From trade restrictions to zoning as a means to change our world for more sustainable living (audio)

FM #1206 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1206 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We met to record in the Franklin TV & Public Radio studio on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.  

We continued making sense of climate by working our way from the trade restrictions on electronic vehicles (EVs) just announced to transportation issues, walking, biking and then briefly to zoning as a measure to change our world for more sustainable living.

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 39 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted.

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1206-making-sense-of-climate-44-05-14-24

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

Trade restrictions on EV  https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/14/joe-biden-tariff-chinese-made-electric-vehicles 

White House fact sheet https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/05/14/fact-sheet-president-biden-takes-action-to-protect-american-workers-and-businesses-from-chinas-unfair-trade-practices/ 

Smoot Hawley Act   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot%E2%80%93Hawley_Tariff_Act

CHIPS Act   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHIPS_and_Science_Act 

International Monetary Fund on Border Carbon Adjustments

https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2021/09/24/Border-Carbon-Adjustments-Rationale-Design-and-Impact-466176 

Building Equitable Neighborhoods for Franklin (www.BEN4Franklin.org/ )

Audio mentioned during #44 https://www.franklinmatters.org/2024/05/building-equitable-neighborhoods-for_01632997446.html 

** See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

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

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

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"

From trade restrictions to zoning as a means to change our world for more sustainable living (audio)

How did Norway become the electric car superpower? Oil money, civil disobedience – and Morten from a-ha | Electric, hybrid and low-emission cars | The Guardian

"More than 90% of new cars sold in Norway are electric. And it all started with some pop stars driving around in a jerry-built Fiat Panda

I’m kneeling on the snow outside the king’s house, impersonating a 1980s heart-throb, with a man named Harald and an electric car. It’s a situation that probably needs some explanation.

Harald isn’t the king, although the king of Norway is also called Harald; we just happen to be outside the monarch’s residence, a handsome red manor. I’m in Stavanger to find out how, in a world where transport contributes about 20% of CO2 emissions, Norway came to lead the world in electric car take-up. In 2023, 82.4% of private vehicles sold in the country were electric. In January, the figure was 92.1%. The goal is to hit 100% by next year."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) ->   https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/12/how-did-norway-become-the-electric-car-superpower-oil-money-civil-disobedience-and-morten-from-a-ha

Although Norway leads the world in EV uptake, its wealth is built on petroleum, which still accounts for 52% of exports. Photograph: Ryhor Bruyeu/Alamy

"Range Anxieties" shares the experiences of Representative Roy's electric vehicle

Jeffrey N. Roy (@jeffroy) posted on Wed, Dec 13, 2023:

Fighting climate change with electric cars isn't working like we hoped. https://t.co/GOV1rbcVAQ via @BostonGlobe

 

This is a topic of keen interest to Representative Jeff Roy. He also has a new blog "Range Anxieties" where he shares his experience with his electric vehicle including the lack of charging stations (in MA especially along the major roadways.)  

What is Range Anxiety?

"Range anxiety is the fear of driving an electric car and running out of power without being able to find a charging point on time to replenish the battery. Thus you fear being left stranded. You worry about where you can charge on long trips, how long charging takes, whether the charger will be available when you get there, whether the charger is working, whether it is producing enough kilowatts, and how much will it slow you down on these cross-country trips. Indeed, range anxiety is considered to be one of the major psychological barriers to large-scale public adoption of electric cars."

You can find Range Anxieties here -> https://rangeanxieties.com/

The Boston Globe link was shared from Twitter ->   https://twitter.com/jeffroy/status/1734901853601603615

https://t.co/GOV1rbcVAQ via @BostonGlobe

TED Ed: "The surprisingly long history of electric cars - Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal" (video)

"Let’s Begin… 

By the end of the 19th century, nearly 40% of American cars were electric. But these vehicles had a few major problems — early car batteries were expensive and inefficient, and the vehicles were twice the price of a gas-powered car. 

And so for the next several decades, gas-powered cars dominated the market. 

