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.

The unsettling IPCC report inspires a poetic response. Then we discuss some climate related reports.: Astroturf off Martha’s Vineyard? Why re-wild the planet? How about daylighting rivers?  What could go right? Listen in here for all the latest.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

In his new book, our guest invites listeners to ditch the cynical narratives we’ve become accustomed to, urges us to envision an ideal future, and offers the tools to build it.  Listen in for a fun conversation. Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

Massachusetts’ natural gas distribution companies (Eversource and National Grid) want to add hydrogen to your home heating gas supply. A new report makes plain this is a bad idea. Using our state’s shiny new wind turbines to produce enough green hydrogen to allow us to put that H2 gas into the utilities’ pipelines and then burn it to heat our homes is “a dead-end climate solution that will fail to meet our state mandated emissions reduction goals at huge costs to ratepayers.”  Listen to the report’s authors discuss the issue.

Massachusetts must renovate 500,000 homes in the next seven years if we want to meet our climate goals. How to accomplish this enormous task? We speak with the Interim Executive Director of MCAN to learn about an elegant proposal- the Zero Carbon Renovation Fund- that would jump-start a commercial market to meet the challenge.

America’s senior citizens hold most of the wealth and have released most of the carbon. Now some of those seniors are calling for change, by demanding big banks stop financing fossil fuel expansion. Recently ‘Third Act' led a day of protest in Boston at Chase and Bank of America to call for divestment from fossil fuels. We talks to some of the marchers.  Check our showpage at massclimateactiondotorg/blog for the hot links.

Plans to build a police training facility (AKA Cop City) in Atlanta’s Weelaunee urban forest, over local protests, encapsulates many issues of racial, environmental and climate justice.  We get an update on why ‘Cop City’ is important, why you should care, and what you can do about it from two climate activists.

Providing health care in the US generates about 8% of our annual carbon emissions. That is a big number! We were joined by the Sustainability Program Manager at a hospital in Boston We discuss how hospitals are working to reduce their carbon impact.

We talk to the campaign manager of the “Fix the Grid” effort about a recent rally for clean energy.  “The people who run our regional electric system, called ISO-New England, are keeping us hooked on fossil fuels and costing residents money. And the worst part is, we ratepayers who fund this whole system have no seat at the table! They make their decisions behind closed doors, without any accountability. We're calling on our new Governor Maura Healey to demand reform from ISO-New England” 

In this Making Sense of Climate episode we were joined by the Town of Franklin Conservation Agent and as you’ll hear, we had a great discussion. We go from flood plain, to the water cycle, to dealing with climate grief..

The Clean Heat Commission report presents a bold vision for how to go about the task of decarbonizing buildings, from homes to skyscrapers, here in Massachusetts. We get the perspective of an expert working on the issues.

A person’s FICO score shouldn’t prevent them from being able to lower their energy bills and being a part of climate crisis solutions. We talk to the Founder and CEO of the Capital Good Fund, a non-profit working to create solutions to overcome the financial barriers that prevent people from transitioning renewable energy.

Don’t despair over our stalemated politics. Our guest asks “What if, instead of fighting over politics, diverse groups of citizens could create an inspiring vision of the kind of system we want – and then come together and create it?”  Listen for the new ideas in her book on how to bring clashing views into synthesis and progress.

A landmark MA government report called for significant changes to help reduce CO2 emissions from the use of home heating fuels. For example, the report details the need to plan for a transition away from gas utilities in the coming years. We caught up to the Conservation Law Foundation’s Vice President for Massachusetts to learn more.

We talk about how a heat pump works, and how you probably have a better understanding than you think you do!

Decarbonization is the process of getting fossil fuel out of your life. This is a starting point to discuss how we learn about climate and what actions we can take.

Spoiler Alert: It is a health hazard. After recent reports linked gas stoves to asthma, a Federal Agency began thinking about the health impact of gas burning stoves.  A conspiratorial freak-out followed, with right wing politicians distorting facts. Listen in for how much we love our induction cooktops.

Governor Healy began her administration by working to align the state’s roadmap efforts. The wind industry undergoes some growing pains, and we discuss why fusion would be great but not relevant to our current needs.

The clean energy transition means jobs, especially here in Massachusetts. Vineyard Wind is preparing to start construction of a wind farm off the coast. These will be ‘green jobs’ and so it is interesting to find out more specifics. In mid- January, Vineyard Wind held a job fair in New Bedford MA to find workers for the task. We interviewed some of the employers.

