Since 2021 when the proponent SCAPE filed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for this project to initiate the BPDA’s Large Project Article 80 Review, it has gone through a series of modifications including notably the height of the buildings involved. The height proposed has consistently been well above what is allowed (70’ within 100’ of the Back Bay Fens) under Municipal Code Section 7-4.10. The Boston BPRD (Boston Parks and Recreation Department) must give permission for the project under Section 7-4.11 of this Code. The origins of this height limitation date from over a century ago to protect Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace. In the 2021 Project Notification Form (PNF), the height was 229’, and in the project now approved by the BPDA Board on 7/18/2024, there is a building of about 300’ tall, which…is said to be exempt from the Section 7-4.10 height limitation.

The EPA’s latest climate change report makes sobering reading. Among its conclusions are:

1. The indicators in this report present compelling evidence that the composition of the atmosphere and many fundamental aspects of our climate in the US are changing.
2. Climate change is affecting the environment in ways that have significant impacts on the health and well-being of people and ecosystems. For example, as temperatures increase, the frequency of extreme heat days and heat waves also increases, which puts people at greater risk for heat-related illnesses and deaths.
3. Less snowpack and increased glacier melt affect water resources for both ecosystems and human use.
4. Changes in the timing and character of seasons affect the number of days suitable for growing crops and increase pollen that triggers seasonal allergies. These changes will not be experienced equally, as some communities have faced and will continue to face disproportionate impacts of climate change due to existing vulnerabilities, including socioeconomic disparities, historical patterns of inequity, and systemic environmental injustices.

Yale University’s Program on Climate Change Communication has published a new study on the effectiveness of communicating the links between climate change and extreme weather. Study authors Laura Thomas-Walters, Matthew H. Goldberg, Sanguk Lee, Aidan Lyde and Anthony Leiserowitz conclude that the connection may be most effectively communicated using percentages (“the heat wave was made at least 400% more likely by climate change”) than using equivalent magnitudes (“the heat wave was made at least 5 times more likely by climate change”).

On Tuesday, June 25th, the State Senate will take up the Future of Natural Gas in Energy Bill (S. 2829). Senator Will Brownsberger shares his analyses of two specific areas: alternatives to natural gas for heating and regulatory flexibility for heat pumps.

He adds, “I look forward to voting for the bill!”