CMP, Versant and media groups sue Maine over foreign electioneering referendum

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 12, 2023

Maine’s two biggest utilities and two press groups sued the state on Tuesday, saying a referendum that looks to ban foreign electioneering here violates their First Amendment rights. The move puts the utilities and news outlets at odds with the 86 percent of voters who backed Question 2 on the November ballot. It seeks to ban foreign governments and companies that are at least 5 percent owned by them from influencing candidate or referendum elections in Maine. CMP and Versant poured more than $39 million into a successful campaign to defeat Question 3 on last month’s ballot, which would have replaced them with a new utility overseen by an elected board.

The murderous creature you live with is a murderous creature, study confirms

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • December 12, 2023

Scientists reviewed more than 100 years' worth of scientific studies to gain a better understanding of which animals free-ranging cats will prey upon or scavenge. The resulting paper found that free-ranging cats (including domestic and feral) will eat 2,084 different species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The list of creatures cats have chowed on includes 347 species of conservation concern, including Newell's shearwater, green sea turtles, the northern bobwhite quail and the little brown bat. While cute, cats are skilled predators, so much so that they've been documented as a major threat to the biodiversity of bird species in North America. They're also linked to the extinction of more than 60 species worldwide.

Arctic "report card" points to rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • December 12, 2023

This past summer in the Arctic was the warmest since 1900, contributing to disasters across the wider region, including flooding in Juneau, Alaska and a record wildfire season in Canada. Those are some key takeaways from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card, released today. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average as a result of human-caused climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels. Researchers say changes in the Arctic are an early indicator of what the rest of the globe can expect as the planet warms.

Police probe cut-and-run of treetop at Vassalboro fire station

MORNING SENTINEL • December 12, 2023

The illegal cutting of the top half of a large spruce tree in front of the town’s fire station has prompted a police investigation. Walker Thompson, Vassalboro’s fire chief, said Tuesday, “Somebody had backed up to the tree, taken a saw, and cut the top of the tree off.”

As Maine intensifies ‘forever chemical’ testing, one-third of sampled Unity water wells deemed unsafe

MORNING SENTINEL • December 12, 2023

More than one-third of a sample of residential water wells in town recently were found to contain unsafe levels of so-called “forever chemicals” after state officials recently ramped up efforts to test for PFAS in local water supplies. PFAS contamination could cause long-term health problems. Dr. Gail Carlson, the director of Colby College’s Buck Lab for Climate and Environment, has studied the causes and effects of PFAS contamination for years. She said that years of misguided policy, a lack of regulatory oversight, and the tricky properties of PFAS chemicals have culminated in a pervasive issue for residents of Unity and other rural towns in central Maine.

North Woods Law Maine Cast: Meet the Dedicated Wildlife Conservation Officers

ENERGY PORTAL EU • December 12, 2023

North Woods Law is a popular reality TV show that follows the lives of the Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) working for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. This article introduces the cast members of North Woods Law Maine, shedding light on their roles, experiences, and dedication to protecting Maine’s natural resources. Additionally, a FAQ section addresses commonly asked questions about the show.

Maine Calling: The Spirit of Exploration

MAINE PUBLIC • December 12, 2023

Experts say trying new things is good for our overall well-being. Meet two Mainers who've taken that idea to heart. One is trying something new every day. Another took 100 Maine adventures - and wrote a book about them. We learn about their adventures and why the spirit of exploration can be beneficial. Panelists: Nancy Jordan, editor of educational materials for English language learners; wife, mom of three grown children; she decided at the beginning of 2023 to try to undertake a new experience every day of 2023; Chelsea Diehl, author of Just Up The Road: A Year Discovering People, Places, and What Comes Next in the Pine Tree State; part-time actor; founder of Gadabout Maine, through which she chronicles her adventures across Vacationland and features adventures for all ages.

