Author: Bob Plaskon

At the November chapter meeting we welcomed Larry Chretien, who for the past 23 years has been Executive Director of Green Energy Consumers Alliance, a non-profit based in Boston and Providence that harnesses the power of consumers to speed the transition to a low-carbon future. He highlighted the major energy and climate policy implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – plus how the IRA can help with the switch to electric cars, heat pumps, and solar, including new incentives you shou...
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Carolyn McCreary and Roger Luckmann of our research team work together to answer the question “Is itTime to Take a Second Look at Nuclear Power?” Roger surveys recent nuclear news, documents thenuclear reactor installations in the states and around the world, reports on attitudes toward nuclearenergy, cites the opinions of influential people and presents a list of reasons why we should considernuclear energy. Carolyn addresses the advantages and concerns about adding nuclear power to ourpower g...
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The Senator and majority leader, reviewed the progress made in the last session on addressing climate change.  She stressed the challenge with old approach to climate change, and instead of prohibitions and disincentives to change the focus to incentives. The Committee on Global Warming she chairs will look harder at the future role of gas and how to provide more support to retrofitting buildings. She also highlighted a variety of other priorities including promoting more urban trees and l...
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Dr. Ousmane Pame, founder: REDES Ecovillages (Senegal, West Africa) shared his personal stories and observations about its global and regional contexts as well as how its grassroots, community-based approach makes a difference on the ground.  REDES Ecovillages’ projects address both ecological and socio-economic root issues of the global climate crisis.  Dr. Pame gave compelling examples of such projects, including (1) pushing back the encroaching desert by developing a food fore...
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The September chapter meeting guests were Megan Hertzog and Liz Anderson both lawyers in the Environment and Energy Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General. After reassuring us that they will remain in their positions after the November elections they answered many questions about the role of the Attorney General regarding the Roadmap Law and the new Clean Energy and Off-Shore Wind law as well as oversight of environmental regulations and consumer protections.
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We were excited to welcome Senator Mike Barrett, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, & Energy and lead author of the state’s landmark climate “roadmap” law and the recently passed climate legislation, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind.  He provided his viewpoint of the new climate bill and the road ahead as well as answering our questions.  Senator Barrett provides a highly informed and straight forward perspective to the challeng...
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Roger Luckmann, Ed Woll, and Arnie Epstein of our Research Team have been exploring the challenges of weatherizing and electrifying heating in residential buildings.  The building sector is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state and small residential buildings account for the major share of building emissions.  This is a two-part presentation.  In the first part, the nature and scope of the challenge, is reviewed along with an overview of residential buildin...
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He came at us and probably comes at everyone with a mile-a-second intelligence and insight on all things climate. He’s got so much knowledge on so many topics, you have to be willing to press pause while watching the video to think over what he just said. You may not agree with everything, but the purpose of our Deep Dialogues is to engage on these key topics.  The video of this presentation and discussion is here.
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Representatives Dr. Tami Gouveia and Paul Mark join us for a legislative update on the climate bill now in the conference committee and bills still in the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy committee. Watch the video of the meeting here or click on the image below.
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This Deep Dialogue was held in honor of Larry Rosenberg, who was a founding member of the Massachusetts chapter of ECA, and served on both the leadership and research teams.  Larry died of cancer on May 2, 2022, the day after he finished editing his paper on climate change: “The Climate Crisis: Impending Catastrophe and Possible Responses”.  After working much of his life on a number of different causes, Larry recognized climate change as the greatest threat to humanity and the world. To honor ...
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