The Climate Minute

An Irish Wake for the Paris Accords: The Climate Minute Podcast

In a shameful, unconscionable, historically damaging decision the Trump administration will pull the US out of the Paris Accord. Listen in as we process this unfortunate news and try to figure out how to react.

Paris, Bonn, Boston and Washington: The Climate Minute Podcast

Work on the Paris Accords continues with meetings in Bonn this week. Even though Governor Baker supports the US remaining, the question will be decided by our Tweeter-in-Chief. Will his demons or better angels prevail? Perhaps more importantly, will our leadership here in Massachusetts embrace a carbon price? The answer depends on you.

Mass Action: The Climate Minute Podcast

There is a lot of climate action at the state level. We discuss what’s been going on here in Massachusetts and around the country.

Carbon Pricing in MA: The Climate Minute Podcast

Listen in as we discuss carbon pricing proposals and how you can get involved in the MCAN legislative action team!

Solar for all in MA: The Climate Minute Podcast

We discuss how to provide "solar for all" and how to increase renewable energy in Massachusetts.

MCAN’s Local Clean Energy Toolkit: The Climate Minute Podcast

How can we effectively combat climate change? How can we push back against what is happening at the federal level? The answer - GO LOCAL!
We all know we need to get to 100% of our electricity coming from renewable energy. We also know we need to electrify everything - our cars, our heating, etc. How can we do that in the shortest amount of time, while making our communities better and creating jobs as we clean up our air and water?
Local clean energy projects and policies are key to get us to 100% renewable energy. That's why MCAN, in conjunction with our Mass Power Forward colleagues, has put together the Local Clean Energy Toolkit. It's finally ready (more or less)!
Based on experience from dozens of chapters and local volunteers like you, the materials included are intended to bring you all the way from "I'd like to do something locally that helps solve climate change" to "wow, we just won our first campaign!" Even better, each of these victories gets your community and our state closer to being completely clean. We built these materials so that you can build a team, make decisions about your next steps, and take action. If you want any of these in word so you can localize it for your community, email us. 

It’s both jobs and the planet, Mr. President! The Climate Minute Podcast

Comrade Trump wants you to believe that a healthy planet is incompatible with having good jobs. That is just more stream-of-consciousness lying from our delusional twitter-er in chief, along with his retrograde EO’s on national monuments and automobile efficiency. We point out the growth in clean energy jobs, and how you can take action against the craziness even in your own town. Listen in!

Voices from the People’s Climate Mobilization:The Climate Minute Podcast

April 29, 2017 was the day of the People’s Climate Mobilization. It was a great day, with 150 to 200,000 people marching in DC and even more around the country. We had the good fortune to chat with people of all kinds, students from Salem State University, activists from California and Utah as well as concerned folks from all over. Listen in to just a few of the thousands of committed citizens in DC last Saturday.

The People’s Climate March-We resist, We build, We rise- on the Climate Minute Podcast

The People’s Climate Mobilization is almost here. We can’t wait. Check out the events in both Boston (on the Common) and in Washington DC (on the Mall.) Just remember- we are mobilizing for the long term. Working toward Environmental Justice and rejecting destructive legislation are the kinds of topics we support. And of course, we must vote in November 2018. Listen in!

MCAN’s Beacon Hill priorities-More renewables, solar for all, and a carbon price:The Climate Minute Podcast

Recently, MCAN announced it’s legislative priorities for this session of the Massachusetts Legislature. We are pushing to increase our supply of renewable energy, provide access to solar for everyone and to make polluters pay with a price on carbon. You can join MCAN's Legislative Action Team and make a difference. Listen in as we discuss these topics, the Governor’s score card and the brewing fight between New York and FERC.

Increasing Our Renewable Energy:
We need more clean energy, and one great way to move the clean energy market forward is to have the utilities buy more of it. We support increasing the Renewable Portfolio Standard by 3% each year, driving demand for renewable power and growing our local clean energy industry. We also support a statewide solar target of 25% solar by 2030 and eliminating the solar net metering caps. We believe that municipal light plants should be included in the state’s clean energy goals.
Providing Access to Solar for All:
Everyone should be able to get their power from the sun, no matter their community and no matter their income level. This legislation ensures fair compensation to low-income solar and to community-shared solar (net metering) for low-moderate income customers, encourages projects that expand access to communities facing barriers, and directs the Department of Energy Resources to address barriers like income, housing type and language in their program design.
Making Polluters pay through Carbon pricing:
One of the best ways to discourage behavior we don’t want is to put a price on it, and studies have shown that pricing carbon would cut our carbon pollution by up to 10%. This legislation would establish a common-sense fee-and-rebate system of carbon pollution fees charged to fossil fuel importers. The revenues from those fees would go into a dedicated fund, from which each state resident would receive an equal rebate, and employers would get rebates based on their number of employees.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre