“Celebrating the end of December with back yard snow, light and simple little critters.” These photos were shared by NRCM member David Small of Old Town, Maine. All of the photos were taken at the end of December in his backyard. Thank you, David! Two of Dave’s photos feature Dark-eyed Juncos. Did you know that Read More
Survey of Casco Bay Finds Microplastics in Four Distinct Regions
The Friends of Casco Bay assessment identifies pieces of the plastic waste, which marine life can ingest and which attract toxins. But none of the microbeads banned in Maine in 2015 showed up. By Mary Pols, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The first survey of Casco Bay for microplastics, the troubling, hard-to-see fragments Read More
Wind Power Moratorium Reignites Tourism vs. Clean Energy Debate
by James McCarthy Mainebiz news story Gov. Paul R. LePage issued an executive order Wednesday putting the brakes on the state’s permitting of new onshore wind projects. In doing so, he’s renewed the longstanding debate over whether there’s greater value in Maine’s scenic mountains for tourism than for wind energy. His order also created the Read More
NRCM Statement on LePage Wind Power Moratorium and Secret Panel
Statement by NRCM Climate and Clean Energy Director Dylan Voorhees “Today, Governor LePage told clean energy investors that Maine is ‘Not Open for Business.’ LePage placed an open-ended unilateral moratorium on development of wind power in Maine. LePage created a secret panel with enormous power to prevent wind power from being developed in Maine. He Read More
Creature Feature: Common Eider
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) Cool Fact: Female eiders often combine their chicks together into larger nursery groups called “crèches” and collectively watch over them. As noted in a recent blog post, 2018 has been designated The Year of the Bird in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the enactment of the historic Migratory Bird Treaty Read More
Opposition to LD 1699, An Act to Revise the Renewable Portfolio Standard Laws To Allow Certain Hydropower Facilities To Qualify as New Renewable Capacity Resources
Senator David Woodsome, Representative Seth Berry, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities & Technology, My name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). Thank you for allowing us to present this testimony. NRCM strongly opposes this legislation because it weakens Read More
South Portland Food Waste Pilot Program Increases Recycling
By Juliette Laaka The Forecaster news story SOUTH PORTLAND — Since its inception last May, a pilot program to collect food waste has increased recycling rates in two participating neighborhoods. About 600 households in the Knightville and Meetinghouse Hill neighborhoods received 6-gallon buckets to use for curbside compost collection. Additional bins were set up at Read More
My Maine This Week: Peter Simmons
Please enjoy these photos of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument by NRCM member Peter Simmons of Brunswick, Maine. These photos were taken during a trip to the north end of the National Monument last winter. The photo of the Katahdin range was taken on the drive home from the Monument. If you are interested Read More
Adult Ed, Recycling Tours: How to School Yourself in Sustainability
Mainers can take a class in Lewiston about electric cars, check out the ecomaine facility, or get a helping hand from the Natural Resources Council of Maine – just to name a few resources. By Ray Routhier, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Not that long ago, the idea of taking a class to Read More
