The Great salt lake is no longer "great", and soon may not even be a lake

"On a recent flight home to Salt Lake City, I gazed out the window and shuddered. The ground below was riddled with cracks. Sporadic green pools dotted the dry earth where vast water had once been.

I was flying over what used to be an outlying stretch of the Great Salt Lake — the largest lake west of the Mississippi River. Growing up, I used to row there with my crew team. I came to love the brilliant sunsets, along with the migratory birds that stopped there each year.

This was not the lake I once knew.

For years, Great Salt Lake has been shrinking due to water overuse and rising temperatures. It has gone from a high of 3,300 square miles in the 1980s to a record low of 888 square miles in 2022. Though a few years of heavy precipitation have helped, it is still in grave danger. Without meaningful change, the lake could vanish altogether in a matter of years.

This is not just a disaster for Utah, where the lake is a cornerstone — it could have wide-reaching impacts that could reach New England."

Shared from -> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/14/magazine/great-salt-lake-sparks-new-england-concern/ 

Last August, I also shared an article on the disappearing Great Salt Lake ->   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/08/utahs-great-salt-lake-rings-climate.html

The Great Salt Lake, near Salt Lake City, Utah, has lost more than 70% of its water. Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, March 20, 2025 ???

Thursday, March 20

For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->     
https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

* "Look Up" Gallery (Franklin Public Library during open hours)

8:30am State & Town Officials Office Hour (Franklin Senior Center)

5:00pm Board Game Night (Pete's Nerd Emporium)

7:00pm 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting (First Universalist Society Franklin)

7:00pm BEN 4 Franklin Mtg (Franklin TV and Radio)

** Town Meetings today   **

Coffee Hour with State & Local Officials

Thursday, March 20th Time: 8:30 AM

No agenda expected, open session (coffee only available today)

Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, March 20th Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/321?fileID=4200 

Franklin Cultural District Committee Meeting

Thursday, March 20th  Time: 7:00 PM 

https://franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4767/CDC-Agenda_Meeting_-march-2025docx-1?bidId=

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Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37&showPastEvents=false

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting - March 6 at 7 PM

Our 350 Mass Greater Franklin node meeting will be held THURSDAY, March 6, 7:00-9:00 pm.

This will be both in-person and by Zoom, with the in-person meeting taking place at First Universalist Society in Franklin at 262 Chestnut Street at 7:00 pm. Bring your friends!

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting - March 6 at 7 PM

Meeting Zoom link:

Meeting ID: 819 3030 4274    Passcode: 350ma
Dial-in +1 646 876 9923

Topics for the node meeting include:

1. Rep. Jeff Roy's move from TUE Chair to close advisor to House Speaker Ron Mariano. The new TUE House Co-Chair is state Representative Mark Cusack, a Braintree Democrat who last chaired the revenue committee.

2. The next few steps in advocating for a Franklin Opt-in Specialized Stretch Code.

3. Sign up for Friday's ZeroCarbonMA webinar today:

ZeroCarbonMA will be holding a presentation on the Opt-in Specialized Code this Friday March 7, from 12:30-1:30 PM.  The Opt-in Specialized Code was introduced in Massachusetts in late December 2022 as part of a mandated update to our State building codes.  Since then, an astounding 30% of the MA population – 48 communities – have adopted this building code with overwhelmingly positive votes in Town Meetings and City Councils.  Come learn how you can help lead your community to adopt this important building code, protecting your community from significant future costs and current health risks, as well as aligning with State and local climate goals.   

Panelists include Lisa Cunningham, ZeroCarbonMA, Cindy Arens, Sustainable Lexington Chair, Alexander Gard-Murray, Executive Director Passive House MA, and Mark Sandeen, Lexington Select Board member.  We plan to have plenty of time for a Q and A at the end of the presentation.  We also welcome members from communities who have already passed this legislation to attend and contribute to the discussion.   

Please register in advance for this ZeroCarbonMA meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4Qfi8ZpmTOi3vItaJu5q5w

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  

Hoping to see you this Thursday at 7 PM, in person or by Zoom.

With gratitude,

Carolyn and Steve 

Derdiarian

State Rep Jeff Roy looks back on 2024 and ahead to 2025 (audio)

FM #1373 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1373 in the series. 

This session shares my conversation with State Representative Jeff Roy. We had our discussion in person at the Franklin TV & Radio Studio on Monday, February 3, 2025. 

