In October, the Newton Cemetery & Arboretum (NC&A) sent a letter to the City Council’s Programs & Services Committee requesting exemption from Newton’s Tree Preservation Ordinance (TPO) – both in the current form of the ordinance and under either of two proposed revisions to it (one by the City Council…
Posts published in “Environment”
Last week, Fig City News reported that State Representative Ruth Balser’s nearly quarter-of-a-century effort to protect public lands came to fruition when the Legislature voted in favor of her Public Lands Preservation Act. Governor Charlie Baker has signed the bill and made it the law of the Commonwealth. Under the…
Just after the 2022 midterm elections, Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D, MA-CD4) hosted a climate summit at Needham’s Olin College of Engineering with experts in climate and energy. (See video.) Opening the summit, Olin College President Gilda Barabino highlighted the current climate emergency and noted that Olin students are taught to…
On November 10th, the Massachusetts Legislature voted to pass the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA, H.5381), designed to preserve open space in the Commonwealth. For Rep. Ruth Balser (D, Newton) it was the successful culmination of a twenty-four-year legislative journey, with roots in her service on the Newton Board of…
The Newton Free Library will host a virtual presentation, Dispatch from the Gas Transition Allies: Green Newton Series, on November 17, 7PM-8PM. Nathan Phillips, Professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University, and Dr. Dorie Seavey, a Boston-based applied research economist, will discuss organizations and individuals…
Rep. Jake Auchincloss will hold a Climate Summit in Needham on November 10, 8:30AM-Noon to discuss climate change and the clean energy transition. RSVP here by November 1 to get the address. Space may be limited. For more information, call 617-332-3333. The summit will feature opening remarks by Olin College…
The proposal to replace turf fields at the two high schools — beginning with Newton South High School — is moving forward. The Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department appeared before the Conservation Commission in October with a short presentation regarding the need to replace Newton South’s field and discussed the…
Last Saturday, Newton’s annual Pumpkin Smash recycled hundreds of holiday pumpkins into future compost. The LigerBots brought their latest robot and their custom-designed contraptions to smash pumpkins in remarkable ways. Also on hand were Newton DPW’s pumpkin catapult, as well as Newton’s Energy Coach and exhibitors from Green Newton, Black…
The Newton Democratic City Committee’s Climate Crisis Subcommittee sponsored an online watch party for the Mass Citizens’ Climate Forum held on October 19 to inform citizens about how recent state and Federal legislation could accelerate climate action across Massachusetts. The forum was organized by Citizens’ Climate Lobby and streamed by…
Last week, the Conservation Commission received an informal presentation from the Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department and its consultant, CDM Smith, on the proposed renovation of Newton South’s artificial turf fields — Brandeis Road and Winkler Stadium fields and the proposed resurfacing of the track (replacement of rubberized surfacing). The…