Midcoast town votes to pause large retail development

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 12, 2023

Lincolnville voters came out in force Tuesday evening to pass a six-month moratorium on the development of large retail stores. Out of the 225 people who checked in to vote at a town meeting, all who participated voted “yes” to the moratorium, said Town Administrator David Kinney. Nobody raised their hands for “no.” The moratorium will go into effect immediately. Lincolnville has been considering the moratorium since October, after a South Portland engineering firm submitted a pre-application for an unspecified retail store.

Elder activists join forces to combat climate change

FORECASTER • December 12, 2023

Retiree Bill Rixon spends his weekdays in front of L.L. Bean’s corporate offices in Freeport and outside Chase Bank in Yarmouth. Weekends, he’s on the sidewalk in front of the L.L.Bean store. At each place, he and other retirees hold signs of protest against big banks’ investments in fossil fuels. Rixon is a member of Third Act Maine, a 2-year-old chapter of a national organization that mobilizes people over age 60 to use their time to stand up against the climate crisis. The chapter has 817 people on its mailing list and usually more than a dozen turn out for the daily protests.

Letter: Maine can be a clean energy leader with offshore wind

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 12, 2023

Sometimes lost in the consideration about offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine is the  innovative work done at the University of Maine. The floating offshore wind turbines in development at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center have the potential to be the best and most important of any in the world. I look forward to seeing these turbines deployed into the gulf, harnessing both the wind and a brighter future. ~ Diantha Grant, New Gloucester

Opinion: Maine should not move toward eliminating gas-powered vehicles

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 12, 2023

I can’t believe that Maine is on the verge of moving toward the phase out of gas-powered cars. If the unelected Board of Environmental Protection votes to adopt a proposed California rule mandating the sale of electric vehicles (EV) at its Dec. 21 meeting, it could put Maine on the path toward elimination of gas-powered vehicles by making them artificially expensive. I hope that, if the BEP votes to impose this on us, the Legislature will act to require legislative approval before this takes effect. If necessary, I will submit legislation to repeal the rules for EV sales as an emergency measure for immediate action. ~ Rep. Dick Campbell, House Republican lead on the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resource Committee

Making oil is more profitable than saving the planet. These numbers tell the story

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • December 12, 2023

Oil companies have long been under pressure to invest more money into renewable energy to help fight climate change. Here's one simple reason why that's not happening: Right now, oil makes a lot more money. Energy companies spend a lot of money every year. Picture a giant Scrooge McDuck-style mountain of cash, to the tune of $800 billion. According to the International Energy Agency, the oil industry would need to spend 50% of that on clean energy by 2030 to be on track to meet global climate targets. But right now, oil companies are spending just 2.5% of their capital, collectively, on green power.

Editorial: Airport parking lot proposal drags us backward

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 12, 2023

The Portland International Jetport needs to vastly improve access for an increasing number of travelers. Yet attempts to soften the effects of its parking “crunch” – using an offsite overflow lot and a shuttle bus – have received a lukewarm reception. So it wants to pave six acres of green space and build a large new parking lot. Why act as if something as commonplace as a five-minute shuttle bus journey places an unreasonable burden on passengers or the environment? The problem is not the bus. It’s the cars. A vast expanse of disused parking space at the Maine Mall is ripe for exploitation by airport management. Or shift the onsite employee car park or the space used by rental car companies to the pink lot. Measures like these are successfully used by airports the world over.

Opinion: No, Virginia, your Christmas tree is not a climate crime

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 12, 2023

Trees are good. So it might seem that chopping down one of these precious planet-savers and dragging it to your living room to festoon with lights and ornaments, only to toss it on the curb later, would be bad for the climate. In fact, you may be doing the planet a favor. Cutting trees down, digging up the soil to plant new ones and hauling the harvest to a local parking lot for sale does generate carbon emissions. But this pollution is nothing compared with what’s involved in producing artificial trees. Just be sure your real tree is sourced and recycled responsibly. Make whatever lifestyle changes you can afford, sure. But the impact of talking to your friends, loved ones and enemies about climate, advocating for action and voting for politicians who want to make a difference will last longer than any Christmas decoration. ~ Mark Gongloff

