusetts Legislature's Climate Bill.

XR Boston has sponsored a year long ‘standout' in front of the statehouse, demanding that no new fossil fuel infrastructure be built. We had a chance to talk with them.

At the last minute, a public session to review the Hanscom Jetport Expansion's Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)- a session which was originally to be held in a school auditorium- was moved to be ‘on-line only.' The change was so sudden it stranded a few participants in the parking lot as they waited to enter the building. Listen in to hear what they had to say.

A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the proposed expansion of jet traffic at Hanscom Field is open to your comment through June 14. We talk to a lead organizer about what is in the DEIR and how you can help out.

The Massachusetts Legislature is headed to the end of it's session in July. The time is right to contact your legislators to improve the ‘Climate Omnibus' bill-because it is being finalized right now. Listen to hear what policies need to be in the Omnibus and some specifics about how you can help get them there.

The term “embodied carbon” describes the CO2 emissions associated with a building that came from the manufacture, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building and infrastructure materials- even before the building was constructed! It is an important piece of the CO2 reduction puzzle in Massachusetts. We talk to an expert to find ways to understand this rapidly developing field.

In the fifth of our series of episodes with understandable discussions about how to 'decarbonize' your home, some of our earlier guests meet together to share stories and insights about their own efforts.

Strangely enough, a lot of people who are concerned about climate issues do not turn out to vote when the time comes. The Environmental Voter Project has a plan, backed up with researched insight, to get those folks to the polls. Listen in to find out how you can get involved. 

In the fourth of our series about the nitty-gritty of decarbonizing your home, we talk with someone who has done a little bit of everything.

In the third of our series about the nitty-gritty of decarbonizing your home, we talk with a renter facing the challenges of decarbonizing.

In the second of our series about the nitty-gritty of decarbonizing your home, we talk with a homeowner who had an oil burner in the basement.

Does that creepy feeling you get from seeing strange weather foretell our doom? But what is "doom" and who are "we?" Plus updates on the Healy Admininstration's plans for coordinating climate planning.

We try to make sense of the SOTU, decarbonization, eclipses and other timely climate topics. 

Hearing about climate action from trusted leaders in a community is a good strategy for progress. The non-profit MassEnergize seeks to support that path, community by community. Listen in as we hear the details.

Widespread use of electric bikes would be a great way to reduce carbon emissions and provide accessible transportation options to more people. A program in Worcester is helping the state of Massachusetts to learn more about how e-bikes can help us address climate change.

Wherever you live, you are probably using fossil fuel to warm your dwelling, heat your water or cook your food. Doing that without emitting carbon dioxide pollution is called 'decarbonization.' Everyone's path to decarbonize is a little bit different, so hearing about the ups and downs of other's efforts will sharpen your own understanding of what to do. Listen in to the first of an occaisonal series about personal stories in decarbonizing.

A visit to Uganda provides a chance to consider climate issues from a bigger perspective.

Over the last few decades, large fossil fuel companies have profited while creating huge amounts of carbon dioxide pollution. A new Massachusetts bill would "Make Polluters Pay." If enacted, the money would pay for climate actions the state must take anyway, and it would support real progress on environmental justice. LIsten in as we talk with an expert on this exciting new proposal.

A pause in the permitting of a new LNG plant will probably have a lot of implications, and is good news for climate activists. New rules that will require hydrogen to be produced in a climate friendly way are another good thing. Listen in.

The decisions we make today, in a time of dramatic change in our social and energy systems, will have lasting consequence. We touch on the ideas of "Critical Junctures" and "Path Dependence" as ways to understand and make sense of what is happening. 

Massachusetts is rolling out a new program to help communities eliminate carbon emissions. We talk to a local town official to learn the  requirements and benefits of becoming a “Climate Leader Community.”

The MA DPU issued a landmark decision that will define how we transition away from methane. It is a big win for climate advocates. 

COP28 (the Conference of the Parties) is finishing up in Dubai. There is a agreement on loss&damage, but a fossil fuel phaseout has been cut from the final draft. Will it get back in? 

We discuss lots of different news stories and see connections to a new report from the MA climate chief.

A detailed, almost ‘3D' map of the earth's terrain created using special technology might help address climate issues. We talk to the leader of a startup that hopes to provide new data for these important questions.

The expansion of private jet capabilities at Hanscom is being opposed by a grassroots coalition of activist groups. Listen to  one of those activists describe the issues and what is being done.  Political pressure on the Governor is needed. You can sign a petition to  Governor Healy in a link at  at massclimateactiondotorg/blog. 

In the first of two episodes, we hear about private jet traffic at Hanscom Field. Spoiler alert: it is mostly rich people taking relatively short (and consequently very carbon polluting) flights to vacation getaways.  Should your state government  (in the form of MassPort) permit the expansion of these polluting luxury trips? You will have a better answer after listening.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the live links.

