by Stephen Mulkey, PhD for the Natural Resources Council of Maine One of the strongest hurricanes on record, Ivan, was photographed on September 11, 2004 from an altitude of about 230 miles by NASA Astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke. At the time, Ivan was in the western Caribbean Sea and reported to have winds of Read More
fossil fuels
Switching from Whiskey to Beer and the False Promise of Woody Biomass
by Stephen Mulkey, PhD “Well planned sustainable biomass power plants are a viable source of clean renewable electricity, and this is helpful for the task of phasing out coal-fired power plants. Knee-jerk opposition to all biomass projects has no sound scientific basis and is harmful to attempts to stabilize climate for the sake of our Read More
Group Wants MDI to Go Fossil Fuel Free Within 15 Years
By Susan Sharon MPBN news story It’s official — the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization has confirmed what other agencies including NASA have said earlier: 2015 was the hottest year on record. The global surface temperature is 1 degree Celsius above the preindustrial era, which the agency says makes voluntary commitments reached in the Paris Read More
NRCM Weighs In On Obama Rejection of Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline
Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine NRCM news release Today, President Obama announced that he has rejected the request from a Canadian company to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would have transported tars sands oil from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. “Today’s announcement by President Read More
Maine Will Shift Heating Assistance Money into Weatherization
The LePage administration receives federal approval to spend $3.8 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to seal drafty houses and repair furnaces rather than purchase heating fuel. By Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The state of Maine will shift $3.8 million in low-income heating assistance this winter from Read More
Diverse Leaders Call for Strong Efficiency Plan to Maximize Energy Savings
Efficiency Maine Trust seeks input on 3-year plan that will go to PUC NRCM News Release Augusta, ME – Today, as the Efficiency Maine Trust is holding a public input session, a diverse group of experts called on Efficiency Maine and the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to develop and approve, respectively, a strong three-year Read More
Maine Stands to Benefit from Obama’s Emissions Plan, Exceed Expectations
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial The Obama administration earlier this month unveiled the nation’s first set of rules regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Some of the loudest cheers for these rules, labeled the Clean Power Plan, should be coming from Maine. Monday’s air quality alert from the Maine Department Read More
In Letter, Pope Urges Action on Climate
A draft of his message points to an ‘urgent and compelling need’ to reduce carbon emissions. Portland Press Herald news story (reprint of Los Angeles Times news story) ROME — A draft of a highly anticipated letter on the environment by Pope Francis casts climate change as a threat largely caused by humans and urges action Read More
70% of Maine Voters Support Proposed Bond to Reduce Heating Costs through Expanded Home Efficiency
NRCM news release Augusta, ME – As members of the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations Committee consider a variety of bond proposals to send to voters, a poll of likely voters shows fully 70% support a proposed $30 million bond to improve the energy efficiency of 30,000 Maine homes. LD 1341, sponsored by Senator Dawn Hill of Read More