I was disappointed by how our regional infrastructure performed during the most recent flooding event. We had both severe sewer backups and severe stormwater flooding in many neighborhoods in my district. While we have made progress over the last few years, it is clear that we have to keep at our efforts.
Carbon and Climate
building energy, divestment, emissions data, personal footprint, preparing for climate change, reducing emissions in ma, science and goals
Field Observations of the Flood of 2010
For those who focus on the details of flood events, here is a collection of data points from my travels around the Alewife and Mystic from Sunday into Tuesday. It is important now that we assemble observations from this event and learn as much as possible. Clarissa Rowe will be convening a meeting of the Arlington-Belmont-Cambridge Stormwater Flooding Board for that purpose.
Progress on sewer problems in Winn Brook
I had been Selectman in Belmont for only a couple of months, when, in the major June 1998 rain storm, a constituent called me late one night to come see the raw sewage rising out of the sink in his finished basement.
Keeping climate change in perspective
Below is a text that I expect to deliver in rough form this afternoon at a rally in Concord for action on climate change sponsored by 350.org.
Carbon
If the carbon issue were being approached with cold rationality; evaluating the data, risks, costs, and so on, the result would be a truely massive effort by all humanity to change what we are doing. As things are, the problem is characterized by piddling measures completely underscale. Read the history of the first world war …
Taxes, environment and energy
Keep up the good work. The tax that makes sense to me is increasing gas taxes and spending the money on, in priority order: expanded mass transit (this helps drivers too by reducing congestion and wear and tear on the road), roads and bridges. Making gas more expensive makes sense from a global warming …