August 29, 2019
Here’s your latest round-up of news from the past week.
Covering Climate
The Portland Press Herald has joined an international effort to focus attention on climate change and plans a week’s worth of in-depth coverage starting September 15.
Mainers who showed up at a Maine Public event in Camden urged the radio station to continue shedding light on the effects of our changing climate.
100% by 2050
Writing in the Bangor Daily News, the chair of the Millinocket town council, Cody McEwan, makes a strong and compelling case for federal action on a 100% clean economy by 2050.
Conservation Setback
The Legislature failed to pass a bond for the popular and effective Land for Maine’s Future program. It’s a major setback for conservation in the state because we know from experience at the Katahdin Woods & Waters Monument as it celebrates its third anniversary that conservation benefits everyone, including local economies.
Reducing Waste
According to a survey conducted by local advocates, restaurants in the Boothbay region are making progress in reducing plastic waste, and NRCM’s Sarah Lakeman was honored to join Congresswoman Pingree for a discussion on ideas for reducing food waste.
Businesses Doing Good
In an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald, Maine Beer Company’s Dan Kleban makes the case that a clean environment and healthy economy go hand-in-hand.
In a great blog post on Patagonia’s website, the company’s designers talk about how visiting the Katahdin Woods & Waters Monument inspired them to create the company’s newest collection to protect wild places.
Fires in the Amazon
The fires in the Amazon have captured international attention but it turns out some of the most viral photos you may have seen were actually years old. It’s a reminder that what you see online, especially during breaking news, might not be accurate.
Rivers and Puffins!
WABI highlighted our recent paddle to celebrate the recovery of the Penobscot River. The alewife fishway in Vassalboro hits its half-way point, and Camden is exploring the possibility of removing a dam on the Megunticook.
A piece by Maine Public’s Susan Sharon on Maine’s puffin population was featured on PBS News Hour!
August 21, 2019
Five Questions and a Paddle
NRCM’s CEO Lisa Pohlmann spoke with the Kennebec Journal for their Five Questions feature and talked about the importance of strategy in overcoming obstacles, and a KJ reporter and photographer joined NRCM and the Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society for our recent paddle along the Kennebec River.
It’s a Landslide
Following a trend we’re seeing throughout Maine, Livermore Falls residents overwhelmingly voted to oppose the CMP corridor. This makes them the 22nd town to oppose or rescind support for the troubled transmission line proposal.
Happy Birthday KWW!
George Smith and Bill Greene highlight how the Katahdin Woods & Waters Monument is hitting its stride as it enters its third year. The BDN gives insight into how the growing number of trails is also helping the Katahdin area become a mountain biking mecca. In Orono, the bog boardwalk replacement is done—go out and explore it!
Standing Up to Rollbacks
NRCM and Maine Audubon spoke out against the Trump Administration’s proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, and the NYTimes takes a look at how the Trump Administration’s proposed rollback of auto pollution rules is SO BAD that automakers aren’t just opposing it, they are actively working with states to render it moot.
The Youth Will Save Us
Portland students are leading an effort to bring solar power to their schools.
Plastics and Recycling
NPR continues its amazing reporting on the plastic pollution problem with two recent stories covering the perfect storm that has hit the US recycling industry as big companies flood the market with unrecyclable plastics and how the recycling industry is struggling to figure out a future without China.
Not Enough for Land Conservation
Finally, the Legislature will come back to Augusta for a special session but the proposed bond package includes much less funding for the Land for Maine’s Future program than what NRCM and other groups had asked for.
August 8, 2019
Look Up
This will come as no surprise to many of you who enjoy exploring Maine’s wild place: according to a new study, Maine is one of the few places left with a pristine night sky in the U.S.
CMP’s Troubles Not Going Away
Renewable energy developer NextEra called the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) approval of the CMP corridor project “replete with errors” and Livermore residents want their select board to rescind support for the troubled transmission line project.
After requests from NRCM and others, the PUC officially delayed its decision on Central Maine Power’s propose rate increase. Meanwhile, the utility attempted to save face by offering compensation to those customers with billing issues.
Climate change…it’s happening
Maine is rolling out EV charging stations, and solar developers are already beginning to reach out to towns to discuss potential projects thanks to the solar-friendly bills that were passed into law this past legislative session.
July was the hottest month on record so the Morning Sentinel’s Amy Calder gave us a personal take on the increase in hotter days due to the climate change. A new study from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute highlights the changes coming to our oceans and their impact on fishing and other coastal industries.
A proposed solar farm in Wilton is key for attracting economic development says Western Maine Development; Fogtown Brewing in Ellsworth installed a new solar array; and the Five Town CSD School Board gave approval to shape a solar farm on land owned by the school district.
Troubled Waters
A New York Times story on an algae bloom in NJ’s largest lake caught our eye because of its warning of a broader crisis we’re also experiencing in Maine. Maine Public’s Fred Bever continues his in-depth coverage of right whale deaths off our coast.
Revitalizing Rivers
The Lincoln County News and News Center Maine cover the removal of the Old Head Tide Dam on the Sheepscot River; momentum is building to remove dams in Camden; construction of a new fish passage is underway on the Saco River; and an essay in the New Yorker explores the past, present, and future of Maine’s Atlantic salmon.
