Opinion: Let’s move ahead with Belfast fish farm proposal

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 18, 2023

It is long past time that Nordic Aquafarms be granted the power of eminent domain to construct the Belfast project. I live on the farm where I was born 61 years ago in New Gloucester. In the 1840s, the Maine Legislature granted the power of eminent domain to construct a railroad through the farm. It has been a pain ever since. But it was an economic boon for all the communities along its route. In the 1960s. Central Maine Power, through the power of eminent domain, constructed a high-voltage power line through the farm to energize western Maine. A natural gas line to supply Lewiston-Auburn was granted the power of eminent domain. It just missed our farm and went through our neighbors’. Move Maine forward – grant Nordic Aquafarms the power of eminent domain to raise sustainable and economical farm-raised salmon. ~ Carl Wilcox, licensed professional environmental engineer, New Gloucester

Letter: Stop U.S. banks from bankrolling fossil fuels

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 18, 2023

To protect our civilization from the loss of a stable climate, we have to quickly slow the melting of the glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic. Until the 1970s, the ice of the Earth’s poles provided enough of the planet’s natural reflection of the sun’s rays to keep our climate steady. We cannot maintain a stable environment without that reflective capability. It is being challenged by the warming waters. The most impactful way to keep the glaciers from melting is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. To do that, we have to stop financing fossil fuels. The proposed Fossil Free Finance Act would require major banks to end their fossil fuel investments in time to slow climate change. It is a painful solution but the alternative is deadly – both for Maine and for the planet. ~ Renee Givner, Portland

Down East meteorite inspires a supernatural horror tale

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 18, 2023

When word got out that on April 8 a large meteorite fell from the sky and landed somewhere in far eastern Maine, Fred Greenhalgh and his collaborators on Maine horror podcast “Undertow” immediately started imagining fantastic scenarios for it. For the past 17 years Greenhalgh has created audio dramas and podcasts. Each season of “Undertow” has told a different Maine horror story, including “Blood Forest,” about a stretch of Maine woods full of monsters. In “The Pulse,” Greenhalgh and company tell a story about people descending on a tiny Maine town, in search of a fallen meteorite, in order to claim a cash prize offered for it. It’s the fifth season of “Undertow” and premieres Aug. 25 on Realm.fm, the largest scripted podcast network in the country.

4 end-of-summer adventures in Maine perfect for kids

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 18, 2023

As the school year quickly approaches, it’s important to grab ahold of these last days of summer and create sun-filled memories that will last through the cold months ahead. Here are a few end-of-summer adventures that I suggest:
• Tidepooling in Searsport
• Letterboxing on the Blue Hill Peninsula
• Waterfall walks throughout the state
• Bike through the wilderness

Letter: Harmon supports curbside recycling, food waste composting

SUN JOURNAL • August 18, 2023

The Auburn City Council eliminated curbside recycling. The current mayor and council have ignored the recommendations of their own Sustainability Work Group. We need a larger composting program to divert wet food waste. Better curbside recycling would focus on what’s most recyclable. Let’s vote for Jeff Harmon for mayor and council candidates like Ryan Smith, so sustainable waste solutions become our future. ~ Sasha Goodwin, Auburn

Letter: I feel like Maine got played with clean corridor process

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 18, 2023

Maine citizens were able to vote on whether we wanted the clean energy corridor to be constructed. Before we even had a chance to vote, they started building the corridor. Few people seemed to understand how this was legal. But they continued to construct the corridor. The citizens of the state of Maine then voted against the corridor. The people who were then constructing the corridor basically said, “It’s too late, we already started building it.” And court officials basically said, “That’s right, you already started building it so we should give you a chance to finish it.” Do I have this right? It feels like the citizens of Maine got played. ~ Nathaniel Russ, Bangor

Maker of Maine’s EV buses files for bankruptcy

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 17, 2023

The maker of the battery-powered buses used by two southern Maine transportation agencies filed for bankruptcy last week, paving an uncertain path for the continued electrification of the state’s bus fleet. In 2018, Greater Portland Metro and Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit teamed up to secure nearly $6 million in federal aid and state funding to purchase four electric-powered buses from Proterra, the country’s largest manufacturer of electric buses. The buses are supposed to be delivered next spring and Chad Heid, Biddeford transit’s executive director, said Thursday that despite the bankruptcy filing, he’s hopeful the buses will arrive on schedule.

