http://www.nrcm.org/rss.asp Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) bdimond@nrcm.orgFri, 03 Sep 2010 03:19:10 EDTFuzzyRSS 1.0.1 http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3806AUGUSTA, Maine — State forestry officials signed an emergency order on Wednesday banning the importation of untreated firewood into Maine as part of a stepped-up campaign to prevent the spread of invasive pests wreaking havoc in other parts of the country and Canada.As part of an educational campaign for the final weeks of camping season, state forest rangers will offer a free firewood excha...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3807BANGOR  — Obama administration officials are in Maine to hear what's being done at the local and state levels to connect Mainers to the outdoors and conserve natural resources.Thursday's session at the Bangor Civic Center is free and open to the public.The Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and senior representatives of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the ...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3809As Mainers, we appreciate our natural heritage and feel blessed to have such an incredible backyard. Maine’s natural legacies play an enormous role in both our economy and our way of life. Maine’s natural lands are relished by residents and visitors from around the world, with use of our state parks up 32 percent so far this summer. In addition, Maine's forests help to absorb climate c...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3805Ever compare Acadia National Park to a piece of Swiss cheese? You should.Acadia is a majestic place — from the breathtaking views of Frenchman Bay from atop Cadillac Mountain to top-notch hiking trails like the Beehive and the Precipice to the storied carriage roads — it is one of Maine’s and America’s greatest treasures.But the park is scattered with “holes.” M...bdimond@nrcm.orgWed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3804UNITY -- A solar panel installed by then-President Jimmy Carter will return to the White House next week, traveling from Unity College.That's the plan of environmental author and activist Bill McKibben, who said Tuesday that he and a group of Unity College students would travel with the panel as part of an effort to get President Barack Obama to put solar panels on the White House.McKibben was exp...bdimond@nrcm.orgWed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3803COLUMBUS, Ohio — A resurgence of bedbugs across the United States has homeowners and apartment dwellers taking desperate measures to eradicate the tenacious bloodsuckers, with some relying on dangerous outdoor pesticides and fly-by-night exterminators.The problem has gotten so bad that the Environmental Protection Agency warned this month against the indoor use of chemicals meant for the out...bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3802As a scheduled speaker at the Bureau of Environmental Protection hearing on Aug. 19 about the safety of bisphenol-A, I was amazed that industry lawyers could speak for 25 minutes, but citizens were limited to five minutes. I was timed out before I could speak, so I am sharing my remarks through this column.Those of us at the hearing heard a lot of references to “science,” but very litt...bdimond@nrcm.orgSun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3801The Maine Board of Environmental Protection held a hearing on Aug. 19 concerning a proposed ban on the chemical bisphenol A (also known as BPA) in children’s products and is taking public comments on the issue until Aug. 30. The hearing was followed by a column from Jeff Stier, an attorney with the American Council on Science and Health, “Opponents use scare tactics against BPA” ...bdimond@nrcm.orgSat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3800On the banks of the Crooked River, a couple of miles up a dirt track near the town of Harrison, lies Scribner's Mill. Walking inside the old sawmill is like stepping back in time. As the river flows underneath the floorboards, pieces of machinery lie about the place, different types of saws, mainly.In one corner, Bonnie Trundy, of Hebron, is putting the finishing touches to a wooden barrel she'd s...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3798The best energy dollar ever spent is applied to weatherizing, or tightening up buildings so they can better hold heat. Cellulose in the attic, spray foam around the windows, caulking along the trim, Fiberglas between the floor joists, rigid foam outside the foundation, storm windows, a new door may not be as glamorous as granite counter tops, but it saves money. And every dollar worth of heat it s...bdimond@nrcm.orgWed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT