Gov. Baker Vetoed Climate Bill (Again), What Happens Next?
February 9, 2021
On Sunday, February 7, Baker (to no one’s surprise) vetoed the bill AGAIN. In the second veto he scaled back a few of his earlier criticisms and instead proposed a series of amendments that would weaken and water down key aspects of the bill.
Introducing the 2021 Executive Committee!
February 1, 2021
The Massachusetts Chapter of the Sierra Club announced the appointment of four new board members to its Executive Leadership Committee. Joining the board for the first time are Kannan Thiruvengadam of East Boston, Yanisa Techagumthorn of Cambridge,...
Don't Incentivize Burning Trees for Electricity!
December 7, 2020
Biomass produces more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of thermal energy produced than fossil fuels. According to the Manomet study, it would take approximately 10 years for emissions to reach parity when biomass replaces natural gas for thermal...
Why We Oppose MBTA Service Cuts
December 4, 2020
The MBTA faces significant service cuts in 2021 unless lawmakers act to fill a budget shortfall. Without additional funding, the MBTA service cuts will cause damage to our region's environment and economy, prevent people from getting where they need...
The Drought: As It (Sort of) Ends, What Can We Do Now in Order to Fare Better the Next Time?
December 4, 2020
If you live in a town that didn’t ask people to conserve water this last summer and fall (and if you didn’t look at the streams and rivers around you), you might not have noticed it, but most of New England was drying up. By early October, 90% of...
2020 General Election Recap: Democrats Add to Massachusetts Majorities
November 10, 2020
While 2020 was a chaotic year of mixed results for both parties at the national: Democrats earned a new seat in the US Senate; won the Presidency; but lost seats in the House, Massachusetts elections by and large were mostly uneventful. Despite a...
2020 State Primary Recap: A Day for Incumbent Victories
September 3, 2020
Overall, September 1st was a night for incumbent victories. However, yhe biggest highlight of the night was the re-election of Senator Ed Markey who successfully fended off a fierce challenge from Representative Joe Kennedy. Markey pulled together...
Opting Out of Toxic Mosquito Spraying
August 12, 2020
The typical solution employed by municipal governments to control mosquito-borne diseases is to spray synthetic petrochemical pesticides (Anvil 10+10, a pyrethroid), even though it is the least effective and most environmentally damaging method.
House Passes 2050 Climate Roadmap Bill at the 11th Hour
August 5, 2020
On Friday, July 31st, the traditional last day of the legislative session, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at reducing our state’s carbon emissions. The bill would create carbon emissions targets for 2030 and 2040,...
We Need to Know When There is Human Waste in Our Waterways!
July 31, 2020
Last night, the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed (159-0) the sewage notification bill (H.4921). The bill named, An Act promoting awareness of sewage pollution in public waters, requires the public to be notified if and when...