President Biden recently signed the IRA, authorizing $369 billion in climate and energy incentives. While many environmentalists argue that the bill is not enough or contains too many compromises, on balance it’s a strong step in the right direction. Here’s why:

1. The funding will go farther than in the past.

The funding in the IRA is small when compared with the original Build Back Better Act, and is about half the size of the infrastructure bill Congress passed last year. But the cost of solar and wind has dropped by 90% in the last 10 years and the risks and costs of [… continue reading]

The key question about any “community solar farm” is:  “Who owns the project?”

You see, those mailers inviting you to join a “community solar farm” are from investor or developer owned solar projects. These are legitimate, but they are not owned by anyone in your community. More accurately, they should be called “subscription solar farms” because what they are offering is a chance to subscribe to their project with no upfront cost, and reap a small savings on your electric bill. For many who cannot build their own solar project, these projects are a good way to participate in solar energy. [… continue reading]

David Eggers’ novel The Every describes a future where uncertainty has been all but eliminated. The story focuses a large and continuously expanding corporation called “the Every”.  The company creates apps that remind you to do things like take a stretch break, monitor your blood pressure, or check traffic conditions. Sounds familiar, right?

Then they offered an app called “Authentifriend” that uses facial and word recognition to tell you whether your friends really like you or not. Then came “HereMe”, a device that eliminates domestic and child abuse by listening for violent words and sounds in the home, and automatically calling [… continue reading]

(Adapted from my book Advocating for the Environment)

What events have touched your heart? A brilliant sunset over the ocean? The birth of an animal or child? Is there a place in nature where you go to connect with your soul? Have you felt the loss of a favorite place? Or the loss of something you loved to do like walking in a special place that is no longer there? Your personal story about connecting with the earth—whether about love or loss–is the starting place for advocacy.

You may think stories are too touchy feely, or not as important as facts, or [… continue reading]

I was sitting in the balcony of the statehouse a couple of weeks ago, listening to floor speeches on the Pine Tree Amendment (PTA). This legislation would add the right to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment to our state constitution. It would protect Maine’s tourism, hospitality, skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, farming and forest industries—the very basis of our state economy. It would preserve our beautiful outdoors, and protect present and future generations from environmental harm. Everyone should support this!

But as I sat listening to the floor speeches, what I heard was a list of fears. I started [… continue reading]

The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) released it’s most recent report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, on February 28^th. But it  received little attention, drowned out by news of the war in Ukraine.

Wanting to know more, I skimmed the 36 page “Summary for Policymakers”. In it are dire observations and predictions. Over three billion people (or about half the earth’s population) are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: drought, floods, food scarcity, wildfires, storms, extreme heat, ecosystem collapse, human and species migration, and sea level rise. If drastic action is not taken now, the 2040s [… continue reading]

(This post appeared in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Sentinel Feb. 2, 2022. The Maine legislature will vote on the Pine Tree Amendment in early March.)

When I ask Mainers if they should have the right to clean water, clean air and a healthy environment, almost everyone says “yes of course”. But some look at me quizzically. “Aren’t these basic human rights? And don’t we already have them?”, they ask.

The answer is yes and no. Clean air, clean water and a healthy environment are basic to sustaining life. But these environmental rights are not codified anywhere in Maine law.

And that’s the [… continue reading]

(This post is adapted from my book: Advocating for the Environment, How to Gather Your Power and Take Action.)

Although some people are natural optimists, many of us need to practice optimism in order to make it a habit. This is especially important to do now, during the dark days of winter, and during a time when both social and traditional media seem firmly intent on presenting as much fear and negative news as they possibly can.

The key is to remember that optimism is a choice. You can choose to focus on the future you want. Optimists don’t diminish the magnitude [… continue reading]

In a precedent setting case this year, a Dutch court found Shell Oil liable for contributing to climate change and undermining basic human rights. The court ordered the company to slash its carbon emissions by 45% in nine years.

Until now, cases against carbon emitters have been thrown out, or decided based only on procedural issues. The Shell case was decided not on procedure but on its merits, meaning it was decided based on damage to the air, climate and human health caused by corporate operations. This was a first.

The Shell case went even further, finding Shell responsible for three sources [… continue reading]