A small start-up company offers to inject dust into the sky to reflect sunlight and thus stop global warming.  What could possibly go wrong?

Over the past year, the movie “Don’t Look Up” has been a streaming hit, logging hundreds of millions of viewing hours.  What is it about the movie that made it big? With twelve months perspective, we watch again.

The ‘oil and gas’ industry works to delay the adoption of climate friendly options for energy.  Listen in as we discuss recent news on climate and what it all means.

The arrival of the solstice is a chance to contemplate our place in the world, and what it means to be a climate activist. The Climate Minute wishes a happy Winter Solstice, 2022, to everyone.

ISO-NE is an important but poorly understood institution that controls the market for electricity.  It needs to respond more effectively to the climate crisis. Recently, a group of activists were elected to ISO’s ‘Consumer Liaison Group.’ This is a good result, potentially turning an otherwise docile committee to a voice for public input. We speak with one of the activists recently elected to the CLG.

With the ominous threat of climate catastrophe clouding our future, it is easy to forget that the use of nuclear weapons could bring about immediate destruction on an unimaginable scale. The current ‘casual’ discussion of the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine brings home the reality of our risk. Dr Helen Caldicott is an iconic figure of the effort to abolish nuclear weapons. We speak with her about the issue and its relationship to the climate crisis.

After more than a year and a half of calling on the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to do their job and conduct a Comprehensive Health Impact Assessment (CHIA), MCAN took matters into its own hands and conducted a preliminary assessment of the health outcomes of communities that live near the proposed site of the Peabody Peaker.  We talk to the author! The results from the study were deeply concerning and highlight the need for additional analysis on the impact the proposed Peabody Peaker will have on neighboring communities that are already overburdened.

As we head into the new year, we are joined by State Representative Jeffrey Roy, Chair of the TUE Committee, to discuss prospect for state level climate work next year.

There are more climate stories than we can discuss. In true Post-Thanksgiving fashion, we discuss the ‘left over” stories that happened in November. Thanks to DR Tucker for his research!

The midterms are over. What are the take-away lessons for climate hawks? What comes next?

Medical care in the US generates a lot of carbon pollution. Part of this pollution comes from the manufacture of very sophisticated and expensive ‘one-use-only’ medical devices. A good way to reduce CO2 emissions from medical care is to carefully re-process those currently discarded medical devices for repeat usage. This saves on both medical costs and the planet.

The MA DPU is slow to approve electric power ‘community aggregation’ plans. How come? Plus we talk about microgrids, community design and an undersea cable ‘backbone’ to connect the multiple proposed wind turbine farms off the East Coast.

The climate future is coming into focus. It is better than the 5C hell-scape we have feared, but much worse than our hoped for 1.5C. How we build that tumultuous new world is up for grabs and is the heart of a recent article (Beyond Catastrophe: A new climate reality is coming into view, by David Wallace Wells) that gives lots of food for thought.  Listen in are we process some of the ideas in order to give you a head start when you read it yourself. 

Climate activists threw tomato soup at Van Gogh’s sunflowers.  What did you think? Was the protest effective? There are many perspectives and few correct answers. We discuss.

COP27 (the Conference of the Parties) will be held in Egypt in November of 2022. One of the topics of discussion will likely be ‘loss and damage’ suffered by countries and people who cannot afford to adapt to climate damage they did not cause. We take a moment to explain some background for this subject.

The IRA provides money for building clean energy generation, but the permitting process could slow progress. We look at several interesting proposals that show a path to an energy transition that is both rapid and just.

We talk with our special guest, MA State Representative Jeff Roy. The last time Jeff was with us we were all waiting for the governor to take action on the recent climate legislation. Now that it is on the books, what is next for our journey along the roadmap?

Electricity providers are raising rates. How should you think about this? From a climate perspective, we should recognize the long term problem and build more renewables.   

In a big win for climate activists, Joe Manchin withdrew his flawed permitting bill. Climate folks should be impressed with their growing political clout, but what comes next? How does our country, in an equitable way, build the urgently needed transmission infrastructure that we need?

The Inflation Reduction Act is good climate bill, but in the sausage making  process, a companion bill that pretends to improve the ‘permitting process’ was needed. Now the ‘Manchin side deal’ is moving to a vote. For greens, permitting reform relates to what is happening in Maine, but for Manchin (read Big Oil) it about rolling over local voices for faster pipeline construction.   

