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The Supreme Court just shriveled federal protection for wetlands, leaving many of these valuable ecosystems at risk
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Sackett v. EPA that federal protection of wetlands encompasses only those wetlands that directly adjoin rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. This is an extremely narrow interpretation of the Clean Water Act that could expose many wetlands across the U.S. to filling and development. Under this keystone […]
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How to kill a train line
Even while promoting transit-oriented development and better service, CT lawmakers are cutting back on the transit Our politician friends in Hartford are trying to kill mass transit in Connecticut, worsen our air quality and increase traffic, all in a move that contradicts public policy. They want to cut train service on Metro-North and Shore Line East railroads.…
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Wall Street settlement opens pathway to secure library parking
The recent Wall Street settlement between the City of Norwalk and Milligan Properties removes a nagging complication from moving forward with securing permanent on-site parking for users of the Norwalk Public Library. The settlement clears the deck for a renewed commitment to achieve the vision expressed by Mayor Rilling in his December 15, 2019, post-election…
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Arbor Day: Why planting trees isn’t enough
As ecologists who study forest restoration, we know that trees store carbon, provide habitat for animals and plants, prevent erosion and create shade in cities. But as we have explained elsewhere in detail, planting trees is not a silver bullet for solving complex environmental and social problems. And for trees to produce benefits, they need to be planted correctly – which often is not the case.
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Talk of pedestrian deaths touches a nerve
My recent column on the increase in pedestrian deaths brought us a lot of comments. Here are a few for you to consider: Doug Rankin, West Hartford “I have always enjoyed your column. Today’s was particularly alarming, and perhaps a canary in the coal mine. There have been more pedestrian deaths in the past 12 months…
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Long Island: So close to CT, yet so far away
On a clear day you can see it from the Connecticut shoreline (only about 20 miles away). But actually getting to Long Island often involves a very long, out-of-the-way journey. Maybe you’re going to LaGuardia or JFK. Or a Met’s game at Citi Field. Perhaps you’ll want to see the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.…
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Zone gasoline pricing — secretive and nonsensical
Connecticut’s free bus fares are gone and lawmakers have allowed gas taxes to rise to 20 cents a gallon as of April 1. But the end of our state’s “gas tax holiday” next month isn’t the reason gasoline prices vary so much from town to town. Just why does gasoline cost 60 cents a gallon…
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Norwalk Charter Revision Commission update
The Norwalk Charter Revision Commission – authorized by the Common Council and comprised of seven Democrat, Republican and Unaffiliated volunteers – has been meeting bimonthly since September to review and recommend changes to the City’s charter. Largely unchanged since 1913, the charter is in desperate need of an update in order to make the document…
