Stories

The Vineyard Wind Project To Build A 800-Megawatt Wind Farm Off Of Martha’s Vineyard

May 31, 2018

Massachusetts has announced their pick for the first industrial-sized offshore wind project: the Vineyard Wind project, which will build an 800-megawatt wind farm off of the southern coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

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Orange-shirted opponents of Northern Pass sit with blue-shirted supporters at the Site Evaluation Committee Thursday. Photo by Annie Ropeik for NHPR

Northern Pass Poised For State Supreme Court Review, Amid New Legal Challenge

May 24, 2018

State regulators voted unanimously Thursday not to give Eversource a new hearing for its Northern Pass power line proposal. That means the case, which has stretched for nearly a decade, will likely go before the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

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Sheldon dairy farmer Bill Rowell was in the Statehouse recently working against a provision that would allow the public to sue farmers over environmental violations. Photo by John Dillon for VPR

Bill Giving Citizens Right To Sue Over Water Pollution Has Financially Strapped Farmers On Edge

May 7, 2018

A bill that would allow citizens to go to court to enforce state water pollution laws is facing fierce opposition from Vermont farmers.

 

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A 4-year-old right whale entangled in heavy fishing rope 40 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, in Feb. 2014. Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA Research Permit #15488

New England Senators Threaten Trade Action Against Canada Over Right Whale Protections

May 2, 2018

A group of New England senators is calling on the U.S. government to speed up an analysis of Canada’s efforts to protect the endangered North American right whale, and to consider trade action if Canada’s rules do not prove as strong as in the U.S.

 

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Sandbags hold back water at the entrance to the Aquarium MBTA station during the March 2 nor'easter. Photo by Robin Lubbock for WBUR

How The New England Aquarium Seeks To Urge Visitors To Act On Climate Change

April 3, 2018

The Aquarium MBTA station was closed due to flooding, and the aquarium itself, nearby on Boston’s Central Wharf, was closed out of caution for its visitors.

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Photo by Sam Evans-Brown for NHPR

Maine In, New Hampshire Out For Energy Contract With Massachusetts

March 28, 2018

Massachusetts energy officials have announced they’re going with Plan B to bring Canadian hydroelectric power to the Bay State.

 

 

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A rally in Thetford back in 2016 criticized the USDA's move to allow vegetables raised hydroponically to be labeled as "organic." Now a movement has formed to strengthen the organic label. Photo by Rebecca Sananes for VPR

Movement To Strengthen ‘Organic’ Label Pushes For New Standards At Vermont Meeting

March 26, 2018

For a group of farmers and consumers around the country, the term “organic” just doesn’t go far enough. They say the U.S. Department of Agriculture has weakened standards for food that is supposed to be raised organically.

 

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When The Heat Escapes Chilly New England Homes, So Does Money

March 9, 2018

As New England’s aging fleet of oil and nuclear plants retire, one way to make up for lost energy is to build more generation: new solar panels or wind turbines. But there’s another untapped energy source out there — inefficient homes.

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Upper Valley Business Finding ‘Pay Dirt’ in Food Scraps

February 15, 2018

Jessica Saturley-Hall knew she wanted to start her own business, and she got hooked on the concept of compost. She knew that food scraps produce significantly more methane, a greenhouse gas, when tossed in a landfill, rather than breaking down on their own. So she wondered, what if you could reward people for separating their food waste from their trash.

 

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One Square Mile: New Bedford’s Gamble On Offshore Wind Energy

February 15, 2018

For the past eight years, New Bedford has been advocating for offshore wind and preparing their port to service offshore wind projects. But why is the city betting on this industry?

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