Keller @ Large: Talking climate after a bizarre and wet summer
BOSTON - After a cool and very wet summer, New England is dealing with hot weather when things should be starting to cool down. On this week's Keller @ Large, WBZ TV political analyst Jon Keller is speaking with David Cash, the New England regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
With flooding and heavy rain this summer in New England and scorching heat in the south and wildfires in Canada, Cash said he blames the wild weather on climate change. When asked how he feels about politicians like former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis downplaying climate change or calling it a hoax, Cash said it's "hard for [him] to fathom" that politicians wouldn't be addressing the significance of climate change. He referred to school districts in Massachusetts canceling class for extreme heat in September.
"It's not December, it's not February, it's not January. It's September and they're being closed because it's too hot out and some of these institutions don't have air conditioning because we never needed air conditioning in September," said Cash. "The Biden-Harris administration does understand the concerns and the potential impact, particularly to those communities who have been overburdened."
According to the United Nations' Secretary General, "climate breakdown has begun." Despite this sounding ominous, Keller asked Cash what could be done, especially with getting countries like Russia, India and China to go along. Cash called the United States a leader on the global stage that's "moving things forward" in international negotiations.
"We're taking the leadership that's necessary here at home if we're going to impress China and India to move forward, which they are, to a large extent," said Cash. "China is one of the largest manufacturers of solar panels, of electric vehicles and wind turbines."
As for local funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed last year, Cash said old apartment buildings in Dorchester are being retrofitted with clean energy technology that will lower electricity bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
In Part 2 of his interview with David Cash, Jon Keller asks what's being done locally to protect the environment.