Every five years, we get a glimpse at the newest vision for Southern Maine’s transportation future when the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS) updates its long-range transportation plan. This year’s iteration, Connect 2045, arrives during an exciting time of major investment in transportation innovation from the state and federal level. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Read More
carbon emissions
Support of LD 2003, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions
Senator Daughtry, Representative Sylvester, Members of the Labor and Housing Committee. My name is Jack Shapiro, I’m the Climate and Clean Energy Program Director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I’m here to testify in support of LD 2003, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Increase Housing Opportunities in Read More
Smart Funding Decisions Needed to Build a Climate-friendly Transportation System for Maine
Maine’s transportation system is largely focused on moving cars quickly from point A to point B. But this focus risks missing the point entirely—and serves to create congestion, cost, and carbon pollution. If we are to meet the challenge of the climate crisis, Maine needs to deliver healthier, more affordable and accessible transportation options Read More
U.N. Climate Report is Our Pearl Harbor Moment
The politics of division won’t work to fight a threat like global warming. Portland Press Herald editorial The events of the last two years show that Americans know how to choose up sides and fight each other. But if we had to, could we put aside our differences and fight together? We are about to Read More
Northern Maine Carbon Offset Project to Help Combat Climate Change
by Renee Cordes Mainebiz news story Mark Berry, the Nature Conservancy’s Maine forest program director, sees a bright future for carbon offset projects in the fight against climate change, like the one his group is launching on 124,000 forested acres along the St. John River. The project, announced June 26, involves a 10-year agreement with Read More
Reducing Maine’s Carbon Emissions Now Will Pay Off Later
By Marianne Hill, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Flood zones in Maine have expanded, lobsters are moving north, and ticks and Lyme disease are on the rise, according to a University of Maine report. Cities, including Portland, are upgrading their infrastructure, and insurance policies, to cope with rising seas. Billions of dollars Read More
Businesses Find that Cutting Carbon Emissions Also Cuts Costs
As Maine’s coastal waters warm and sea levels rise, companies here can’t afford to ignore climate change. By Jim Wellehan, owner and president of Auburn-based Lamey-Wellehan Shoes Portland Press Herald op-ed AUBURN — I was born in 1938 and grew up during World War II. Snow was plentiful, and every January or February, there was a Read More
Portland, South Portland Aim To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 80 Percent
By Abukar Adan Maine Public news story Portland is joining forces with South Portland to develop a collaborative climate action plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Troy Moon, Portland’s sustainability coordinator, presented the plan before the City Council’s Sustainability and Transportation Committee on Thursday. Moon, who has been working Read More
Opposition to LD 1806, An Act to Ensure Equity in the Funding of Maine’s Transportation Infrastructure by Imposing an Annual Fee on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
Senator Collins, Representative McLean, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, 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. The bill would impose an arbitrary and punitive Read More
