Author Archives: Peter Wilson

The Patrick Administration released its “Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020” in the final days of 2010, announcing a target of a 25 percent reduction below 1990 levels in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This target is a legal … Continue reading →

The question of race is an interesting scientific topic, appropriate for a show at the Museum of Science. The “RACE—Are we so different?” exhibit that recently opened at the museum, however, is short on science and long on politics, more … Continue reading →

I wrote recently about the Stretch Energy Codes that implement stricter standards for energy efficiency in new construction and renovations. I objected to the excessive degree of government regulation over small details in the lives of private citizens. In general, … Continue reading →

A recent letter from the city announces that our resident parking fees are going from $8 to $20 to “free up resources that can be dedicated to programs and projects in support of the City’s commitment to becoming a sustainable … Continue reading →

In 2009, Massachusetts gave municipalities the option of adopting more stringent standards for energy efficiency, detailed in a new appendix to the state building code known as the Stretch Energy Code. According to the Department of Energy Resources, 63 Massachusetts … Continue reading →

The Cambridge Energy Alliance is going door to door in North Cambridge next month, handing out free compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Well, they’re not actually free. The Cambridge Energy Alliance is “sponsored by the City of Cambridge,” so I … Continue reading →

An email from Amazon arrived this morning: As someone who has purchased or rated Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky, you might like to know that Counter-Narrative: How Progressive Academics Can Challenge Extremists and Promote Social Justice is now available. … Continue reading →

Joshua Green writes in “A new Grand Old (Tea) Party” (9/16/10) that Christine O’Donnell “worries party leaders, who have already signaled that they won’t support O’Donnell’s candidacy.” This rumor was quickly quashed by Republican chairman John Cornyn, who said on … Continue reading →

The Chronicle reports that Councilor Marjorie Decker is not amused with her subjects over at MIT. Commissar Decker and the City Council issued a fiat in April ordering MIT “to halt layoffs and any cuts in hours, salary or benefits … Continue reading →

The arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates one year ago has been described as a “teachable moment.” The past year has seen a lot of teaching, in the form of editorials, blog posts, Presidential speeches, and official reports, but … Continue reading →