Can electric cars reclaim their place on the road? Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal investigate."

video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EG6rqA2vvA 

"Current law complicates effort" How to transition a complicated matter

Via CommonWealth Magazine: 

"THE COMMONWEALTH HAS established itself as a national leader in addressing climate change by setting an aggressive goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A host of strategies have been adopted and proposed to move us forward in meeting this goal. This is cause for celebration given that leaders in some states refuse to acknowledge climate change and are blocking any attempts to address it.

One such proposal is Senate bill 2218, filed by Sen. Brendan Crighton, calling for 100 percent of new vehicles purchased by the Commonwealth to be electric by 2026 and 100 percent use of zero emissions vehicles by public entities by 2035. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program is offering $5 billion in grants and rebates over five years to schools to electrify their bus fleets. (Five Massachusetts school districts received rebates through this program in 2022.)

Electrifying school buses as an immediate first step should be a no-brainer. They travel a known distance each day and are parked in a central location overnight, easing the logistics of route planning and charging. What’s more, electric buses are quieter and reduce students’ exposure to tailpipe emissions, which has been shown to be a leading cause of asthma.

However, current laws do not make this so easy. The heart of the challenge facing school districts is the requirement under current law that they procure fuel sources separately from vehicles. While that may seem like a minor bureaucratic detail, it runs the risk of greatly complicating districts’ move to cleaner bus transportation, and could lead to violations of procurement regulations and law."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/government/push-for-electric-school-buses-faces-procurement-bump-in-the-road/

(Photo via Creative Commons/Flickr by ThoseGuys119)

 

"Brayton Point offshore wind prize in doubt

Divided Somerset grapples with ship electrification mandate"

"ONE OF THE BIGGEST prizes of the emerging offshore wind industry – an onshore subsea cable manufacturing facility providing jobs, tax revenue, and the beginnings of a US supply chain – is in danger of slipping away at Somerset’s Brayton Point because of a dispute over a zoning condition.

Prysmian Group, based in Italy, is proposing to build a $250 million factory employing nearly 300 people and generating local taxes of $9 million, which would represent about 12 percent of Somerset’s current budget. The factory would supply transmission cables to offshore wind farms up and down the Atlantic Coast and help reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.

President Biden recognized the symbolic importance of the Prysmian facility in July 2022, when he used Brayton Point – the former site of one of New England’s largest coal-fired power plants — as the backdrop for a speech outlining his vision for addressing climate change. He described Brayton Point and the Prysmian cable manufacturing plant as being “on the frontier of clean energy in America.”

 Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/brayton-point-offshore-wind-prize-in-doubt/

A rendering of the Prysmian subsea cable manufacturing facility proposed for Brayton Point in Somerset.

"Major investments to shift away from US car dependency would have benefits"

Daniel Aldana Cohen (@aldatweets) tweeted:

"We got so sick of hearing about all the lithium we need to carpet the roads w electric cars. So we did the 1st study to quantify alternatives. Leading w mass transit, ebikes, and urban density cuts lithium demand by up to 90%, while slashing carbon & giving us mobility & freedom. https://t.co/g77RwmXtIi"

The Guardian article highlights the study 

"The US’s transition to electric vehicles could require three times as much lithium as is currently produced for the entire global market, causing needless water shortages, Indigenous land grabs, and ecosystem destruction inside and outside its borders, new research finds.

It warns that unless the US’s dependence on cars in towns and cities falls drastically, the transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining – and may even jeopardize the 1.5C global heating target.

But ambitious policies investing in mass transit, walkable towns and cities, and robust battery recycling in the US would slash the amount of extra lithium required in 2050 by more than 90%.

In fact, this first-of-its-kind modeling shows it is possible to have more transport options for Americans that are safer, healthier and less segregated, and less harmful mining while making rapid progress to zero emissions."

Continue reading the article in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/24/us-electric-vehicles-lithium-consequences-research

Introduction to to the report ->

https://www.climateandcommunity.org/more-mobility-less-mining

Link to the report itself ->

https://www.climateandcommunity.org/_files/ugd/d6378b_3b79520a747948618034a2b19b9481a0.pdf

Found via Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/aldatweets/status/1617918544712462337

 the lithium we need to carpet the roads w electric cars

1st study to quantify alternatives

We drove around New England looking for EV chargers (and the best doughnuts). It was easier than we expected. - The Boston Globe

"In Massachusetts, the share of registrations for electric cars has more than tripled since 2019 and represents 5 percent of all new cars registered in 2022. It’s a similar story across New England and across the country.

