In Massachusetts, there’s widespread agreement among politicians and the public that climate change is real and poses a significant threat to the state’s future. Case in point: Gov. Maura Healey’s decision to create a cabinet-level climate chief position, who would be responsible for crafting a cohesive climate change response.
But what if that isn’t enough? In a recent Boston Globe opinion piece, Northeastern University professor Joan Fitzgerald and two coauthors argued that Massachusetts needs a brand new coastal adaptation agency to organize and execute a response that spans the state’s shoreline. Fitzgerald, who was the lead author of the Boston Foundation’s Inaugural Boston Climate Progress Report, joins Adam Reilly to make the case for a new agency and some big new investments.
Also joining the conversation: Globe business reporter Jon Chesto, whose recent coverage of a proposed floodgate in Fort Point Channel highlights how big engineering projects could help coastal communities adapt — as well as the huge political hurdles that need to be cleared for that to happen.
Watch: Storm surge, flooding could spell disaster for Boston neighborhoods. Preventing it won’t be cheap.
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