** 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 […]

ENERGY ENVIRONMENT

Community Solar Farms: Join the Green Revolution!

BY David Nosnik, Vice Chair Sustainability Committee You can participate in the clean energy revolution by joining a Community Solar Farm. Community solar farms, also called solar gardens, let you benefit from solar energy without installing your own panels. These large solar arrays are owned by third-party developers and are situated on land or rooftops. […]

** ENERGY ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY

Electric vs Gas vehicles: Good for the environment but … are they good for your wallet?

According to Michael Coren, Climate Advice columnist for the New York Times, he has observed that a significant number of hybrid vehicle owners are not utilizing the electric charging feature of their vehicles. Instead, they are solely relying on gasoline to power their cars. This decision is driven by their belief that due to the […]

ENVIRONMENT FEATURED ARTICLES

Big Belly for Ogunquit?

During our April’s meeting we heard a presentation from Big Belly, the waste recycling system. The following are benefits from installing their systems, according to their literature: Bigbelly Smart Waste & Recycling System Benefits 1701 The Bigbelly Smart Waste & Recycling System provides total waste containment and remote real-time visibility into the entire waste operation […]

* ENVIRONMENT

Is Artificial Light Poisoning the Planet?

That is the title of Adam Gopnik’s article in the Feberuary 27, 2023 issue of the New Yorker Magazine. Aacording to Sweedish ecologist Johan Eklof, most churches in southwest Sweden had bat colonies back in the nineteen-eighties, and now most of them don’t. Light pollution, his research suggests, has been a major culprit. READ MORE […]

** 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 […]