Electrical problem blamed for fire at Backyard Farms in Madison

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2023

An electrical problem at hydroponic tomato grower Backyard Farms is being blamed for a fire at the company’s Madison facility Thursday morning that forced workers to evacuate two large greenhouses, the Morning Sentinel reported. No injuries were reported, but the building where the fire started was heavily damaged and smoke spread into a packing area and an adjacent greenhouse. Backyard Farms grows tomatoes in greenhouses on a 42-acre facility outside of downtown Madison. The company opened the facility in 2007.

How a Maine board will decide on controversial electric vehicle rules

MAINE PUBLIC • August 17, 2023

Proposals for Maine to phase out sales of gas-powered cars and trucks in favor of electric vehicles received hours of public comment Thursday. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection will consider the feedback that dozens of residents and officials provided during Thursday’s hearing and also accept emailed or written comments until Aug. 28.

Board of Environmental Protection considers new rules for electric vehicles

MAINE PUBLIC • August 17, 2023

A proposed rule to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles drew a standing-room-only crowd to a Board of Environmental Protection hearing in Augusta Thursday. The hearing came after several environmental groups petitioned the board to set cleaner emissions standards for new vehicles by incorporating an amended version of California's Advanced Clean Cars regulations. This would require a growing percentage of new cars sold in Maine to be zero emission vehicles, with a goal of 82% by model year 2032. A separate petition sets standards for trucks. Jack Shapiro of the Natural Resources Council of Maine said the proposal would significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, and save Mainers money on gas. And he told the board there's a need to act quickly. People are fleeing California because of ridiculous ideas like this," said Republican State Representative Joshua Morris of Turner. He said the rules would impose financial burdens on his constituents, and that electric cars aren't suitable for Maine winters.

Town hosts first sustainable Scarborough Day on Oct. 1

SCARBOROUGH LEADER • August 17, 2023

The Town of Scarborough is hosting its first ever Sustainable Scarborough Day on Sunday, Oct. 1, bringing together everyone from the environmentally conscious to the eco-curious for a day of learning and fun. The inaugural event will be held from 10 a.m.-2: p.m. at Wentworth School. Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, efficient homes, transportation, landscapes, recreation, waste management, land conservation, and climate action.

Proposal would require 82% of new vehicles sold in Maine be emissions-free in 10 years

SPECTRUM NEWS • August 17, 2023

A proposal designed to help Maine reach its climate goals would require 43% of new vehicles sold in Maine to be zero emission by the 2027 model year, increasing to 82% by 2032. Nearly 90 people signed up to testify Thursday on the proposal put forward by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, which used a little-known provision in state law to bring forward the idea with signatures from more than 150 Mainers. NRCM presented the rule to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection Thursday, saying it’s necessary to help Maine meet its climate goals. Those goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, said Jack Shapiro of NRCM.

Packed hearing shows Maine’s divide on phasing out gas-powered vehicle sales

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2023

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Board of Environmental Protection wanted feedback on petitions for the state to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks, and it got plenty Thursday. Supporters of the petitions, led by the Natural Resources Council of Maine and other environmental groups, have said Maine will not only cut air pollution and make needed progress toward climate goals but see a cumulative $21 billion in benefits by 2050 in the form of improved public health and lower utility costs if the state goes all-electric by 2035. Opponents say the free market should dictate EV adoption and the mandates are too much too soon while not considering Maine’s harsh winters along with how rural areas lack charging infrastructure. As of May, Maine had more than 900 charging ports, the vast majority of which are in the more populous southern part of the state, according to one estimate.

Column: You’ll need to work hard to see these migrating birds

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 17, 2023

Birds are odd. Migrants bust into the state in spring, full of song and exuberant courtship. In autumn, they slip away quietly. This is already happening. Even though southbound birds tend to be quiet and less boisterous, there are nonetheless some epic flights. Shorebird migration is peaking in Maine right now. It will continue apace until Labor Day, then taper off throughout September. ~ Bob Duchesne

Mother drowns trying to rescue son at popular New Hampshire waterfall

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 17, 2023

Melissa Bagley, 44, was part of a family of six from Lynn, Massachusetts, visiting Franconia Falls in the White Mountain National Forest along with a friend Tuesday afternoon. She drowned trying to rescue her 10-year-old son as he was pulled by the current at the popular waterfall in New Hampshire. Two other children jumped in to help their brother and mother. They were able to get the child out of the water. An older son who jumped in to help became lodged in boulders and was rescued by his father.

Opinion: Too hot to ignore – much more action is needed to fight climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 17, 2023

If we fail to move quickly enough to reduce global carbon emissions, the impacts of climate change on our environment and many of our planet’s inhabitants are likely to be devastating. President Biden, Gov. Mills and many state and federal legislators “get it” but we need to do more. We need to employ stronger regulations and incentives to ensure that we come very close to zeroing out our greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, and we need to draw down significant amounts of carbon from our atmosphere for many years thereafter. We need to ensure that our communities, farms and businesses have effectively planned and prepared for the risks and costs associated with extreme weather, flooding, sea-level rise, wildfire and other detrimental impacts of climate change. To accomplish this, we need to immediately develop and implement an aggressive national, science-based climate action plan. ~ David Costello, candidate for the 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, Brunswick

What has the Inflation Reduction Act done for Maine’s climate so far?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 16, 2023

A year after the adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act, the single largest government climate change investment in U.S. history, Maine and other states are still waiting for the bulk of those promised federal dollars to hit the streets. The biggest benefits provided to Mainers by the landmark law so far are the federal electric vehicle and heat pump tax credits that became available in January.

$35 million in grants will upgrade Maine culverts to allow water – and fish – to pass

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 16, 2023

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced nearly $200 million in federal infrastructure grants to upgrade tunnels that carry streams beneath roads but can be deadly to fish that get stuck trying to pass through. Maine is getting $35 million.

Column: Moon’s positioning affects more than the tides

TIMES RECORD • August 16, 2023

Every year at this time, I look forward to seeing the Perseid meteor showers. However, it has either rained or been cloudy nearly every evening. So, I have yet to see them. The moon’s impact on the tides makes sense: when the sun, moon and Earth are all in alignment at both the full and new moons, the gravitational pull is the strongest and tides are the largest. Why it impacts weather is less clear. An article in the 2024 Farmers’ Almanac mentions the importance of noticing patterns. Phenology, or the study of cyclic patterns in nature, can provide clues. The big idea is that by studying a place over time and its various aspects, you can learn about the whole system. This is what led me to not be surprised when the clouds came in with the new moon, because I had noticed it many times before. ~ Susan Olcott

Lamoine approves temporary pause on “glampground” application

MAINE MONITOR • August 16, 2023

Lamoine became the latest Maine town to pause a big development, putting a temporary halt on proposed luxury “glampground” less than 10 miles from Acadia National Park. Voters at a special town meeting on Tuesday overwhelmingly supported a moratorium ordinance that halts Lamoine’s issuance of permits and application approvals for glampgrounds, hotels, motels and other resorts for the next 180 days. The ordinance’s approval comes just a week after Arizona-based company Clear Sky Resorts met with members of the Lamoine Planning Board to further review the company’s application to develop a glampground on Partridge Cove. The moratorium would put a hold on any additional consideration of Clear Sky Resorts’ application for the six-month period. In Tremont, a six-month moratorium adopted in November 2021 stopped all campground developments after a controversial 154-site luxury campground was proposed near Goose Cove.