The Boston Common was filled with thousands of people protesting for science on Saturday afternoon. The event, which was originally planned to be a march, was changed to a protest due to the overwhelming size of attendees. Although the website emphasized that the gathering would be nonpartisan, many of the speakers voiced concerns about President…
NODAPL protest draws local Native Americans to Boston Common
Standing Rock protesters marched through the streets of Boston against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline last Friday afternoon. The rally was organized by Medicine Wheel Solidarity Network, a coalition of groups supporting the NODAPL movement, in order to support the All Nations March at Washington D.C. Several Native American speakers were invited to…
Remembering Menino: The Former Mayor’s Legacy on Social Justice
The late Mayor Tom Menino’s impact on the city of Boston was easy to see after his death on the morning of Oct. 30. Thousands visited his casket in Fanuiel Hall on Saturday, Nov. 2, and thousands more lined the route of his funeral procession the next day. As the oft-repeated statistic claims, more than…
Divest! Harvard Students Challenge Their University’s Fossil-Fuel Investments
By Brian Hoefling Harvard students spent the last week hungry. From Oct. 20-24, a group called Divest Harvard sponsored a fast aimed at persuading the school to sell off its shares in fossil fuel companies. According to Sidni Frederick, a Harvard sophomore and one of the fast’s co-coordinators, over two hundred students participated. Many others…
Oh Crap, Is That Today?! Our Last-Minute Guide to the 2014 Midterms
Valerie Adamski BOSTON, Mass.—On Nov. 4, people across the Commonwealth will head to the polls to choose a new governor, attorney general and other elected officials in a little-known ritual called “midterm elections.” Don’t worry — we forgot, too. But we’ve got you covered with this handy guide to where the statewide candidates stand on…
Climate Crisis: 400,000 March in New York to Urge Action from World Leaders
On September 21, over 400,000 people marched through Manhattan demanding global action against climate change. The People’s Climate March was planned as a response to the United Nations (UN) Climate Summit on September 23 and became the largest climate march to date. Thousands of other activists around the world also took actions in solidarity with…
Six-State Environmental Agreement Leaves State Bill in Shambles, Causes Resignations
BOSTON, Mass.—Almost a month after three members of Governor Patrick’s environmental advisory committee resigned, protesting policies in the Clean Energy Resources Bill, Governor Patrick has pledged to further assess the problems behind the embattled bill. In July, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed appeals in Massachusetts regarding the withholding of documents on the development of…
Waste Not, Want Not: Food Recovery Grows Out of Massachusetts’ Waste Ban
In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that America generated 36 million tons of food waste and 96 percent of that food went directly to landfills or incinerators. In the same year, the EPA also reported that 14.9 percent of homes in the US did not know where their next meal would come from. Instead…
Boston Medical Center Uses National Food Program to Prepare for Massachusetts Ban
BOSTON, Mass.—At the end of May, Boston Medical Center joined more than 800 organizations across the United States in an effort to reduce food waste through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Food Recovery Challenge. The center is one of 80 institutions from New England taking part in the Challenge, which involves keeping track of food…
GOP Gubernatorial Hopefuls Split on Climate Change
BOSTON, Mass.—You would be forgiven for thinking GOP gubernatorial candidates Charlie Baker and Mark Fisher agree on a lot of things about government. In debates, the two are often on the same page over job growth and tax issues. But as Baker, the party’s 2010 hopeful, fends off attacks from the Democratic party of Governor…