“Stopping climate change is easy,” said nobody ever. From nuisance lawsuits designed to stall wind turbines, to mis-alignments in state laws, to very real and impactful choices in Somerset we grapple with current issues in addressing global warming here in Massachusetts.

The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case that could upend how government functions, and make it more difficult to address climate issues. We discuss that plus the proposed pipeline expansion in New England, as well as a cool new electric bike.

We talk to State Representative Jeffrey Roy about Massachusett's efforts to implement wind power. Jeff provides insights from his trip to Ireland his visit to the offshore wind turbine construction underway his efforts with legislation underway Along the way we find out about the Northern Ireland Parliament not having met in 3 years and the origin of Robert's Rules of Order in New Bedford.

The March to End Fossil Fuels occurred on September 17, 2023.  We talk to the marchers and hear what it all sounded like.

In an era where we need to build green energy system rapidly, ‘permitting reform' has become a confusing and divisive buzzword. In fact, the permitting process is not the source of delays in developing clean energy, nor should it be used as an excuse to rescue failing oil projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline. We speak with an expert who knows what it takes to bring new clean energy into the system and has ideas about how to do it quickly.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

The weather has been wild this summer and the town of Leominster was struck with a massive rainfall and subsequent flooding this week. A warm-water-fueled Hurricane Lee is approaching New England. You may be wondering about how well your town is prepared for abnormal weather in a warming world. We talk to the head of emergency planning for a typical Massachusetts town. Listen in to find out what you may need to know.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

Strange weather continues to drive our conversations this summer, but an encouraging court ruling and a dismaying move in Africa are also worth talking about.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

The March to End Fossil Fuels will happen in NYC on September 17, days before the UN Climate Summit begins. You can catch a chartered bus to attend! Marchers want Joe Biden to stop permitting pipelines, stop drilling on Federal land, declare a climate emergency and provide a Just Transition. Go to EndFossilFuels.us or 350MASS to learn more, but first listen in to hear what it is all about.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

We have a wide-ranging discussion with author Bill Sargent, based on his recent book about climate journalists. Listen in!

Changes in the smoke from ocean freighters starts us on a path to thinking about geo-engineering. Listen in.

It will take money to make the energy transition happen, to finance all those good ideas floating around. One way to make that money available is through a ‘green bank'. But what is a green bank? We discuss with some experts. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

With climate disasters appearing in many directions, we review some of the hopeful things happening here in Massachusetts. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

The Summer of 2023 seems to be a  moment where seemingly far future predictions of  climate catastrophe are all suddenly around us in real time. From heat domes to a melted Antarctic, we are in the midst of a climate changed world. It can be demoralizing. What to do and think? Each of us needs to find our own special super-power to act in community with others to build a better world. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

The concept of economic growth is central to our politics, and the GDP is an iconic measure. But to ensure a livable planet, we need to respect limits to growth. One path is to live more moderately. It is an interesting idea about how to save the future. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

A recent public meeting marked a new chapter in ISO's transparency. The Citizens Liaison Group, a committee of ISO-NE held an event near the contested Peaker Plant in Peabody. Some of the issues under discussion were the possible use of ‘storage batteries' to provide clean electricity instead of by a fossil fuel plant. Another was ISO's failure to recognize citizens groups seeking to input views on ISO's plans. Listen in to hear from some of the attendees. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

MCAN's new board member talks to us about her work, how she ended up in the climate movement and lessons she learned on the way. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

Your home emits CO2 when you use gas to heat it. That's called operational carbon emissions. Did you know that lots of CO2 was emitted just making the stuff in your walls?  Embodied carbon is the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building and infrastructure materials. We talk to MCAN's Better Buildings Campaign Director to find out how we can reduce the embodied carbon in our buildings. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

How can we make it easier for the grid to transition to clean energy?  The Forward Clean Energy Market can help. Listen in to MCAN's expert explain this new idea. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

If you want to understand the transition to clean energy, you need to understand Renewable Energy Certificates. We talk to MCAN's Clean Energy Director to find out more about what a REC is, and why they matter. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

We can make a plant go extinct in order to have EVs, or we could allow bison herds to capture CO2 from the air by rethinking our economics. The future is ours to choose. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

In a warming world, our futures will be determined by our decisions in the present. However, two starkly different visions- one of a sacrifice free continuation of the present using renewable energy and a second of a radically downsized and more humane economy- might guide our thinking. Which way should we go?   We discuss “Green tilted glasses” from truthdig.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

Humans may need to go beyond reducing carbon emissions to actually removing CO2 from the atmosphere. “Carbon dioxide removal” is the buzzword.  We talk to a someone with a new idea about how to approach this gargantuan task. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.