We cover 

• The recent Legislative session #193 of the General Court

• Legislation filed for #194

• Entertainment fee to offset cable cord cutting for local PEG channels 

• Transparency and the Globe articles 

• Changes at the Federal level can have impact to us

The recording runs about 49 minutes, so let’s listen in. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1373-state-rep-jeff-roy-02-03-25/

--------------

Jeff’s Representative profile page at MA Legislature =  https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/JNR1  

Jeff Roy’s Twitter =  https://twitter.com/jeffroy  

Representative Roy’s Facebook page =  https://www.facebook.com/RepJeffRoy/  

Subscribe to Jeff’s newsletter -> https://jeffreyroy.com/newsletter/

BU Student generate project archive with the info on the development of the major MA climate legislation passed in 2022 by Gov Baker -> "Chapter 179, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind"

https://sites.bu.edu/masslaw/2023/02/10/chapter-179-an-act-driving-clean-energy-and-offshore-wind/ 

-------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting - Thursday, February 6 at 7 PM

Our 350 Mass Greater Franklin node meeting will be held THURSDAY, Feb 6, 7:00-9:00 pm.

This will be both in-person and by Zoom, with the in-person meeting taking place at First Universalist Society in Franklin at 262 Chestnut Street at 7:00 pm. Bring your friends!

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting

At this meeting we'll discuss the outcome of the Campaign Prioritization Meeting and how to begin to move forward with the campaign efforts 350 Mass has chosen, plus any ongoing local action we've worked on.

Meeting Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81930304274?pwd=Tm9VdGxYcDFaVTVDUkwyT3YvUnlFdz09
Meeting ID: 819 3030 4274    Passcode: 350ma
Dial-in +1 646 876 9923

HOWEVER, you're also invited to come Wednesday, Feb 5, to the Campaign Prioritization Meeting, by Zoom, 6:00-9:00 pm.  Join us for a thorough community discussion about our campaigns. The goal of this meeting is to strategize for the next year and prioritize our campaigns. All are welcome! The final vote will be taken by Statewide Steering Team representatives. PLEASE RSVP here.

Lastly, you are welcome to attend Sunday, Feb 16, at 10:00 am at First Universalist Society in Franklin.  The Climate Justice Team of Dave Rittenhouse, Steve Derdiarian, Mark Minnichelli, and Carolyn and Rand Barthel will be conducting a service called Climate: What Will You Do? No proselytizing, just climate change, we promise!

We hope this works for you all.

Hoping to see you this Thursday 7 PM, in person or by Zoom, for our 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node meeting!

With gratitude,

Carolyn and Steve

Boston Globe: "Massachusetts shifts gears: New Mass Save plan targets rental units for green upgrades"

"Now, a new, three-year plan from Mass Save is poised to change that. The state program is funded by ratepayers through a surcharge on their gas and electric bills, and every three years, it releases a new plan that governs how much it will spend and what kind of incentives it will offer. The latest iteration increases funding for energy efficiency by 25 percent, to $5 billion over three years. 

https://www.masssave.com/-/media/Files/PDFs/Mass-2025-2027-Energy-Efficiency-Decarbonization-Plan.pdf

The new Mass Save plan, which is under review by the state Department of Public Utilities and expected to be finalized early this year, includes incentives for owners of rental units in 21 so-called designated equity communities, which have high percentages of renters and low- and moderate-income residents. Those include Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Fall River.

New rules would cover the entire costs of weatherization, such as adding insulation or sealing windows to keep in heat, instead of providing only partial reimbursements, as long as at least half the building is rental units. For those buildings, Mass Save will also address legacy issues including the presence of asbestos or knob-and-tube wiring."

Continue reading the Boston Globe article (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/01/science/mass-save-landlords-renters/

Find the proposed plan here (PDF file) ->    https://www.masssave.com/-/media/Files/PDFs/Mass-2025-2027-Energy-Efficiency-Decarbonization-Plan.pdf

Visit MassSave directly here -> https://www.masssave.com/

via Lower Cape TV: "One Storm Away - Erosion on Cape Cod" (video)

via Lower Cape TV: 

"Many thanks to Angela McNerney and Lower Cape TV for this new video about Cape Cod's coastal geology, featuring Mark Borrelli, Ph.D., Director of the Center's Seafloor Mapping Program.

Watch the video:  https://vimeo.com/1040088892" 

via Lower Cape TV:  "One Storm Away - Erosion on Cape Cod" (video)

Shared from - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D3y9kaMZJ/

The Guardian: "‘People do not want to believe it is true’: the photographer capturing the vanishing of glaciers"

glaciers in Svalbard were melting

"Standing in blinding sunlight on an archipelago above the Arctic Circle, the photographer Christian Åslund looked in shock at a glacier he had last visited in 2002. It had almost completely disappeared.

Two decades ago Greenpeace asked Åslund to use photographs taken in the early 20th century, and photograph the same views in order to document how glaciers in Svalbard were melting due to global heating. The difference in ice density in those pictures, taken almost a century apart, was staggering.

This summer he visited those same places again, 22 years later, to find that the glaciers had visibly shrunk again.