Embodied Carbon', 'Net Zero Building Codes' and 'NEPOOL' are words to watch for in discussions around climate action here in Massachusetts. We explain.

A new book makes the case that we should all become green citizens and demand action in our own towns.  The Big Fix offers ordinary people a guide to the seven essential changes our communities must enact to bring our greenhouse gas emissions down to zero—and shares stories of people who are making those changes reality. We discuss with the authors.

Massachusetts has passed a historic climate bill, but it is only a beginning of the work we must do. Representative Jeff Roy talks about what come next.

Representative Jeff Roy explains the motivations for the new climate bill.

We talk to Maya Van Rossum about how she came to be an environmental activist.

As the world warms, our economy grinds forward on the assumptions of infinite growth and endless inputs from the natural world. Is capitalism the friend or foe of climate solutions? How do we move to a world of economic equity and long-term sustainability? What form of capitalism would be beneficial?  Is there a way to tame capitalism to serve the needs of humanity? We discuss big philosophical questions with an author who has studied corporate sustainability.

Rhode Island may be a small state, but it has taken big steps to address climate change. We talk to an expert on climate politics in the Ocean State.

A new report matches up leak locations to nearby MA schools. The leaks were fixed, but who wants methane leaks near their kid’s schools? For better or worse, this is the system working as intended. Listen in to consider better ways to heat our school buildings.

Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge MA is gem. It is a national historic site, as well as an active burial ground, a wildlife sanctuary, an art gallery and a repository of stories.  Now Mount Auburn is taking the lead in understanding how its mission to commemorate the dead interacts with climate change. Listen in for a fascinating discussion.

Smart businesses can improve their bottom line by incorporating   principles of sustainability into all facets of their operations, from design to production, to supply chains and beyond. A new book, “The Sustainability Scorecard” quite literally provides a way to assess progress down this path. We speak to one of the authors about the implications of this idea.

Jeff Roy had a major hand in creating the new MA climate bill. He explains what’s in the bill, why it is important, and why you should call the Governor at 617-725-4005 to ask him to sign the legislation!

We've updated our podcast artwork. Isn't it a beautiful new logo? We talk with the artist.

MA released new roadmaps to guide us to 2025 and 2030. Let's see where they lead.

The gas industry wants you to use hydrogen in your home. Not a good idea. (This is the 12th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." ) 

SCOTUS has limited America's ability to address climate change based on legal theories conjured up to justify their ruling. Listen in for some perspective on what happened.

July is the time that bills get a final vote in the MA legislature. We discuss one of many items up for consideration- a plan to examine how green and healthy our schools are.  Listen in to an expert, then call your Representative or Senator.

This is the 11th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." 

This is the 10th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." 

This is the 9th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." 

This is the 8th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." 

This is the 7th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." 

This is the 6th episode of cross-posts on "Making Sense of Climate." 

How do you build a moral code based on principles the Sun has ‘taught’ us? How can we incorporate scientific lessons about ecological systems into our lives?

In honor of the summer solstice, we got thinking about how the onrush of climate change demands rethinking of our moral, ethical and perhaps even religious stance to life. Should we treat the sun as a god? Who would be our saints?

The Summer Solstice is a reminder of the role the Sun plays in our lives. The sun has a lot of interesting attributes: It exists, it gives us life, it controls the planet and it teaches us how to live. We would do well to give it more honor and respect. 

Federal money is headed to MA. We should 'seize the moment' and spend it on creating a deep energy retrofit industry. Doing so benefits everyone.

Hear an inspiring young activist describe why she cares about climate change and what she is doing about it.

Gas prices are high. Why? From a climate hawks perspective, what can be done?

FERC has allowed ISO-NE to retain the damaging Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR.) However, FERC’s Chairman Richard Glick issued a statement agreeing to  the rule extension, but with good arguments AGAINST the rule! Listen in as we do a close reading of what he said.

The unifying problem behind the stalemate on climate action, gun reform, bodily rights and a functioning government is the filibuster. If you are distressed by lack of action on any of these issues, reforming the filibuster is the path forward. 

Section 65 of the latest climate bill would allow up to 10 towns in MA to experiment with making new construction greener by eliminating the use of natural gas. Listen to activists make the case, then call your legislator.

Scorching heat in MA this weekend means we need to think about dirty power used on hot days. Find out about the #ShaveThePeak campaign to reduce demand for electricity on hot days.

Our electrical grid is a complex puzzle, built from ‘resources’ like wind turbines solar power, gas plants, batteries and potentially our homes. It turns our that renewable energy resources are both green and help solve the puzzle of  grid reliability.  Listen as we talk to an expert on how these pieces interact.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being a guest on someone else's podcast! This is the 5th  of several episodes of The Climate Minute that will be cross postings from a digital media site called Franklin Matters.  Since the impacts of climate change go from the global to the very local, he and I have been trying to make sense of what is happening here in MA, especially as it pertains to the state's Climate Roadmap. This show considers the alignment of the states bueaurcarcy toward the road map goal. The roadmap is now enshrined in law, and as a state we need to implement policies to achieve the goals. Our conversations are mostly about the ups and downs of that process.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being a guest on someone else's podcast! This is the 4th  of several episodes of The Climate Minute that will be cross postings from a digital media site called Franklin Matters. This show touches on the climate side of the Putin war.  Since the impacts of climate change go from the global to the very local, he and I have been trying to make sense of what is happening here in MA, especially as it pertains to the state's Climate Roadmap. The roadmap is now enshrined in law, and as a state we need to implement policies to achieve the goals. Our conversations are mostly about the ups and downs of that process.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being a guest on someone else's podcast! This is the 3rd of several episodes of The Climate Minute that will be cross postings from a digital media site called Franklin Matters. In this show we talk about electrifying homes in the state.  Since the impacts of climate change go from the global to the very local, he and I have been trying to make sense of what is happening here in MA, especially as it pertains to the state's Climate Roadmap. The roadmap is now enshrined in law, and as a state we need to implement policies to achieve the goals. Our conversations are mostly about the ups and downs of that process.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being a guest on someone else's podcast! This is the second of several episodes of The Climate Minute that will be cross postings from a digital media site called Franklin Matters. In this show we review additional elements of the roadmap.  Since the impacts of climate change go from the global to the very local, he and I have been trying to make sense of what is happening here in MA, especially as it pertains to the state's Climate Roadmap. The roadmap is now enshrined in law, and as a state we need to implement policies to achieve the goals. Our conversations are mostly about the ups and downs of that process.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being a guest on someone else's podcast! The next several episodes of The Climate Minute will be cross postings from a digital media site called Franklin Matters. Specifically, I have been talking with Steve Sherlock. He uses blogs and podcasts to help people in the small MA town -that we both live in- to learn about town meetings and community events. In an age where small town newspapers are dying, this is a great model.  Since the impacts of climate change go from the global to the very local, he and I have been trying to make sense of what is happening here in MA, especially as it pertains to the state's Climate Roadmap. The roadmap is now enshrined in law, and as a state we need to implement policies to achieve the goals. Our conversations are mostly about the ups and downs of that process.

MCAN released a report on energy mix of the states Municipal Light Plants. The bottom line is that while municipal utilities know how to be leaders in combating the climate crisis, they are still well behind the rest of the state.  

A young town councilman found himself in the vanguard of a grassroots uprising against fracking in New York State. How did that happen? What life experiences helped him answer the call of history? Listen in.

You can send a comment to demand that the Federal Government allow a rapid transition to clean energy. Until April 21, FERC is accepting public comments about the MOPR rule. The extension of the rule to 2025 delays implementation of clean energy. The rule should just be eliminated. Listen in to hear an expert explain the issue and what you can do. Go to bit.ly/FERC-toolkit to get help: talking points, sample letters, guides to the FERC process and more.  

Ten years ago, NY State was about to become a hot bed of fracking. However, grassroots resistance sprung up and eventually won the day. We talk to Dominic Frongillo, who as a local elected official saw the fight firsthand. Listen in.

Massachusetts has committed to put 750,000 EV’s on the road by 2030, but is falling way behind. This raises the question: do people want electric vehicles for their own sake, or do they ‘demand’ the clean convenient transportation services an EV can provide? Such a question suggests we could satisfy the demand for clean convenient transportation in a way that doesn’t rely on EV’s. Chapter 5 of the recent IPCC report puts this idea on a good basis, saying that “the potential of demand-side strategies across all sectors to reduce emissions is 40-70%.” This is a big deal, to paraphrase POTUS.  

