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By JOHANNA NEUMANN

This week my boys and I are visiting my mom and stepdad for April break. Shortly after we arrived, they proudly gave us a tour of their new PV solar array, which they had installed on the south face of their home earlier this year. My stepdad, Rick,...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

Happy 2024. After my last column, I got feedback from a reader who pointed out that I missed a topic in my round-up of environmental progress in 2023. She mentioned that I had completely failed to mention Amherst voters overwhelmingly approving plans...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

This summer, our family’s gasoline-powered lawn mower, which had come with the house when we bought it 12 years ago, finally bit the dust. After taking it into Boyden & Perron as well as our neighborhood small-engine repair guy, it became clear it was...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

Rapid access to hot water is a hallmark of modern society and has made our lives a lot easier. With the turn of a faucet handle, we have hot showers as well as water to wash our dishes and clean our clothes.Now, the Biden administration is positioning...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

Many of us have an ocean, river or lake that holds a special place in our recollections of summers past. However, too often when we revisit these waters, they’re marred by pollution. This widespread problem should send a clarion call to...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

From the Norwottuck Rail Trail here at home to the Grand Canyon in the West, beauty abounds in the natural world. It’s found in places big and small — some well-known, others our secret respites from the modern world. Almost all are well-loved, and...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

In the wee hours of the morning of April 14, when it was forecast to be a record-crushing 95 degrees, I met my intern Erica in the parking lot of the Big Y in Palmer. Together, we carpooled to Somerset, on Massachusetts’ south coast for a 9 a.m....

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

On May 2, Amherst voters will decide whether to fund a new elementary school building. If you’re an Amherst voter still making up your mind, I urge you to consider a “yes” vote for the following reasons.First is the need. Both Fort River and Wildwood...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

Halting logging of older trees in our national forests should be a key piece of President Biden’s legacy of climate action.The Biden administration has done more than any other presidency to reduce the emissions warming our planet. At the president’s...