But there’s one big adjustment to owning an electric car: EV drivers cannot rely on the century-old ecosystem of a gas station around every corner. Instead, they need to plan their trips based on the availability of a growing but still spotty network of charging stations. Tesla has built its own network of widespread and speedy chargers but, at least for now, they’re only accessible to Tesla EVs.

The build-out of charging infrastructure is critical if the region wants to successfully entice millions of car owners to make the switch to electric and slash climate-warming emissions. After all, drivers aren’t likely to ditch their gas vehicle if they’re going to have to worry constantly about running out of charge.

To test the current state of EV infrastructure, we took off on a 400-mile road trip across New England in two typical — but quite different — electric cars. One of us (Aaron) drove a Kia Niro EV purchased a year ago while the other (Sabrina) rented the flashy Tesla Model 3 Performance."

Continue reading the article online at the Boston Globe -> (subscription may be required)  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/01/10/science/we-drove-around-new-england-looking-ev-chargers-best-doughnuts-it-was-easier-than-we-expected/

Aaron Pressman and Sabrina Shankman at Donut Dip in West Springfield while on their journey traveling New England in EVs. CARLIN STIEHL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

CommonWealth Magazine: MBTA gets to buying electric buses; Codcast episode

On the climate front, the T is getting to buying electric buses, and 2 Conservation Law officials question the progress bring made by ISO-New England. Both items also covered in our "Making Sense of Climate" series. 

"THE MBTA is beginning the process of electrifying its bus fleet, launching a long-awaited procurement that could lead to the purchase of 460 battery-electric buses over the next five years.

The T’s request for proposal went out on Friday, with the transit authority seeking a battery-powered bus supplemented with a diesel-power heating system and capable of going 150 miles on a single charge."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/mbta-goes-out-to-bid-for-battery-electric-buses/ 

"Challenging the status quo on electricity, heating"

"Two top officials with the Conservation Law Foundation say the region’s power grid operator and the state’s utilities are in some ways part of the problem instead of the solution to dealing with climate change. 

Greg Cunningham, the vice president and director of CLF’s clean energy and climate change program, and Caitlin Peale Sloan, the vice president for Massachusetts, said on The Codcast that they are concerned the institutions that should be leading the fight against climate change are not doing so."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/challenging-the-status-quo-on-electricity-heating-2/

 

Listen to The Codcast episode referenced in the article

https://soundcloud.com/massinc/gmt20220421-160515-recording

CommonWealth Magazine · Challenging the status quo on electricity, heating

Franklin awarded $150K in green community grant for "energy conservation measures, EV vehicles, LED lighting, etc."

During an event yesterday in Lawrence, the administration awarded $8.3 million in Green Communities competitive grants to 64 municipalities.

The competitive grants support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals. The grants are awarded to Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards.

According to the Department of Energy Resources, the grants will help to fund a range of projects, from ventilation system upgrades to the installation of insulation and energy management systems at municipal buildings and facilities. Projects also include installations of air-source heat pumps, hybrid police cruisers, and electric vehicle charging stations. (Click here for details of the project awards.)

Continue reading the MMA article

https://www.mma.org/administration-awards-8-3m-in-green-communities-grants/

Franklin's award for $150,902 was summarized as:

"to fund energy conservation measures, EV vehicles, LED lighting, and transformers, in municipal facilities including vehicle fleet, Horace Mann, Remington, and Keller Sullivan Schools"

The complete listing of awards can be found -> https://www.mass.gov/doc/competitive-grant-awards-2021-block-2/download

For more about Green Communities

CommonWealth Magazine: 3 articles on MBTA electrification schedule, ridership, and budget woes

"The MBTA is pushing ahead with electrification, but on its own terms.

