Quite a week, broadly defining “week”.

It began with a vibrant demonstration in West Roxbury against the West Roxbury Lateral. Why? Generally speaking, fixing a problem with leaks in a local distribution system by over-pressurizing it is a bad idea. Releasing extra-forceful fugitive methane into atmosphere by mining, processing, and transporting it ain’t too cool and idea either. And building additional fossil fuel infrastructure, let alone investing in it, is pretty dumb.

Worked a bunch on last weekend, with a minor breakthrough of sorts involving association rule models. Follow-ups on that occupied much of the week.

In a tumult of scheduling, a meeting with Senator Mike Rush regarding the omnibus energy legislation on behalf of MAICCA and the associated half-a-day off on Thursday got scrubbed, because Senate needed to deal with a newly minted budget for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Rescheduled for a week from then.

Heard Friday about the explosion of the Algonquinn/Spectra Energy pipeline in Salem Township, PA on Friday. Luckily not many were hurt, but, as before and as will happen in the future, more will, and it’s just a statistical consequence of putting explosive methane in unmaintained and relatively unmonitored channels near people’s homes.

Ran 8.5 miles Saturday.

And Saturday evening, after confusing dates of 7^th May for 30^the April for a performance of Kevin Connolly at the Homegrown Coffeehouse, Claire and I went out to the Dedham Square Coffeehouse to hear some music. The DSC used to be called the “Paradise Café“. Their atmosphere is friendly, and they have a rich assortment of drinks and desserts, and sometimes the music is excellent. But it is very much the equivalent of an industrial incubator but for music, and the acts don’t get paid, they get seen. YMMV.

Claire and I attended a lovely music Sunday at the UU Needham congregation, and had lunch at the Hearth Pizzeria next door, a lovely down-to-earth place which in feeling and cuisine delivers a lot more than what it’s name suggests.

Upcoming …

1. “What’s in Store for Boston’s Climate and How Can We Adapt?” presented by the Climate Ready Boston committee, Tuesday morning, at Atlantic Wharf. Here is their plan. I’m going to hear, but I am not optimistic, both because of what I heard about Boston planning at a HUCE event in 4Q2015, because (even) the Sasaki study is based upon mean levels of expected sea level rise rather than tail events (although they do entertain storms), and because there will be “a group of deployable flood defense equipment providers from the Netherlands will present their technologies.” In other words, the expectation is it’ll be gradual sea level rise, completely within the scope of business and insurance to deal with it.
2. The Westwood-Walpole-Dedham, Needham, Brookline, Hingham, Newton, Norwood, Sharon-Stoughton, and Winchester will be presenting “Taking Action Against Climate Change: A Carbon Fee for Massachusetts” Tuesday evening, 7:30 p.m. at the Westwood Public Library
3. On Wednesday evening, I’ll lead a delegation from MAICCA to meet with state Representative Paul McMurtry regarding the upcoming debate and voting on Massachusetts’ omnibus energy bill.
4. On Thursday morning, I’ll be part of a delegation from MAICCA led by Eleanor Rosellini of the UU Needham congregation to meet with state Senator Mike Rush regarding the upcoming debate and voting on Massachusetts’ omnibus energy bill.