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Environment
With its "emerald necklace" of parks complemented by the "sapphire necklace" of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park, restored beaches, waterfront parks, community gardens, renovated ball fields and playgrounds, Boston’s environmental resources have never been so extensive, nor the constituency as diverse. However, state budget cuts are affecting maintenance, programming and staffing. In 2000, the state ranked 48th in the nation for environmental spending as a percentage of the state budget — even before recent cuts. The region’s environmental quality is also threatened as residents "live large" and drive more in less fuel-efficient vehicles. State greenhouse gas emissions were 7% above 1990 levels in 2001 and rising, despite a pledge to reduce them.
Boston leads the way, however, through a new "green building code" and is well on its way to becoming the first major city in the US to end childhood lead poisoning, with the number of children with dangerously elevated levels of lead in their blood down more than 80% between 1993 and 2003. And the City is already a model of "transit-oriented development," with over half its residents and more than three-quarters of its jobs within a ten-minute walk of either a rapid transit or commuter rail station.
Did you know?
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The City of Boston is in the watersheds of three different rivers: the Charles, Mystic and Neponset.
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Boston had the best "park access" of seven major US cities studied by the Trust for Public Land, with 97% of children living within one-quarter mile of a park.
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Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers trains all new apprentices in the installation of solar panels, has installed 48 photovoltaic panels on its building in Dorchester which generate 5.4 kilowatts of electricity per hour and is planning to put up a wind turbine on its property to produce even more of its own energy.
See Environment Highlights for the sector Context, Key Trends and Findings, Major Accomplishments and Innovation, Remaining Challenges, and Competition.
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The State of Our Environment 2006 (12/06) (pdf): Annual report on progress in Massachusetts on air quality, waste removal, water and land conservation, and protection of the coasts.
Germanwatch, Results of the Climate Change Performance Index, 2007 (11/06): Among the 56 countries studied, the United States ranked 53rd on this index, which combines emissions trends, emission levels, and climate policy.
World Wildlife Fund & The Global Footprint Network, Living Planet Report 2006 (10/06): Using 2003 data, this reports that the world is putting extreme pressure on its resources, and that this pressure is increasing. The United Arab Emirates and the United States lead in per capita use of resources, with the U.S. and China as the highest total use of resources.
Environmental League of Massachusetts, State of the Environment 2006 (10/06): Outlines 20 indicators on different aspects of Massachusetts' environmental health. 13 of the 20 were rated as "poor" or "fair".
National Climatic Data Center (NOAA, US Dept. of Commerce), Climate of 2005 – in Historical Perspective (1/06): the annual summary of last year’s weather, revealing that 2005 was the second-warmest year on record, and including discussions of long-term trends such as global temperature and drought.
More Research on the Environment.....
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Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Hike to Health!
(6/05): exercise and enjoy the 2,000 miles of trails in Massachusetts’ state and urban parks. Press release.
View the Boston Experiential Environmental Education Program Directory: this Barr Foundation resource provides a database of hands-on environmental learning activities for Boston's youth.
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