Two issues show the need for more transparency and public insight into decisions regarding our energy supply. First, ISO-NE has asked FERC to allow an extension of the MOPR. This jargon-laden statement is confusing enough, but we should wonder who is making the decisions at ISO-NE. Second, the DPU is running the “20-80 docket” (aka the Future of Gas) by giving a sweetheart deal to the gas industry. It seems fair to ask: who runs the DPU?

Massachusetts is dotted with Municipal Light Plant (MLP) towns. So what is an MLP? How does it differ from an Investor Owned Utility (IOU)? Why should you care? Listen in as an MCAN expert explains these important facets of the clean energy transition.  

What do ISO-NE, FERC, NESCOE and NEPOOL have to do with clean energy? In fact, what the heck is ISO-NE anyway? Listen to an expert help us understand who the stakeholders in our electrical grid planning really are and what their motivations are.

“Solar Radiation Management’ is a fancy way to say we should reflect some sunlight back into space. The new book Pandora’s Toolbox takes us through not just the method, but the governance and ethics of this idea. Should we be making tools for future generation to use to clean up our mess? Listen in.

Even when we achieve a ‘net-zero’ world, humankind may need additional methods to avoid the worst of climate change. Those methods have risks as well as rewards. Hence the title of Wake Smith’s new book Pandora’s Toolbox: The Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention. It is a compendium of possible climate ‘interventions’ (AKA geo-engineering technologies) that future generations may want to use to respond to a warming world. Listen in to hear the author discuss why it is important to think about the technology, governance and ethics of tools like “Carbon Dioxide Removal” now rather than leaving the problem to our children.

Six activists are on a hunger strike, protesting the Peabody Peaker Plant construction. They are #FastingForAFuture. Listen in as they talk about the individual experiences that have brought each to this profound and brave action.

On March 15, six activists began a hunger strike to protest the construction of the Peabody peaker plant. The six have protested, rallied, marched, lobbied, or even gotten arrested, without halting the juggernaut of business as usual.  So they are taking this more extreme step. Listen in as we hear the stories of the motivation, intention and hopes of these courageous citizens. 

In this modern age of on-line meetings, you can even get a MassSave home energy assessment using your phone. The assessment will begin the journey to energy and cost savings. Listen in as we talk to an expert on just how virtual home energy assessments work. Welcome to the future!

What happens in a home energy assessment? What is the energy specialist looking for and how does she find it? As the website says: “Whether you’re a homeowner, renter or landlord, the Sponsors of Mass Save® offer no cost virtual or in-person Home Energy Assessments to help you learn about your top energy-saving opportunities in an easy, convenient way. An Energy Specialist will assess your current energy use, help you develop a plan to make your home more energy efficient, and educate you on rebates and incentives you may qualify for.”

We talk with an energy specialist about the details of what happens when you have a home energy assessments.

The Granite State is on its own path to addressing the climate crisis. We talk to an expert about what is going on.

The state of Rhode Island is on track to make climate progress through new legislation. We talk with an expert on what is going on in the Ocean State. Note the upcoming opportunity to get involved on March 8.

Buildings like your home emit significant greenhouse gases. Better building codes could make new homes green, with #netzero carbon emissions. The new state roadmap for 2030 and 2050 calls for aggressive building codes, but MA DOER recently proposed revisions that fall short of mark

ISO-NE (whoever they are) extended the life of the obsolete MOPR rule (whatever that stands for.) The decision makes it harder for renewable energy systems to get on the grid for several more years- thru 2025 and 2026. Why and how was this decision made?  Follow our guest down the rabbit hole of the FERC Docket E22-391. Instead of the Mad Hatter, we encounter the Internal Market Monitor and the External Market Monitor who collectively monitor…stuff.  

The people who manage New England’s electrical grid seem to have rigged important auctions to favor fossil fuel interests.  The alphabet soup of committees and commissions make it hard to understand, but ISO-NE should rescind the MOPR, and FERC should make them. Listen to hear an expert de-mystify that jargon. You can email FERC at customer@ferc.gov

A new peer reviewed study shows that methane leaks in environmental justice communities take longer to repair than in other communities. What can be done to lessen this inequity? Listen to the report’s authors discuss some pragmatic recommendations.

Gas leaks at the distribution level (that is, under your street) are related to overlapping issues.  Activists recognize methane as a greenhouse gas leaking from long-lived infrastructure, but real people live with immediate impacts. By matching leak location data to a community’s population characteristics, a recent paper provides new facts. The observations are not surprising- environmental justice communities live with larger leaks that wait longer for repair. We speak to the authors of the paper to learn more.