** CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENT

Is the planet in need of repair?

In her article in the New York Times, Catrin Einhorn writes about a a new report suggests that we should address environmental problems like climate change and biodiversity loss together, rather than separately. It highlights how interconnected issues, like agriculture and health, can have combined solutions, such as using native trees to improve biodiversity and […]

** ENVIRONMENT OCEAN WATER QUALITY

PFAS or “Forever Chemicals”: Dangerous chemicals roaming in our neighborhood

By David Nosnik We recently received an email from Nomhle Mcunu, Community Outreach Coordinator at Consumer Notice, a consumer advocacy organization based in Orlando, Florida. They shared valuable information about PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to help inform and educate our readers. According to their website, Consumer Notice is “a consumer advocacy organization dedicated to […]

** ENVIRONMENT

More and more cities say NO to leaf-blowers

As reported by Wayne Parry of the Associated Press, The roar of the leaf blower has become an inescapable part of daily life in communities across America, leading towns and states to ban or restrict blowers that run on gasoline. Wayne Parry, Associated Press But landscapers are not taking the news lightly, they are fighting […]

** BEACH EROSION SUSTAINABILITY

Trash as “raw material?”

That is the mantra Dr. Izabela Ciesielska-Wrobe, a textile engineer and a professor at the University of Rhodes Island. As quoted in a recent article of the Boston Globe: ” … As a textile engineer, she “scoops everything together, melts it down, and makes something out of it,” she says. Her mission as a professor […]

ENVIRONMENT OGUNQUIT

Do you want greener spaces? Remove the concrete

That is what Chris Baranuik, a reporter with the BBC, wrote in his article reposted by the Environmental Health Sciences at Newsroom EHS As summarized in the article: Can you imagine Ogunquit removing concrete to let green grow? Let us know what you think by emailing us at hi@sustainabilityogunquit.org

BEACH EROSION

“Wrack” a key component in keeping Ogunquit beaches healthy

Next time you come across seaweed and other debris washed up on the beach, known as wrack, remember that it’s not mere garbage. In fact, it plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of our stunning Ogunquit beaches in several ways: Habitat and food source: Wrack serves as a habitat for various small organisms […]

** CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENT

“When you think about what the benefit of a gas-powered leaf blower does, the cost-benefit ratio just doesn’t make sense.”

Karen Jubanyik, an emergency medicine physician at Yale University was quoted in an article by Rob Macallister that appeared in the Portsmouth Herald on April 3, 2024 Numerous scientists across various journals have consistently highlighted the potential harm caused by gas-powered lawn leaf blowers to both the environment and human health in several ways: Air Pollution: […]

ENVIRONMENT FEATURED ARTICLES

Maine Joins Nine Other States Signing Memorandum Towards Phasing Out Heating Homes With Fossil Fuels

As published in the Newsbreak by their contributor “The Maine Writer,” Maine has joined nine other states in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) led by NESCAUM, setting a goal for highly efficient heat pumps to constitute 65% of residential heating, cooling, and water heating equipment sales by 2030 in the state. The MOU, signed […]

ENERGY ENVIRONMENT

FEDERAL AND STATE INCENTIVES TO GO GREEN

Federal Tax Incentives for Going Green: FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION GO TO THE IRS WEBSITE Home Energy Residential Clean Energy Credit: A 30% tax credit on the cost of installing solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps, battery storage, and other eligible renewable energy systems for your home. This credit applies to systems installed from […]