Read the latest news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this month’s News & Noteworthy.
October 29, 2020
Portland Press Herald op-ed: Cities, States Leading the Way in Combating Climate Crisis
NRCM Sustainable Maine Director Sarah Nichols is quoted in this article: EPR-style Legislation Increasingly Draws State-level Interest Despite Pandemic Setbacks
The Maine Trails Coalition made a big announcement today, unveiling plans for a statewide rail-trail network.
And the town of Gray should have its new solar array complete by the end of the year.
And if you missed our announcement yesterday, you can read this Maine Public news story about the federal lawsuit NRCM and two other environmental groups filed yesterday related to the proposed CMP corridor.
October 22, 2020
As weather turns colder and we head toward winter, the Bangor Daily News invited four climate experts to answer people’s questions about how climate change affects winter recreation in Maine.
During the pandemic, Baxter State Park reported an “unusual season,” with more people heading outdoors to enjoy the nice weather and practice social distancing.
We have all seen video and heard reports of the terrible wildfires in the West. Did you know that this year has been a record-breaking year for forest fires here in Maine, too? Read more from a member of the Maine Forest Service.
We helped pass the strongest mining rules in the nation, and now a proposed mine near Baxter State Park and the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument is the first test of the new law. Learn more in this Bangor Daily News story.
The Bangor Daily News reports that City of Ellsworth is planning to buy all of its electricity from a new solar farm.
October 16, 2020
Some solar news this week: There is a plan for a solar farm installation in Presque Isle, and a business owner in Ellsworth is seeking approval for a solar field on his commercial property.
In clean water news, Sebago Clean Waters, who has partnered with the Maine Brewshed Alliance (a group of Maine brewers and NRCM working to protect Maine’s clean water) on several initiatives, has set a goal of protecting 10,000 acres in the Sebago Lake Watershed by 2025. Read more about their plan in this Portland Press Herald article.
If you live in Kennebunkport, the good news is that curbside recycling pickup is set to resume. Learn more.
The Bangor Daily News shared a story of their bird expert, and former Maine legislator, Bob Duchesne’s recent trip to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. What a beautiful time to visit the National Monument.
October 7, 2020
Lots of news about our work, along with many others, including the Penobscot Nation, to close a loophole in state law so that out-of-state waste can’t fill up Maine’s state-owned landfills. Today there was a Central Maine newspapers editorial. Earlier this week, the Portland Press Herald wrote about the issue in this front-page story.
Central Maine Power and Hydro-Quebec continue to spend an obscene amount of money on their campaign to build a new energy corridor through Western Maine. Read the latest in this Bangor Daily News story.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine partnered with Museum L-A for a webinar about work to clean up the Androscoggin River, and to highlight a new exhibit at the museum. Read this Sun Journal article about the event, and then visit our YouTube channel to watch the full webinar, which featured NRCM CEO Lisa Pohlmann.
Our last two articles this week focus on the effects of climate change and the need for climate action now: one is a Portland Press Herald editorial; the other is about autumn storms in Maine intensifying in recent years (remember the October 2019 storm that knocked out power for a week or more in many parts of the state?).
