Environment
CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir Urges Climate Communicators to Choose their Words Carefully at IOP
CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir said he intentionally avoided using the word “climate” when covering the 2025 California wildfires at an Institutes of Politics discussion to keep the attention of audiences skeptical of climate change.
‘Politics Out of Energy’: Former FERC Chairman Emphasizes Bipartisanship in Energy Policymaking
Neil Chatterjee, former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, stressed the importance of political bipartisanship in achieving key energy policy goals at the Harvard Kennedy School on Monday.
IOP Upgrades Environmental Action Coalition to Pilot Program
The Institute of Politics leadership voted narrowly last week to upgrade the Environmental Action Coalition to a pilot program, bringing the total number of IOP programs to 17.
88 Pounds of Trash Collected at Eighth Annual Charles River Clean-Up
Harvard students and affiliates collected 88 pounds of trash, microplastics, and debris at the eighth annual Charles River Clean-Up on Thursday. The event held to mark Earth Day was co-hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School and Charles River Conservancy.
Biden Economic Advisers Talk Inflation Reduction Act at Clean Energy Summit
National security and economic advisers to former President Joe Biden discussed the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and decarbonization efforts across policy and finance at the first “Amped & Wired Summit” on Saturday.
Cambridge Earth Day Celebration Offers Sustainability Resources and a Pile of Free Compost
At the City of Cambridge’s annual Earth Day celebration on Saturday, city officials offered residents information on local sustainability programs — and free compost to haul away by the bucketful from a heap in front of the Cambridge Public Library.
Cambridge No Longer in a ‘Critical’ Drought, City Water Board Announces
The Water Board of the City of Cambridge announced that the City’s drought level has decreased from a level three “critical” drought to a level two “significant” drought status during a Tuesday evening meeting.
DPU Cuts MassSave Funding by $500 Million, Approves Gas Bill Reductions
The Department of Public Utilities ordered a reduction of the total three-year budget for the MassSave energy efficiency program by $500 million on Friday to reduce gas bills.
DPU Orders Mass. Gas Companies to Cut Bills by 5 Percent
The companies have until Feb. 24 to file their proposals for adjustments, which will take effect on March 1. The move will afford residents some respite, with lower bills expected for the “peak season” months of March and April.
Local Black-Owned Soapmaking Business Wins State-Wide Sustainability Award
The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts recently recognized a Cambridge Black-owned business as one of the most environmentally conscious small businesses in the state.
Mass. Department of Public Utilities to Review Energy Delivery Rates After Complaints Over Skyrocketing Bills
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has promised to renegotiate energy delivery rates with oil and gas companies after Mass. Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 and several state legislators penned letters decrying residents’ surging heating bills.
At Harvard Talk, National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi ’08 Says Biden’s Climate Policy Will Outlast His Term
White House National Climate Advisor Ali A. Zaidi ’08 said at a Harvard talk Wednesday that the Biden administration’s climate policies would be resilient in the face of a Republican-controlled Congress and President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
Harvard Will Purchase Power from Two Renewable Energy Projects Through Climate Consortium
Harvard announced Wednesday that it will help finance two utility-scale renewable energy projects through the Consortium for Climate Solutions, an agreement with institutions including MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Harvard Hires 8 New Climate Faculty Across FAS, Graduate Schools
Harvard hired eight new climate faculty members in 2024 as the Salata Institute continues to expand climate research and hiring, the University announced earlier this month.
Harvard Kennedy School ‘Greenplexity’ Tool Debuts at COP29
Harvard Kennedy School’s Growth Lab debuted an interactive online tool — dubbed “Greenplexity” — to help countries identify opportunities for green growth at the United Nations’ COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday.
