by A.J. Higgins Maine Public news story Dreams of excavating mineral riches in northern Maine have persisted since the late 1970s, when a geological survey confirmed significant deposits of zinc, copper, silver and lead in the region. Since then, mining companies have had their eyes on the Pickett Mountain area north of Patten, but have Read More
Steamrolling Forward: Multiple Maine Towns Take Steps to Reduce Plastic Pollution
You may not have noticed amid all the hubbub around national issues and politics, but some other pretty important votes took place in Maine on, or near, this past Election Day. Multiple towns took important steps to help create more sustainable communities through the elimination or reduction of plastic pollution. And that is good news! Read More
Collins Draws Ire from Conservation Groups Over Vote on Senate Tax Bill, Allowing Arctic Drilling
by Susan Sharon Maine Public news story As Republicans look to reconcile key differences between the House and Senate versions of their tax bills, one of the flashpoints is around a remote, eastern corner of Alaska — the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, considered one of the most pristine wilderness areas in the country. The Senate Read More
Interior Secretary Zinke Fails to Resolve Uncertainty for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Statement of Cathy Johnson, Forests and Wildlife Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “Today Interior Secretary Zinke released a memorandum to President Trump recommending potentially damaging changes to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. It is unclear what action President Trump will take in response to the recommendations. “At a time when residents and Read More
Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste
Tackling climate change, food insecurity, and economic waste one meal at a time Licia Goodridge knows just how expensive food waste is. Since food is mostly water, which weighs eight pounds per gallon, and hauling contracts are based on weight, she knew her school district was wasting money transporting something to the dump that could Read More
Maine Solar Advocates Win Reprieve in Advance of Lawsuit
The Maine PUC delays the start of the law to allow time to clear up confusion, extending the current power pricing that’s an incentive for rooftop installations. by Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story HALLOWELL — Maine’s rooftop solar installers won a four-month reprieve Tuesday when the Maine Public Utilities Commission voted Read More
Maine PUC Still Doesn’t Know How to Implement Its New Net Metering Rule
Delays Implementation Until May 1, 2018 Statement by Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “Today the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) reckoned with some of the flaws in their ill-conceived and harmful net metering rollback, deciding to delay implementation by four months. This is a small victory, considering what Maine people really Read More
Maine Environment Fall 2017 Newsletter
Maine Environment Fall 2017: What’s Inside! School lunch programs are contributing enormously to food waste and the problems associated with it, included climate change. NRCM is tackling the school food waste problem in a growing number of districts around Maine. You can read about it in the article, “Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste,” written Read More
My Maine This Week: Rachel Farrington
“This photo was taken last fall while riding my usual bike route on the bridge over the Muddy River that feeds into Merrymeeting Bay in Topsham. I crossed the bridge and realized that I couldn’t tell the difference between the sky and water, the light was stunning, and was changed a few minutes later.” Photo by Read More