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July 2008
States Taking Action to Curb Climate Change
 The New England states aren’t waiting around for the federal government to take action on climate change. In the past few months a slew of climate change bills have passed state legislatures, making the region a leader in confronting the climate crisis.
On July 2, MA Gov. Patrick signed a wide-ranging new energy bill to provide new funding sources for energy efficiency measures, create stronger incentives for renewable energy and encourage green building design, among other measures. In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch recently signed the Granite State into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a ten-state initiative aimed at reducing global warming pollution from power plants.
While the rest of New England was taking a step forward, RI went in the opposite direction when Gov. Carcieri vetoed a critical compromise renewable energy bill that will boost development of wind, solar and other green power projects through the use of long-term contracts. CLF’s RI Advocacy Center is working with utilities, renewable energy developers and environmentalists to urge the General Assembly to override the veto.
>>To read CLF’s press release on the MA Green Communities Act, click here
>>To download CLF’s full analysis and summary of the MA Green Communities Act, click here
>>Read more about the RI Governor’s veto click here
>>To learn more about NH’s participation in RGGI click here
Bush Calls for Offshore Drilling
Informed by our historic lawsuits in the 1970’s to block oil drilling in New England’s ocean waters, CLF is committed to fighting the Bush Administration’s misguided attempts to lift the offshore drilling moratorium and violate important ocean habitats.
Despite a current moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, which includes Georges Bank, Bush has asked that drilling be allowed due to the recent rise in fuel costs. One of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world, Georges Bank houses critical marine habitats that support massive production of plants and animals that comprise much of the marine food web. Available evidence suggests only a small fraction of the Outer Continental Shelf’s gas and oil resources are in Georges Bank, and drilling would have destructive effects on its fragile ecosystem.
>>Read about it in the Boston Globe
>>Help CLF protect our ocean waters from drilling and other destructive human practices.
>>Read more and watch an interview with CLF’s Priscilla Brooks here
CLF Highlights Vermont’s Failure to
Control Industrial Farm Pollution
 In early July, CLF released a new report entitled “Failing our Waters, Failing our Farms,” which analyzes public records documenting illegal pollution and highlights a clear lack of action by Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources to obtain pollution permits mandated by the Clean Water Act. The report calls for the immediate implementation of federal permits for water pollution from Vermont's industrial farms. With 146 million pounds of manure generated annually by Vermont’s farms, waste and pollution flowing into Vermont’s rivers, lakes and streams must be addressed.
>>To read the full press release, click here
>>For more materials on Vermont’s industrial farm pollution, including the CLF report click here
Trivia
Every Sunday, Americans throw away 90 percent of recyclable newspapers, wasting a staggering 500,000 trees!
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