As I sat down to write this post, I had other topics in mind, public lands, trail networks, or adventuring locally this summer, all things that I have more of a background in. Yet looking out at a sunset dimmed by the haze of the wildfires raging on the West Coast, it’s hard to not Read More
public health
Climate Action Needs Bipartisan Spirit of Original Clean Air Act
Maine Senator Edmund Muskie helped redefine public health and the modern environmental movement through the passage of the Clean Air Act. This legislation passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate (73-0) on September 22, 1970, and nearly unanimously (374-1) in the U.S. House. Senator Mitchell guided the committee process on the Clean Air Act Amendments, which Read More
Environmental Health is Public Health
One would be hard pressed to find a topic or issue that is as interwoven in our lives and well-being as the environment. As a public health professional, I don’t treat people or provide direct services, but I do work to ensure policies, programs, and systems are in place to prevent people from getting sick Read More
Critter Chatter—Speaking of Quarantine…Part II
All wild animals are hosts to parasites: internal, such as tape, hook, pin, or round worms, or external, such as mites, ticks, and fleas. Some of these little buggers (literally!) are also zoonotic (as noted in May’s article about rabies) and can infect animals as well as people. Mange is an itchy skin disease caused Read More
The Trump Administration’s Giveaways to Polluters Must Stop!
Maine has a special leadership role we can all be proud of when it comes to protecting our country’s clean water and air. It was Maine’s Senator Edmund Muskie who led the efforts to pass the Clean Water Act of 1972 and Clean Air Act of 1970. In the past few years, as the Trump Read More
Fossil Fuel Companies and Plastic Industry Exploiting Health Crisis for Profit
There is a lot to worry about these days. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us rightfully worried about the health and economic well-being of ourselves and our loved ones. This new worry comes on top of our existing concerns about our environment and the challenges that future generations will face due to climate change, plastic Read More
Clean Car Rollback Latest Attack on Environmental and Health Safeguards by Trump Administration
Maine Public Health Association | Natural Resources Council of Maine | Maine Conservation Voters | Environment Maine March 31, 2020 (Augusta, ME) – As the nation faces an unprecedented public health and economic crisis, the Trump Administration continues its efforts to roll back critical science-backed safeguards that reduce pollution, protect the environment, save Americans money, Read More
In Support of LD 2083, An Act To Require the Board of Pesticides Control To Annually Publish Certain Information Regarding Pesticides and To Prohibit Certain Uses of Neonicotinoids
Senator Dill, Representative Hickman, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, my name is Sarah Nichols and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 2083. NRCM is supporting this bill because we believe Read More
U.S. EPA Finalizes “Radical Repeal” of Common-sense Clean Water Protections
NRCM news release September 12, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it has finalized its aggressive rollback of some of the nation’s most effective clean water protections. For more than 46 years, the Clean Water Act has proved effective at making rivers, lakes, and streams safer for swimming, fishing, and drinking. The Read More
