Good things are happening! Montana youth have brought a first-of-its-kind climate justice case to trial, and a similar effort in Oregon is soon to follow. Plus, the Senate is taking steps to address the insurance industry’s profit-hungry approach to climate disaster, and SCOTUS sides with Native American families. Not only that, but a new cleaner residential heating technology is gaining popularity, voters are standing up for struggling renters, and more.
All this and much more in this week’s edition of You Love To See It below, a weekly feature reviewing good news, progress, and action steps that’s one of the many features available only to Lever supporting subscribers.
Landmark Youth-Led Climate Justice Trial Begins
The first constitutional climate trial in U.S. history began this week in Montana, where 16 young people are suing state officials for failing to uphold the constitutional right to a healthy environment. A similar lawsuit in Oregon –– which was challenged by both the Trump and Obama administrations and which The Lever previously reported that the Biden Administration tried to quash –– will also now go to trial. These groundbreaking cases could set a legal precedent for Americans to demand climate action from state governments.
In general, excellent news, but as the cynic in residence, my suggestion is that you do your homework on the heat pump you are going to install. Make sure you do not end up with a piece of equipment that you brag about to your friends and neighbors as being "wonderful in the summer for cooling the house". One local tale in NH where the electric rates have increased has an acquaintance's electric bill going from $600 for the month to $1200 during the month. Yes it was during a cold spell. He turned off the heat pump and turned on his oil burner.
I suspect there are heat pumps and heat pumps, and you better be sure you choose the right one. The following example is about gas fired boilers, but the concept can be applied to heat pumps (and mini-splits, which I think are the same thing). My example: Two houses, two boilers, two contractors, same price of about $12,000 before state rebate. One looks wonderfully small in its little room, but cannot get the house above 67 degrees on a cold Boston-area winter night. The other boiler is about 4-5 times the size , feeding 4 zones with ample capacity on really cold nights. Just do your research on the heat pump that is going to be put is, because part of the high price may be because the heat pump is great and the contractor is making a fare wage--or it may be because the contractor is using an inferior heat pump and making up the difference by charging more than his fare wage. Of course there are other possibilities. Just be careful in making a decision.