** ENVIRONMENT

Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness Designated As New England’s First International Dark Sky Park

Susan Sharon reported on Maine Public the designation of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods property in the 100-Mile Wilderness between Moosehead Lake and Baxter State Park. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 with the goal of preserving and protecting the night skies for present and future generations. The […]

ENERGY ENVIRONMENT TIPS AND STRATEGIES

You can electrify your home — and your car — with the help of the U.S. government

As reported by Shannon Osaka in the Washington Post, there are “3 ways to tap billions in new money to go green.” As more fully described in the article ” On Jan. 1, middle-income households will be able to access over a half-dozen tax credits for electric stoves, cars, rooftop solar and more. And starting […]

ENERGY ENVIRONMENT FEATURED ARTICLES

New electric rates for heat pump and electric cars.

For those residents who have turned their heating to heat pumps, the new optional electric rates approved in the State of Maine may save you hundreds of dollars a year. However, According to the Press Herald ” [B]ut there’s a catch. You’ll only save money if you consume lots of electricity in the winter and […]

ENVIRONMENT FEATURED ARTICLES SUSTAINABILITY

Is that a gorgeous lawn or an “ecological dead zone?”

In a recent article that appeared in the New York Times reporter Cara Buckley described the legal battle Jeff and Janet Crouch, a Maryland couple, won against their neighborhood association that changed state law. The couple had chosen native plants instead of grass for their front yard to protect the local wild life. They were […]

ENVIRONMENT FEATURED ARTICLES

Gov. Janet Mills announced the $5.4 million in new state grants on the 2nd anniversary of Maine’s Climate Action Plan.

Penelope Overton reported in the Portland Press Herald an additional $5.4 million investment in clean energy projects benefiting 91 cities, towns and tribes in Maine. Governor Mills is quoted: “We are making unprecedented strides to embrace clean energy, to reduce carbon emissions, and to help our communities fight, at every level, the greatest danger of […]

* SUSTAINABILITY

Got the Leaf-Blower Blues? You’re Not the Only One.

Maybe it is time for all of us to begin talking about leaf-blowers. As the September 26, 2022 article by Michael Shapiro published in “Sierra,” the magazine of the Sierra Club, highlights: “Gas leaf blowers, generators, and lawnmowers emit more air pollutants statewide than California’s 14 million cars.” Really? More pollution than 14 million cars? […]

BEACH EROSION CLIMATE CHANGE FEATURED ARTICLES OGUNQUIT

Why the Marshes matter

Did you know that tidal marshes are amongst the most productive ecosystems on earth? In Maine’s vast and varied landscape, tidal marshes may not appear to be anything special at first glance, but these ecosystems are teeming with life. Sea ducks, migratory shorebirds, striped bass, and shellfish—even baby clams and lobster—all rely on tidal marshes.   […]

BEACH EROSION

$1.54 million regional dredge approved by York County Commissioners

The Portland Herald reported that last Wednesday October 19 the York County Commissioners approved by a vote of 3-2, the spending of $1.54 million in Federal American rescue Funds for the acquisition of a dredge to provide much needed sand replacement to our beaches in York County. You can read the entire article ands details […]