The Climate Minute

The NYT Magazine published “Losing Earth,” an article telling the story of climate activism from 1979 to 1989. We discuss the content, conclusions and impact. Did we fail due to human nature? What does that mean for us in 2018?

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes was at the center of a twitter debate over media coverage of climate change. Listen in as we discuss.

So the MA Legislature took a swing and missed. No, they fumbled a great chance. No, they dropped the ball. No, they struck out. No, they choked. No, they “could’a been contenders.”

OK, sports metaphors don’t work for everyone.

The MA Legislature, like Frodo at the Crack of Doom, looked into the abyss of demands from the fossil industry and lost heart. Unfortunately, Gollum was not there to bite the ring off.

OK, LOTR references are too opaque.

The MA Legislature had the chance to make our state the nation’s leader in clean energy policy, and they failed. It is as simple as that. Constrained by a rigid hierarchy of power in the House and beholden to powerful corporate energy interests, our elected officials ignored visionary policies passed by the Senate and produced a milquetoast, uninspired energy bill that only a utility could love. 

As climate hawks, we will take the 2% RPS in this bill but focus on electing true clean energy advocates. And, by the way, we will return to the next legislative session with renewed commitment.

As they used to say about the Red Sox, “Wait ‘til next year!”

From the Arctic heat wave to political hypocrisy, we discuss the climate news of the week.

What is the RPS? Why should you care? Listen in as we talk with Eugenia Gibbons (of the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance) about changes to the renewable portfolio standards being considered by the Massachusetts Legislature.

Russia is known for its chess grandmasters, but in Helsinki on July 16th, Trump and Putin, possibly motivated by oil interests, may have handed a checkmate to the rest of the world. This week, follow us through a chain of news analysis that illustrates America’s obsession with fossil fuels and why it promises to lead only to stranded and ---literally---sunken assets.

We discuss the status of clean energy legislation on Beacon Hill. Listen in!

We continue our chat with Senator Pacheco on the Clean Energy Future bill, and how he became a climate activist. Listen in!