Since taking office in January, President Trump has worked to fulfill a campaign promise to shut down the young offshore wind industry in the U.S. He stopped all federal permitting, and this week, his administration issued a stop-work order to a project under construction off the coast of New York. These actions have sent a […]
Miriam Wasser
WBUR
Posted inNPR
The Northeast bet big on offshore wind. Trump wants to halt the industry entirely
Northeast states have bet big on offshore wind to meet spiking power demand and drive economic growth. But the industry’s future is much more uncertain under President Trump.
Posted inArticle, Environment
Students Call For Mass. Colleges To Divest From Fossil Fuel Companies In National Protest
While a cold rain fell, turning what snow was left on the ground into slush, a group of about 60 Brandeis University students and faculty on Thursday demanded the school divest from fossil fuel companies as a way to address climate change. Rallying in the school’s “peace garden” outside the college’s Usdan Student Center, the […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
Coal Is Dirty. Amid Protests, Why New England Is Still Burning It For Power
On a freezing night in December, about a dozen climate activists stood on the train tracks in a wooded section of West Boylston, Mass. They huddled together, headlamps and flashlights pointing south towards an approaching coal train. The light from the train’s headlights got brighter, and the horns blared louder and longer, but the activists stayed put. […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
The New England Aquarium Wants To Monitor Whales From Space
The New England Aquarium and Cambridge-based engineering company Draper have some big news: They’re working on technology that will allow them to monitor whales with satellites in space. Leaving the planet to watch whales might sound a little silly, but the ability to do it could represent a giant leap forward in our ability to protect these animals and our oceans. […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
5 Takeaways For New England From U.N. Report On Climate Change And Land Use
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is out with a new report Thursday examining how land use contributes to climate change and other environmental problems. The report, “Climate Change and Land,” is the second of three special reports from the United Nations panel. “Global Warming of 1.5ºC” was published last October, and a third report about oceans and […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
Seals On Cape Cod Are More Than Just Shark Bait
There are tens of thousands of seals on Cape Cod and the Islands, and everyone seems to have an opinion about them. Some see them as an adorable tourist attraction that helps the ecosystem. But to others, they’re Public Enemy No. 1 — a messy, fish-eating shark magnet that needs to be culled. Chatham-based commercial […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
Pull The Plugs: How A Simple Move May Help Plum Island’s Salt Marshes Adapt To Sea-Level Rise
Walking through the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island with wildlife biologist Nancy Pau is to take a tour through the various ways humans have disrupted the saltwater marsh for the last 300-plus years.The area is filled with what Pau calls “legacy infrastructure” — colonial-era irrigation canals and 20th century mosquito control ditches. These drainage canals were […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
For 46 Years, Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Has Used Water From Cape Cod Bay. How Has It Impacted The Ecosystem?
The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth pumps about a half-billion gallons of water from Cape Cod Bay into the plant every day. The water cycles continuously, passing through the plant’s condenser, and returning to the bay about 10 minutes later — and 30 degrees warmer. Ever since Pilgrim began producing power in 1972, local […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
A New MA Bill Would Require Cities To Alert Public To Sewage In Rivers
In most communities, whatever you flush down the toilet goes to a treatment plant. But in some Massachusetts cities and towns, it could end up in a local river during a rainstorm. Miriam Wasser reports on a new statewide effort to let the public know when that happens.
