Belfast just became the tenth Maine town to adopt an ordinance to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags! On August 15, the Belfast City Council passed the ordinance, which bans single-use plastic bags. And, while they were at it, councilors also voted to ban foam food packaging, adding Belfast to the growing list of Read More
oceans
My Maine This Week: Carey Kish
“A top shelf day for paddling, just perfect for a round trip from Stonington to Isle au Haut. An island paradise right here in the Great State of Maine.” Photo by NRCM member Carey Kish of Mount Desert, Maine To see past My Maine This Week photos, or to submit a photo of your own Read More
George Smith Reviews New Suspense Novel that Highlights Climate Change
Looking for a great read this summer? Here’s a book review written by George Smith about a book that he thought would be of interest to NRCM members and supporters. Add it to your summer reading list and enjoy! Demon Spirit Devil Sea by Charlene D’Avanzo Charlene D’Avanzo writes compelling novels that take you to Read More
NOAA Budget Cuts Would Have High Cost for Maine
Rolling back spending on fisheries management, marine research and weather forecasting would disrupt our state’s fishing industry. Portland Press Herald editorial Though funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration amounts to less than one-half of 1 percent of discretionary federal spending, it pays outsize dividends for Maine. The people at the center of our Read More
Maine Lobstermen Know the Threat Posed by Climate Change. Now is the Time to Act.
By Richard Nelson, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed I rose the other morning and began my preparations to head out on the water from Friendship Harbor to take up the my last load of lobster traps. My thoughts turned from from closing out my season to chuckling over my selection of boots Read More
Freeport Says No to Plastic Bags, Yes to a More Sustainable Maine!
Two years ago, two young women who had recently graduated from Freeport High School appeared before the Town Council to ask for an ordinance to ban single-use, disposable plastic bags. These two young leaders had conducted a senior project involving research about the environmental impacts these plastic bags have, particularly regarding Maine’s marine environment. Through Read More
Plastics are on Track to Overtake Our Oceans Unless We Make Big Changes
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Most of us don’t give much thought to where our trash goes. We’d better start paying attention, though, especially to the ubiquitous plastic refuse we toss aside every day. Scientists predict that by 2050 there will be more plastic, by weight, than fish in the world’s Read More
Legislature to Consider $3 Million Bond to Study Ocean Acidification
by Andy O’Brien Free Press news story In the coming weeks, the Maine Legislature will consider several bond proposals, including a bipartisan measure aimed at, tackling the monumental problem of ocean acidification (OA) in the Gulf of Maine. LD 998, sponsored by Rep. Wayne Parry (R-Arundel) and Rep. Mick Devin (D-Newcastle), would ask voters to Read More
Plastic and Foam Containers Have an Impact, in Maine and Globally
Do you know that the plastic bag you innocently accept when the cashier hands you your groceries could actually be the death of you? I first learned about marine litter when I was 13. I was given an inscribed copy of the book Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion by Loree Read More
