December 20, 2019
A Clean Transportation Future
The Portland Press Herald wrote a helpful long read story in the Sunday edition exploring what it’ll take to reduce carbon pollution from the transportation sector.
An exciting regional collaboration called the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) is an opportunity to invest in more transportation choices for Maine people while reducing harmful pollution from cars and trucks. NRCM Clean Energy & Climate Attorney Sue Ely breaks it down in Maine Public and Portland Press Herald coverage of the regional pact.
The Portland Press Herald editorial board calls for action on transportation emissions, urging leaders to think beyond cars and trucks.
Days before the TCI announcement, Maine joined several states in promising to tackle pollution from trucks.
Accelerating the Transition to Clean Energy
Towns continue to take advantage of the new laws making it easier to invest in solar. The Camden-Rockport School Board is moving forward with solar, and Bangor will soon be installing its first large solar project.
It’s not just towns that are excited, MaineBiz reports businesses are saying the future is brighter because of solar.
HQ Spending Big on CMP Corridor
Maine Public has a great look at the news that Hydro-Quebec has launched a PAC to spend big in support of its money-making CMP corridor project.
Though CMP and HQ aim to spend huge sums to try and convince Mainers their destructive project is a good thing, they can’t erase the fact that vast majorities of Maine people oppose it. Wildlife biologist Ron Joseph outlined his reasons for opposing the project in a recent op-ed.
Leaders Calling for Climate Action
Brunswick area legislators wrote an op-ed highlighting how the state continues to lead on climate action. And both of Maine’s U.S. Senators signed onto a letter calling for ambitious action on climate from the federal government.
Leftovers
We were excited to read that Land for Maine’s Future funding will support the possible purchase of the last remaining greenspace in Greenville along the Moosehead Lake shoreline.
News Center Maine takes a look at how Bangor is preparing for its ban on foam food containers, which goes into effect a year ahead of Maine’s, and a UMaine Fellow urges us to confront all of the trash that’s created during the holidays.
We found this op-ed on what makes activism effective very insightful, with some great takeaways for our continued work with communities across Maine to protect the environment!
And if you don’t have plans during the day on New Year’s Eve, consider joining us in Portland for NRCM’s annual Polar Bear Dip & Dash. News Center Maine’s 207 program highlighted it as one of this winter’s events to check out!
December 11, 2019
Hundreds Pack Army Corps Hearing
The US Army Corps of Engineers held what could be the last public meeting on the trouble CMP corridor proposal, and boy did Mainers show up! Nearly 300 packed the room, the vast majority of whom were opposed to this disastrous project. The hearing and a press conference NRCM held were covered extensively by the media, including Maine Public, WGME, WMTW, and News Center Maine.
Congressman Jared Golden, who pushed the Army Corps to hold the hearing, admits he’s not sold on the project and over at the Bangor Daily News George Smith posted his testimony on his blog.
Days later, CMP’s PAC was forced to pull the names of several environmental groups it had been claiming support the project and its parent company was fined for issues stemming from poor management at CMP.
That Canadian Hydro Comes at a Cost
The Pulitzer Center and Maine Public partnered on an in-depth, multi-story series about the cultural and environmental impacts of large-scale hydro. And Canadian tribal members recently toured through Maine to highlight these impacts on native people in Canada.
Solar Boom Coming to Maine
Bill Trotter takes a look at how towns across Maine are finding that solar projects help them reduce electricity costs and the Press Herald editorial board gives a shout out to Governor Mills’ leadership on solar, in part because of the important signal that new solar panels on Blaine House send that the state now welcomes solar for its people!
Pine Tree Watch continues its excellent reporting into the clean energy transition, this time digging into what the boost for solar means for local businesses and jobs.
Leftovers…
In not so good news, the Fiberight waste facility was fined for dumping bleach into the sewer system and still doesn’t have a market for its end products.
In much better new, the Bangor Daily News broke the story that Trout Unlimited will host its 2020 national meeting in Bangor. It’ll be a great opportunity to highlight the success of the Penobscot River Restoration Project!
