What I’m Thinking

We introduce a lot in the environment that society then spends bucket loads of money to remove. The Cape has a $4 billion bill to pay to remove nitrogen from the wastewater to restore estuarine water quality. The U.S. taxpayers have spent $1.4 billion, with more to...

Short and to the point with this one. The June 23, 2023 finalization of DEP’s regulations governing septic systems and watershed permits was a milestone in the effort to both stop the decline of our marine waters and lay out the path for their restoration. The details...

Last week we were told to minimize time outside because the air was unhealthy. This week, at least for my neighbors and me on Mashpee Wakeby Pond, we are told to avoid the water because of a potentially toxic cyanobacteria bloom. This one-two punch has released a...

This following quote came from a WCAI report on May 25, 2023, the evening of the EPA hearing on the draft determination that the proposed multipurpose machine gun range represented a significant threat to the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve. Colonel Matthew Porter,...

Boston media pays scant attention to Cape Cod other than breathless summer coverage about traffic and sharks. Over the weekend I heard a Boston news commentator say, “There sure is a lot going on on the Cape." The comment was prompted by a discussion about the EPA...

Part way through town meeting season the message is clear: Voters want to increase environmental protections. From the large open space purchase approved in Harwich, to the increased wetlands setbacks approved in Mashpee, to the $200 million wastewater management plan...

Faced with the dual threat of declining water quality and the increasing lack of affordable housing, isn’t it rational to look for new answers to these long-standing problems? Both problems have similar origins: the way we manage the landscape and how we decide where...

Disbelief was our first reaction upon hearing that Holtec, the multi-national corporation using public funds to decommission the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station planned to use Cape Cod Bay as a dumping ground for radioactive waste. Disbelief quickly turned to outrage,...

Town meeting season kicks off next week and that means it’s time for those of us that care about the environment to show up and vote. Depending on where you live, your town warrant may include authorizations for funding for the acquisition of important open space, the...

Urban centers have experienced a renaissance in recent decades. Cities have enjoyed population growth, investment, and tax base expansion. Once seen as the answer to the needs of a population demanding more, cities have seen their fortunes change as suburbs and rural...