http://www.nrcm.org/rss.asp Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 11 Mar 2010 16:52:19 EDTFuzzyRSS 1.0.1 http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3514The long-simmering debate over the future of Maine's northern woodlands is about to move back to the front burner.A group called the Keeping Maine's Forests steering committee is working on a proposal to protect millions of acres of the working forest from further development. The committee is close to having a final plan and will deliver it to federal officials as early as this month.People alrea...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3515WESTBROOK – Mainers heard about state-administered weatherization programs funded with millions of federal dollars during a workshop Monday hosted by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.The Maine State Housing Authority has received about $34 million to go toward weatherization projects for lower-income residents, said director Dale McCormick. And Efficiency Maine has received $9 million in s...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3516Lincoln Middle School introduced a student-designed cafeteria recycling system Monday that could be a model for reducing waste throughout Portland schools.Superintendent Jim Morse joined students, school staff, parents and others at the school to kick off the pilot program.Students created a separation system for recycling paper-based lunch trays, milk cartons and other items.The recycling program...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3517Maine has made tremendous progress in ensuring that we breathe smoke-free air whenever we're in an enclosed space in our state.We are a national leader in protecting people from exposure to secondhand smoke. This protection most recently was expanded to prohibit smoking in cars in which children are occupants. When we walk into a building in another state that still allows indoor smoking, it is sh...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3512AUGUSTA, Maine — Campers headed to Maine from other states wouldn’t be allowed to bring their own firewood under a proposed law headed toward passage in the Legislature.Lawmakers want to protect Maine from destructive bugs that have wiped out huge swaths of trees in other states. The insects can enter the state through infested firewood.Legislators and other state officials fear widesp...bdimond@nrcm.orgMon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3513I would agree with Michelle Obama that the problem of childhood obesity is solvable, and that we should address it on many fronts. One part of the solution, however, is so elusive that it is just reaching the radar screen of public health experts.Obesity rates have risen dramatically in the industrialized world over the last three decades. In the United States, we have an obesity epidemic. More th...bdimond@nrcm.orgSun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3510One of the most remarkable pieces of legislation of the last 50 years is the Clean Air Act. This landmark bill, enacted in 1970 and revised and strengthened with bipartisan support on several subsequent occasions, has protected public health and our environment from harmful air pollution. Among its success stories are a large decrease in levels of lead poisoning in children and a dramatic improvem...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3511HALLOWELL  — A Portland attorney and longtime advocate for energy efficiency has been named the head of a Maine organization that promotes the efficient use of energy and helps residents and businesses reduce energy costs.Michael Stoddard becomes executive director of Efficiency Maine Trust on March 22.The trust was created last year by a law that consolidated the state's many energy-re...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3508The health of Maine’s coast is at risk as the streams that feed into it are threatened by reckless development, highly toxic chemicals and unregulated pollution. More specifically, here’s what’s at stake:Recreation: Maine’s coast is a regional vacation and recreational hot spot for Mainers and people from across New England, that seek access to boating, kayaking and swimmin...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3509There has been a lot of misinformation circulated recently about wind energy in Maine. The people in Maine need to know the facts about wind energy, and what wind energy will mean to the future of our state.Very simply, the state has a major opportunity to be a regional leader in providing clean renewable energy for the Eastern U.S. Providing wind energy will create many well-paying, diverse jobs,...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT