When we announced to our members that NRCM would sponsor a bus to the Forward on Climate rally in Washington, D.C., it was filled within a week. They joined more than 35,000 people from across the country last Sunday to send President Obama and members of Congress a strong message that we demand federal action Read More
Taking on Climate Change, Super Bowl-style
Did you watch the Super Bowl last night? I did, despite the New England Patriots not being there this year. It was a great game BUT the Super Bowl and associated activities and support produced more than 3.8 million pounds of CO2 emissions. According to an article by the Rocky Mountain Institute, efforts are being Read More
Taking the Plunge to Protect Maine’s Environment
Oh, go jump in the ocean! Right. That’s what I’ll be doing at noon this New Year’s Eve. I’ll be at East End Beach in Portland trying to convince myself it’s a hot, summer day as I run into the icy waters with almost 200 other wild and crazy people who love Maine’s environment. We’re all Read More
A Climb Worth the Effort
On June 28th, I climbed Maine’s great Mount Katahdin, in Baxter State Park, with colleagues from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I’ve wanted to do it ever since I settled in Maine 33 years ago, so this was a big occasion for me. Katahdin is a mile high at the summit, and to get there one Read More
A Huge Win for the Whole Team
The day of the Great Works Dam removal celebration dawned sparkling clear. For me it started early at the Veazie Salmon Club, and had a few moments by the Penobscot River before everyone arrived. The power of the river was palpable, especially after all the rain we’ve had. It coursed over the Veazie Dam, and I Read More
Honoring Rachel Carson on Earth Day
I got up early one morning and happened to look out my second-story bedroom window. There in an oak tree, directly across from me, was a Bald Eagle as tall as a skateboard. We were eye to eye, and gazed at each other for a minute or so, before he spread his wide wings and Read More
Daffodils, Tornadoes, and Global Warming
I’ve been traveling lately. I recently vacationed on the Florida Keys where it was so unseasonably hot one day in late February that locals remarked how odd it was. And I just returned from a meeting in Washington, D.C., where daffodils were already in bloom and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival has been moved up Read More
A Day in Support of Maine’s North Woods
Today, it was abundantly clear: Maine people care about the North Woods. For NRCM staffers, our day started with a press conference complete with cameramen, photographers, journalists, and friends and members of NRCM tuning in to the words of five eloquent spokespeople sharing their unique perspectives and passion for Maine’s North Woods. They came to Read More
LURC Reform Proposal Side-swiped by Partisan Politics
If some of the recommendations put forth by the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) Reform Commission last week weren’t reason enough for concern, now the LePage Administration has really thrown a wrench into things. And it’s Maine’s treasured North Woods that’s at stake. Although NRCM agrees with some of the Reform Commission’s recommendations (for example, Read More