Jeff Roy on prospects for 2023
As we head into the new year, we are joined by State Representative Jeffrey Roy to discuss prospect for state level climate work next year.
In this episode we covered the following topics:
- Green banking, what is it?
- Smart metering, better able to manage use by knowing what and when it is being used; rebate potential for off-peak use
- Grimsby, England and video segment on 60 Minutes; Franklin Sheet Metal part of the developing ecosystem being built to support green energy
- Building net zero stretch code opt in, pilot with 10 communities to gain lessons learned; Clean Heat Report due Nov 2022
- How it will be working on climate legislation with the new Governor
This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well.
The reading list:
- Grimsby, England and 60 Minutes video segment
- https://www.cbsnews.com/video/wind-energy-grimsby-england-60-minutes-video-2022-10-16/#x
- Elton John “Grimsby” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7K3ddSNGbA
- Link to Channel 5 piece on MassSave -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/11/representative-roy-addresses-masssave.html
- See the page that collects the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon that protects environmental justice communities.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Thanksgiving Leftovers
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 reading list:
- https://www.axios.com/2022/11/30/mauna-loa-volcano-eruption-keeling-curve
- https://www.danielharper.org/yauu/2015/12/macomber-turnip/
COP27
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/08/egypt-cop27-alaa-hunger-strike/
- https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/final-week-cop27-climate-talks-success-hinges-loss-damage-2022-11-14/
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/15/the-guardian-view-on-cop27-this-is-no-time-for-apathy-or-complacency?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
- https://www.chathamhouse.org/2022/08/what-cop27
- https://commonwealthmagazine.org/
- The World Took a Bold, Toothless Step Forward on Climate Justice
- Rich nations have promised to pay for the climate crisis – but will they? | Climate crisis | The Guardian
- Greta Thunberg joins march as activists sue Sweden over its climate policies
- Climate change inspired a Kenyan youth to become a world-class ice sculptor : Goats and Soda : NPR
- The Art at COP27 Offered Opportunities to Move Beyond ‘Empty Words’ - Inside Climate News
- For Many, the Global Warming Confab That Rose in the Egyptian Desert Was a Mirage - Inside Climate News
- Glimmers of movement, hope at COP27 – Harvard Gazette
- How China, the world’s top climate polluter, avoids paying for the damage - The Washington Post
- Fox goes on an anti-climate justice marathon after COP27 reparations agreement | Media Matters for America
- Senator Ed Markey Commends COP27 Outcome On Loss & Damage Relief | WBZ NewsRadio 1030
-
Nations reach long-sought agreement on payments for climate damage - POLITICO
- https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/19/climate-summit-damage-payments-deal-cop-00069602
- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/climate/un-climate-damage-cop27.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
- https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/19/world/cop27-egypt-agreement-climate-intl/index.html
- https://www.npr.org/2022/11/20/1137349916/did-the-world-make-progress-on-climate-change-heres-what-was-decided-at-global-t
- https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/how-to-pay-for-climate-justice-when-polluters-have-all-the-money
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/19/cop27-climate-conference-egypt-updates/
- https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19112022/at-cop27-an-11th-hour-deal-climate-reparations/
- https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/19/cop27-climate-deal-payments-00069577
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/19/world/historic-compensation-fund-approved-un-climate-talks/
- Maldives minister: negotiators reach deal on climate fund | AP News
- Meet the ‘Closer’ Who Finds the Right Words When Climate Talks Hit a Wall
- Climate Disinformation Campaigns Threaten COP27 Progress, a New Report Concludes - Inside Climate News
- US, China climate envoys meet at COP27 summit in Egypt - The Boston Globe
- John Kerry Tests Positive for Covid at U.N. Climate Talks, Complicating Final Hours
- Cop27 talks in disarray with 1.5C goal at risk, campaigners warn | Cop27 | The Guardian
- At COP27, Activists Say Europe Wants Africa to Become Its 'Gas Station' - Inside Climate News
- Biden released a “nature-based-solutions” climate roadmap at COP27. What is that? - Vox
Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Utilities Hope Hydrogen and Biomethane Can Keep the State Cooking, and Heating, With Gas - Inside Climate News
- Commonwealth Wind offshore energy project will stay the course
- New England Climate Leadership: Signs of Holes and Hope - Union of Concerned Scientists
- Study touting hydrogen — a technology favored by gas firms — was funded by gas interests, e-mails show - The Boston Globe
- At deadline, Commonwealth Wind commits to MA offshore project
- Mass Save
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/26/science/wellesley-teed-up-bold-move-climate-action-then-came-an-offer-it-couldnt-refuse/
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/06/science/beyond-mass-save-legislators-advocates-say-its-time-change/?event=event12
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/16/science/study-touting-hydrogen-technology-favored-by-gas-firms-was-funded-by-gas-interests-e-mails-show/#bgmp-comments
- Cheap natural gas is a thing of the past - CommonWealth Magazine
- Prince William and Kate to visit US for climate change prize - BBC News
- Mastodon
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon that protects environmental justice communities.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
The People’s Hearing on Equitable Building Decarbonization
This past Tuesday, MCAN and a coalition of elected officials, as well as public health, consumer, and climate advocates, held a People’s Hearing calling on the next administration to prioritize equitable building decarbonization and amending the specialized stretch code to be truly net-zero. Prioritizing decarbonization among new and existing buildings is critical to lowering the cost of utility bills, reducing the health effects of burning fossil fuels in homes, combating the climate crisis, and supporting the creation of new, good-paying jobs.
At a time when Massachusetts residents dependent on natural gas for home heating are facing an average 24% winter price spike, we need immediate assistance as well as longterm solutions that will protect our residents from rising costs while also rapidly transitioning our communities away from harmful and polluting fossil fuels.
By prioritizing significant investments in deep-energy retrofits for existing buildings like affordable housing and Environmental Justice Communities, and implementing an all-electric net-zero stretch code, the Healey administration and Massachusetts leaders can begin to wean the state off the expensive, volatile gas system and lower utility bills.
The reading list:
- Video of the People’s Hearing
- Use MCAN's social media toolkit to spread the word
- https://www.greenenergyconsumers.org/
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Climate politics in the mid-terms
The midterms are over. What are the take-away lessons for climate hawks? What comes next?
The reading list:
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Helping Hospitals Reduce their Carbon Pollution
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 reading list:
- Report on pollution from the medical industry
- Reprocessing Association Report
- Author Bhatnagar on corporate sustainabilty
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Growing a backbone for clean energy
The MA DPU is slow to approve electric power ‘community aggregation’ plans. How come? Plus we talk about micro-grids, community design and an undersea cable ‘backbone’ to connect the multiple proposed wind turbine farms off the East Coast.
The reading list:
- microgrid - Merriam Webster added the word in September
- https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/10/merriam-webster-we-added-370-new-words.html
- municipal aggregation,
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/16/science/these-communities-want-lower-residents-electric-bills-carbon-emissions-heres-whats-stopping-them/
- offshore cable system, rather than extending electric grid above ground
- https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/10/18/offshore-wind-transmission-lines-grid
- microgrids, Mother Jones article
- https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2022/10/tool-surviving-extreme-weather-mircogrids-distributed-power-batteries/
- Eversource/Framingham pilot construction updates https://www.eversource.com/content/ema-c/residential/about/transmission-distribution/projects/massachusetts-projects/geothermal-pilot-project
- See the page that collects the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Explainer: What to know about ‘Beyond Catastrophe’
The climate future is coming into focus. It is better than the 5oC hell-scape we have feared, but much worse than our hoped for 1.5oC. 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.
The reading list:
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Souping Van Gogh
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.
The reading list:
- Video of the souping
- Study says such protest reduce support
- Studies show such protest help the moderate groups.
- WaPo: Climate protests get weird
- Protests need to support those on the front lines
- Mother Jones says more protests coming in US
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Explainer: “Loss and Damage”
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 reading list:
- UN on COP27
- UN on Loss and Damage
- WRI on Loss and Damage
- NYT on V20 countries withholding loan payments to the World Bank
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Glimmers of a just and rapid transition
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.
The reading list:
- Revkin on permitting challenges
- RMI on Brightfields
- WaPo on agrivoltaics
- LA Times on protecting sensitive land
- Nature Conservancy study
- NREL on Agrivoltaics
- WBUR on an off-shore "backbone" for wind energy
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre