Column: Climate crisis needs all solutions, including nuclear

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 30, 2023

Most countries have set the net emissions goal for greenhouse gasses at zero by the middle of the century — just 27 years from now. Can anyone seriously believe the net zero goal — mainly resulting from carbon-producing fossil fuels — will be achieved by then? Energy to fuel cars, heat homes and run offices and factories will come largely from electricity. Electric power will have to come from wind, solar and even hydro to make a serious dent in the use of fossil fuels. Sustained efforts at efficiency, which means using less, are essential but unlikely to cover the gap left by renewables. Renewables won’t be enough. Focusing heavily on them avoids talking about the elephant in the room. It does not produce carbon. Its technology is available now. It reduces dependence on questionable energy suppliers like Russia and Saudi Arabia. It is nuclear power. Human civilization is now being transformed by climate change. All available solutions must be used. ~ Gordon L. Weil

Delaware company plans to buy Jay mill for industrial use

SUN JOURNAL • September 29, 2023

A Delaware company wants to buy the Androscoggin paper mill and adjacent cogeneration facility from Pixelle Specialty Solutions and redevelop it for other industrial uses, according to an application filed to transfer state permits. The former pulp and paper mill stopped making paper in March after decades of production. JGT2 Redevelopment has applied with the state to have state permits/licenses for stormwater, wastewater discharge, air emissions, and solid waste transferred to JGT2. JGT2 proposes redeveloping the site for other industrial uses, according to the application. It wasn’t clear Friday what those other uses might be. The old pulp and paper mill equipment will be sold and repurposed where possible, according to the application. Unnecessary infrastructure will be demolished to prepare for new construction. The property will be divided and redeveloped into several new industrial uses. It wasn’t clear Friday what those other uses might be.

Maine awards $2.4 million in climate grants to 53 communities

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 29, 2023

The state announced $2.4 million in grants to 53 communities across Maine on Friday to help them plan for climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and increase municipal resiliency through projects ranging from local forest protection to weatherization to rooftop solar arrays. The grants to Maine cities, towns and tribes are being distributed through the state’s Community Resilience Partnership program. Created in 2021, the program has awarded $6.1 million to 103 communities. Gov. Janet Mills said, “We all know that climate change is real and that we can’t wait to address it.”

Conserving a Coastline, The Work of Maine Coast Heritage Trust

OFF CENTER HARBOR • September 29, 2023

There’s nothing more compelling than a clutch of wild islands calling from across the water. Thanks to good people like these, the wild island experience will be calling for generations to come. As we all know, the Coast of Maine is vulnerable to rampant development from any number of directions. We are fortunate that the Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s program of easements helps keep the islands the way they always were.

This midcoast preserve is a fantastic fall foliage hike

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2023

For the best fall foliage hikes, I look for woods that are filled with a variety of deciduous trees: oaks, birches, ashes, aspens and maples. It’s a magical experience to follow a trail under a colorful canopy, with freshly fallen leaves carpeting the forest floor. Recently, I visited the Richard S. Hodson Preserve and Rheault Trail in Camden. The forest there is filled with red oaks, bigtooth aspens and sugar maples. But what makes it a truly great foliage spot is the trail that travels through blueberry barrens to the top of Howe Hill. Blueberry plants turn bright red in the fall. And the hilltop offers open views of nearby Bald and Hatchet mountains, as well as Camden Hills State Park. ~ Aislinn Sarnacki

Opinion: What the Farm Bill means for Maine

SUN JOURNAL • September 29, 2023

Maine has about 7,600 farms spanning 1.3 million acres and employing around 13,000 workers, which includes about 100 dairy farms and 80,000 head of cattle. We are the top producer in the world for wild blueberries, third highest in the nation for maple syrup, and ranked ninth for potato production. Maine’s farming industry on average contributes $1.38 billion to the state’s overall economy. Yet the rainy weather this summer has some farmers worried, including myself, which is why access to crop insurance and other federally backed programs through the USDA is important. The current Farm Bill expires on Sept. 30 and, unfortunately, the new bill is in jeopardy amid the potential disruptions of a federal government shutdown. There could be immediate effects on the price and supply of milk. I implore Congress to get the Farm Bill passed. ~ Sen. Russell Black (R), Franklin, Kennebec and Somerset counties

Opinion: Nobody would benefit from the building of the Gorham Connector

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 29, 2023

If the Gorham Connector is constructed and put to use, everyone in the state will lose out in more ways than one. The cost is up to $237 million. Building rail along the proposed Gorham Connector route would save millions of dollars. There will be no long-term benefit from the Gorham Connector, only sprawl. ~ Jasper Curtis, Portland

One investor’s uphill battle to turn rewilding into a multibillion-dollar industry

BLOOMBERG • September 28, 2023

Everyone involved is betting Scotland will soon pass a law that forces companies to make up for their environmental impact by funding protection elsewhere. A similar regulation is due to take effect in England early next year. They’re also eyeing a global, unregulated market for the credits that’s gotten a boost from a commitment by almost 200 countries to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and new guidelines for businesses to address nature-related risks. CreditNature forecasts it could be worth up to $35 billion by 2050. Others are skeptical that the biodiversity credits market can gain traction and that it won’t face the same problems as carbon offsets. It’s also uncertain whether and for how long such projects can retain the support of nearby communities. But Highlands Rewilding is hoping to sell any intellectual property and technology the team develops in the process, contributing to its projected $120 million in total revenue over the next decade.

Scarborough Land Trust acquires 10 acres adding to Warren Woods Preserve

SCARBOROUGH LEADER • September 28, 2023

Warren Woods Preserve just increased by over 10 acres. On Sept. 26, the Scarborough Land Trust (SLT) closed on a property off Finch Way on the east side of one of SLT’s most popular preserves. This brings the total size of Warren Woods Preserve to over 313 acres.

Conservation groups call for new ship speed rules aimed at protecting right whales

MAINE PUBLIC • September 28, 2023

A coalition of conservation groups is again calling on federal regulators to approve new rules aimed at protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales from vessel strikes. NOAA has proposed a rule that would reduce ship speeds and expand the areas where those speed limits apply. But the rule hasn't been finalized and implemented. Regina Asmutis-Silvia of Whale and Dolphin Conservation says the federal government should set new speed limits by Nov. 15, when right whales migrate to the Southeastern coast to give birth. Environmental groups sent a similar emergency petition to NOAA last year to finalize vessel strike rules, but it was denied.

Canadian wildfire smoke is blanketing Maine again

CBS 13 • September 28, 2023

A very thick plume of wildfire smoke from the Canadian province of Alberta has made its way into Maine. Clockwise flow around high pressure centered to our north is bringing the smoke straight down from the north-northeast. Thursday would have otherwise been a bright, sunny day but the smoke above our heads will make it seem overcast throughout the afternoon. This is expected to be with us through the day and into Friday.

Column: Many Maine songbirds will cram back into the crowded tropics for the winter

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2023

A majority of American songbirds are neotropical migrants. That is, they nest in the northern latitudes but winter in the tropics. That raises an obvious question. If there’s enough food for them down there all winter, why do they bother to nest up here? Fundamentally, it’s a math problem. First, North America is larger than Central and South America combined. Up here in the north, they have room to spread out. Down there, they must cram together with the abundant birds that live in the tropics year-round. There is enough food to sustain everybody in winter, but not enough to start and feed a growing family. Too much competition. Second, neotropical migrants can simply make more babies up north, where there is seasonally more food and less competition. ~ Bob Duchesne

Former Paul LePage adviser will be Maine chamber’s next CEO

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2023

Patrick Woodcock, who led the governor’s energy office from 2013 to 2016 and recently served in a similar Massachusetts position, will take over as the Maine State Chamber of Commerce’s new leader on Monday. The chamber is “conservative” on economic issues. Though he worked for the stridently conservative LePage, Woodcock is in line with the center-right orientation of the chamber. He was respected across party lines as energy advisor. Longtime leader Dana Connors retired at the end of 2022, and Julia Munsey, his replacement as CEO, lasted only a few months before resigning due to personal reasons in June.

3 boaters rescued from Presumpscot River in Westbrook

CBS 13 • September 28, 2023

Three boaters are safe after being rescued from the Presumpscot River in Westbrook. Firefighters said their boat overturned Wednesday night near Mill Road. Crews from Westbrook, Gorham and Portland responded. The three boaters were able to get to an island in the river after their boat overturned and that’s where emergency crews were able to take them to safety. All three boaters were taken to the hospital, but no one had critical injuries.

Army Corps finalizes Camp Ellis jetty proposal to mitigate coastal erosion

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 28, 2023

Saco has received the long-awaited project agreement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction of a 750-foot jetty spur at Camp Ellis to mitigate the coastal erosion that has led to the destruction of 39 homes and the annual loss of 3 to 4 feet of sandy beach. The proposed project agreement is under legal review, and won’t be shared publicly until sometime next month, but already some local politicians are calling it a historic moment in the city’s effort to protect a neighborhood under threat of being washed away in the next storm. But the leaders of Save Our Shores say the proposal doesn’t provide the city with as much beach replenishment sand as promised.

How ads on Maine’s utility takeover are stretching the truth

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2023

Question 3 is the highest-profile referendum of the eight ballot measures up for a vote this fall, with voters set to decide whether the state should buy out the infrastructure of its two largest investor-owned utilities, Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power, and create the Pine Tree Power Co. overseen by an elected board and experts. Some of the ads on TV, radio and social media from both sides of the Pine Tree Power debate are pushing the boundaries when it comes to the veracity of their claims. Here’s an overview.

Acadia National Park could lock its gates if US government shuts down

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2023

Visitors to Acadia National Park next week are likely to find more locked gates than mountaintop ocean views if the federal government shuts down this weekend. It would be the first time in 10 years that a federal budget dispute closed the park during Maine’s tourist season. But even if the park shuts down at midnight Saturday, people hoping to get out and about on Mount Desert Island may not have to change plans.

King Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen and Protect Maine Forests

ANGUS KING • September 27, 2023

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Working Forests Caucus, has introduced legislation to protect and restore Maine’s forests, aiming to bolster both the economic success and environmental health of the state. The bipartisan bill, America’s Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration (ARCs) Act of 2023, would work to restore ecosystems, boost carbon sequestration through tree planting, improve fire risk reduction and expand forest products and wood innovation.

5 reasons to go deep into Maine Woods, a park twice the size of Acadia

WASHINGTON POST • September 27, 2023

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods Initiative has grown to nearly 130,000 contiguous acres, more than twice the size of Acadia National Park. All hikers, bikers, Nordic skiers, snowshoers, anglers, birders and moose-seekers are welcome.

Maine Public Utilities Commission dismisses complaint requesting investigation of Auburn Water District

SUN JOURNAL • September 27, 2023

The Maine Public Utilities Commission has dismissed a complaint requesting an investigation into the Auburn Water District, stating that while it raises relevant concerns about water quality, the Water District has taken “adequate steps” to resolve the cause of the complaint. It does, however, request that the Water District submit information to the PUC following any updates in the ongoing litigation between the district and the city of Lewiston. The complaint referenced the Water District’s attempt to revise the Lake Auburn watershed boundary, as well as changes to its septic ordinance, which the residents said could lead to the Water District losing its waiver from filtration.