Letter: Congress should pass ‘Big Wires’ act

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 12, 2023

Last July, Gov. Mills signed into law “An Act Regarding the Procurement of Energy from Offshore Wind Resources,” officially putting Maine on the way to becoming a major player in clean energy production for the entire Northeast region. However, for this opportunity to become a reality, there must be a national energy grid that has the capacity to effectively conduct clean electricity within Maine and beyond. A foundational step toward this end is outlined in the “Big Wires” act in Congress, which would establish requirements for inter-regional transmission of electricity. I encourage Sens. King and Collins, and Reps. Pingree and Golden to sign on as co-sponsors of this important measure. ~ Tom Berry, Kennebunk

This Maine 13-year-old successfully hunted more than 100 game animals

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 12, 2023

Laurelai Winslow, 13, of Damariscotta has hunted and killed more than 100 animals, including at least 35 considered big game. Big game breaks down to nine deer, three bears, a moose, a caribou, an elk and 20 turkeys, plus lots of smaller game such as rabbits, woodcock and grouse. She killed her first white tail doe deer at 6 years old. Laurelai got her hunting grand slam — a moose, a bear, a deer and a turkey — in 2021 when she was 11. She wants to do that again.

America on Two Feet: The ghost town district

DAILY BULLDOG • December 11, 2023

The American Discovery Trail crosses the Sierra Nevada mountain range over a relatively easy route that has a few obstacles. I hiked along the Tahoe Rim Trail and saw the spectacular lake below, mountains rising proudly around the majestic perimeter. The trees were giant. I finished the daunting range, said bye to my Tahoe friends and made my way (by car) back to Eureka, NV, with a holiday stop in the Reno area. It sounds confusing, but I’d skipped ahead 300 miles of Nevada to hike over the Sierras in a timely fashion. They tend to get a lot of snow. While Thanksgiving seems well in the past, walking into the Atlantic Ocean nearly two years ago seems like yesterday. ~ Briana DeSanctis, of Farmington, only has a few hundred miles to complete out her 6,800-mile hike across the USA on the American Discovery Trail

Maine is launching a new research program to collect more data about right whales' whereabouts

MAINE PUBLIC • December 11, 2023

With more than $17 million in hand, Maine has a new plan to search for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. State officials hope to the use the newly gathered data to advocate for Maine's fishing industry. State scientists will place 26 new passive acoustic monitors around the Gulf of Maine, in addition to the eight others that have been in the water for the last three years, to listen for right whales. And soon an outside company hired by the Department of Marine Resources will fly small planes over the Gulf in attempt to spot them.

The U.S. could remove 1 billion tons of carbon from the air – for $130 billion

BLOOMBERG • December 11, 2023

Forests, soil and manmade solutions could help get the U.S. to net zero, according to a report published Monday that lays out a roadmap to pull CO2 from the air. Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) accounts for about 70% of the U.S.’s carbon removal potential. BiCRS, which accounts for about 70% of the U.S.’s carbon removal potential, involves collecting municipal solid waste and forestry scraps that have pulled CO2 from the air and using them to make products like hydrogen, biogas and charcoal. What’s missing is the financing to build facilities capable of transforming the waste into new materials that effectively lock up the CO2. Reaching the capacity to remove 1 billion tons of carbon annually using BiCRS and other methods could cost $130 billion. Relying on biomass to help clean the atmosphere must ensure that only waste is used rather than chopping down a healthy forest.

Susan Collins and other lawmakers seek to expand health support for commercial fishermen

ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 11, 2023

A federal program that protects the health and wellbeing of commercial fishermen should be expanded to include substance use disorder and worker fatigue, a group of lawmakers from New England and Alaska said. The lawmakers want to expand a federal commercial fishing occupational safety program that funds research and training. The program is designed to help the nation’s fishermen with the often hazardous conditions they face at sea. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is one of the lawmakers pushing for the change, said expanding the program would help fishermen access more safety training and mental health resources.