Transit advocates, climate activists, and many lawmakers are pushing the T to ditch its diesel buses and quickly embrace battery electric buses. They are also pressing the transit authority to start electrifying commuter rail lines, particularly those running through environmental justice communities, and to scrap plans to discontinue use of the electric trolleys that operate off catenary wires in Cambridge. "

Continue reading the article online
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/mbta-in-no-big-rush-on-electrification-2/

 

"MBTA PASSENGER LEVELS,  which took a hit earlier this year when COVID levels shot up, have recovered their lost ground and appear to be picking up steam, particularly on the commuter rail system.

Commuter rail ridership a year ago was just 11.6 percent of pre-COVID levels. Passenger levels rose a bit in the last half of 2021 but they really began to pick up during the first three months of this year. Ridership on commuter rail hit 31 percent of pre-COVID levels in January, rose to 39 percent in February, and reached 49 percent in March."

Continue reading the article online
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/mbta-ridership-rebounding-particularly-on-commuter-rail/

"WE ARE HEADING for a massive MBTA operating budget deficit next year, and no one in power on Beacon Hill is doing anything about it.  This is not a theory or hypothesis; this is a fact, something the T itself candidly acknowledges and has publicly stated.

Why will this happen?  And what can be done to avoid the impending crisis?"

Continue reading the article online
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/the-t-should-not-be-playing-fiscal-musical-chairs/

CommonWealth Magazine: 3 articles on MBTA electrification schedule, ridership, and budget woes

Town of Franklin acquires 2 electric vehicles with grant

"The TOF was recently awarded $15K in Green Communities Grant funds to purchase 2018 Nissan Leafs! These electric vehicles will be used by the assessors, building dept and health dept staff. They are the 1st electric cars in our fleet. Our plan is to continue replacing gas cars... 

... with electric vehicles to become a more environmentally friendly community! We also installed EV charging stations at the Library and Town Hall and plan to add more at the DPW. Watch for these cars around town! #GoingGreenisKey #franklingoesgreen"

Shared from Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1395377707039461381

and

https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1395377712806744066

Town of Franklin acquires 2 electric vehicles with grant

MAEnergy Environment: 2050 Roadmap Report & 2030 Clean Energy and Climate Plan

"Building on @MassGovernor's ambitious commitment to achieve Net Zero GHG emissions by 2050, @MassEEA today (12/30/20) released its 2050 Roadmap Report & 2030 Clean Energy and Climate Plan to equitably & cost-effectively meet MA's #climate goals."

Road map link: https://t.co/8R90L1AaiA 

Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/eubtOAc1dA

Roadmap direct link

https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-releases-roadmap-to-achieve-net-zero-emissions-by-2050

2050 Roadmap Report & 2030 Clean Energy and Climate Plan

MBTA discusses Electric Multiple Units for possible future use

"At a recent @MBTA Board meeting, T staff discussed procurement of Electric Multiple Units for @MBTA_CR , with new fleet possible starting in 2025/26.

There’s a lot to do to make rail transformation happen.

See the presentation at https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2020-06/2020-06-15-fmcb-K-EMU-RFI-update.pdf #mapoli"

MBTA Electric Multiple Units RFI Update from Franklin Matters

Shared via Twitter: https://twitter.com/T4MASS/status/1272968435589234688?s=09

T staff discussed procurement of Electric Multiple Units for @MBTA_CR

In the News: "Mass. hydro project caught up in Maine ballot fight"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The project that would provide New England with its largest source of renewable energy and Massachusetts with about a fifth of its electricity demand is at the center of a simmering political and legal fight taking shape in Maine.

New England Clean Energy Connect, a 145-mile transmission project of Central Maine Power Company, is expected to link the electrical grids in Quebec and New England to provide cleaner and more reliable hydropower directly to a converter station in Lewiston, Maine, and into the regional power grid.

This week, CMP’s parent company filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine claiming a ballot question that project opponents got on the November ballot to overturn a key permit approval is unconstitutional. That suit came days after the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled in a separate case that contested signatures turned in by project opponents were valid.