“In 2002, climate change wasn’t as well known as it is now, so that was a compete shock when we saw it,” he says. “And then I didn’t know what to expect going back this time. But seeing all the glaciers, we really saw the difference from these last 22 years. There is a massive amount of glacier ice that has disappeared.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/05/people-do-not-want-to-believe-it-is-true-the-photographer-capturing-the-vanishing-of-glaciers

My conversation with State Rep Jeff Roy reveals his accomplishments and what is left to do (audio)

FM #1294 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1294 in the series. 

Thanks to State Representative Jeff Roy for making some time in his schedule to join me for a conversation about what’s happening in the state government and his campaign for re-election in November 2024. 

Jeff represents the 10th Norfolk District and has served as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy in this current term. We had our conversation in the Franklin TV & Radio Studio on Tuesday, Oct 15,2024.

The audio segment runs about 43 minutes, so listen in to my conversation with our State Representative Jeff Roy. Audio link -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/34fc2f5b-26b6-469d-aaf8-5e1380eeefec/

--------------

Jeff Roy’s campaign page  https://jeffreyroy.com/ 

Jeff Roy’s Twitter =  https://twitter.com/jeffroy 

Representative Roy’s Facebook page =  https://www.facebook.com/RepJeffRoy/ 

Jeff’s Representative profile page at MA Legislature =  https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/JNR1 

Video summary of his work on behalf of the District -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpGb2iKxaHg 

Video of debate -> https://www.youtube.com/live/Mw0u4rgg1rI?si=_qvFcdvOovhPHRIH&t=1105 

Audio of debate -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/10/10th-norfolk-district-debate-100824.html 

Newsletter - subscribe here -> https://jeffreyroy.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a03272e278ec395d5f164106a&id=43d5611856 

—----------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

The Guardian: "Earth may have breached seven of nine planetary boundaries, health check shows"

"Industrial civilisation is close to breaching a seventh planetary boundary, and may already have crossed it, according to scientists who have compiled the latest report on the state of the world’s life-support systems.

“Ocean acidification is approaching a critical threshold”, particularly in higher-latitude regions, says the latest report on planetary boundaries. “The growing acidification poses an increasing threat to marine ecosystems.”

The report, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), builds on years of research showing there are nine systems and processes – the planetary boundaries – that contribute to the stability of the planet’s life-support functions.

Thresholds beyond which they can no longer properly function have already been breached in six. Climate change, the introduction of novel entities, change in biosphere integrity and modification of biogeochemical flows are judged to be in high-risk zones, while planetary boundaries are also transgressed in land system change and freshwater change but to a lesser extent. All have worsened, according to the data.

Stratospheric ozone depletion has remained stable, however, and there has been a slight improvement in atmospheric aerosol loading, the research says."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required) -> 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/23/earth-breach-planetary-boundaries-health-check-oceans

The full press release can be found -> https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/earth-exceed-safe-limits-first-planetary-health-check-issues-red-alert

Planetary Health Check 2024. Design: Globaïa

Listen to Tina & Liz talk about how food recovery helps the Franklin Food Pantry clients and climate (audio)

FM #1277 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1277 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Tina Powderly, Executive Director of the Franklin Food Pantry and Liz Miller, Community Coordinator of Spoonfuls.org. 

We spend time in this episode talking about September as Hunger Action Month, and how The Pantry partnership with Spoonfuls is helping to drive awareness around food recovery. Food recovery provides healthy, fresh foods for The Pantry clients and removes the recovered food from the landfill environment, a key climate goal. We had our conversation in the new location of the Franklin Food Pantry at Edwin’s. 

Listen to our conversation to find 

• How The Pantry receives 2 shipment of 1,000 pounds each per week

• How confusion about date labeling adds about 7% to the food waste 

• How food waste costs a typical family of about $1,500, yes more than $100/month

The recording runs about 37 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Tina and Liz. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1277-franklin-food-pantry-hunger-action-month-09-05-24/

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Participate in the event Thursday, Sept 12, 2024 at the First Universalist Society of Franklin, a joint presentation by The Pantry and Spoonfuls. Free but registration recommended to confirm capacity requirements https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/hungeractionmonth/ 

For more about Spoonfuls, visit their page  https://spoonfuls.org/ 

Liz Miller’s LinkedIN profile -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmonizmiller/

Tina Powderly’s LinkedIN profile -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-tavares-powderly-78a81131/ 

YouTube video of WGBH segment 10 years ago -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqSBXwnX8Gc 

Spoonful’s founder Liz Stanley’s TEDxRVA talk -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O_KDxJV3Ow 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news or www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Listen to Tina & Liz talk about how food recovery helps the Franklin Food Pantry clients and climate (audio)