Bay State utilities and Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration chose the project to help Massachusetts meet its statutory requirements to increase renewable energy supplies after their first choice -- the Northern Pass project through the White Mountains of New Hampshire -- was stymied by regulators there."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200515/mass-hydro-project-caught-up-in-maine-ballot-fight

For additional info, the ballotpedia entry is here
https://ballotpedia.org/Maine_NECEC_Transmission_Project_Certificate_Initiative_(2020)

In the News: distracted driving legislation effective February; additional electric vehicle charging stations being installed

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Massachusetts drivers will soon face fines for virtually all cellphone usage behind the wheel after Gov. Charlie Baker signed an anti-distracted driving bill into law Monday. 

Starting in three months, motorists will be prohibited from using a handheld electronic device while driving except for a single touch or tap to activate hands-free mode. Voice commands will still be allowed, as will viewing a map on a device mounted to the windshield, dashboard or console, but all other uses are banned. 

State law has forbidden texting while driving since 2010, but because other actions such as dialing a phone number were not covered, police have found it difficult to enforce and distracted driving has proliferated. 

“When a driver on an electronic device hits something or someone, that’s not an accident,” Baker said during a crowded signing ceremony in the Statehouse Library, joined by advocates and families of victims killed in collisions. “It’s a crash that was avoidable, so this is a very proud day for Massachusetts where we join the other states in New England and do more to help prevent further injuries and horrible tragedies.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191125/hands-free-law-begins-in-february

"New electric vehicle charging stations will soon be installed at the Framingham Logan Express and the Franklin Village Shopping Center. 

The Baker-Polito administration, using $2 million in state funds received as settlement money in connection with the 2015 Volkswagen emission scandal, has awarded MassEVIP grants to 49 entities for the installation of additional electric vehicle charging stations. 

The DEP made the announcement in a press release last week. 

“By putting the infrastructure in place to ensure the reliability of electric vehicles and encourage electric vehicle adoption, we can lower transportation costs for families and businesses, enhance the Commonwealth’s economic competitiveness and improve the environment,” said Gov. Charlie Baker said in the release."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20191125/vehicle-charging-stations-coming-to-framingham-franklin

In the News: NationalGrid negotiations resume Dec 26; vehicles sold in MA required to be electric by 2040

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The calendar for the next two weeks is creating some interesting interplay between a benefit bill for locked-out workers, Christmas and the end of the 2017-2018 session, and contract talks between National Grid and its 1,200 locked-out natural gas workers. 

Lawmakers on Friday agreed to the details of a bill extending unemployment benefits for locked-out workers and it appears they may take enactment votes to send that bill to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk on Monday, Christmas Eve. 

Meantime, National Grid has been saying for days that it hoped to strike a deal with two employee unions by Christmas. However, a company spokeswoman on Saturday confirmed to the News Service that after seven consecutive weekdays of bargaining, the next session won’t be held until Wednesday, Dec. 26. 

And in another new wrinkle, the unions and the company issued a rare joint statement Friday night that suggested some optimism about a potential deal and markedly contrasted with the snippy statements that both sides have regularly issued after unsuccessful talks."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181223/national-grid-union-hope-to-end-impasse-by-friday

"Ready or not, Massachusetts is speeding headlong into a brave new transportation world. 

It may not include flying cars, but state leaders are looking to help pave the way for self-driving cars, an all-electric car future, a transportation grid resilient to climate change and a planned “reinvention” of the commuter rail system serving metropolitan Boston. 

Among the recommendations laid out in a hefty, two-volume report released this month by a state commission on the future of transportation in Massachusetts is for the state to set a goal “that all new cars, light duty trucks, and buses sold in Massachusetts will be electric by 2040.” 

It’s part of a wider blueprint to create what the commission called “a 21st-century mobility infrastructure” that will help the state and its cities and towns both manage and make the most of emerging changes in transportation technology and behavior."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181223/brave-new-world-for-mass-transportation

In case you missed the post shared here last week:
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/12/focused-on-big-picture-on-what-and-why.html

Visit the Commission page  
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/commission-on-the-future-of-transportation

Report - Volume 1:
Choices for Stewardship: Recommendations to Meet the Transportation Future
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/12/14/FOTCVolume1_1.pdf 

Report - Volume 2:
Choices for Stewardship: Background Books – Facts, Trends, and Issues 
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/12/14/FOTCVolume2.pdf

Commission on the Future of Transportation, recommends 18 ways the state
should prepare for potential changes in transportation