2023's extreme storms, heat and wildfires broke records – a scientist explains how global warming fuels climate disasters

THE CONVERSATION • December 19, 2023

The year 2023 was marked by extraordinary heat, wildfires and weather disasters. Globally, 2023 was the warmest year on record, and it wreaked havoc around the world. El Niño played a role, but global warming is at the root of the world’s increasing extreme weather. So, how exactly is global warming linked to fires, storms and other disasters? I am an atmospheric scientist who studies the changing climate. In sum, a warmer world is a more violent world, with the additional heat fueling increasingly more extreme weather events. ~ Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton

Opinion: Of Seinfeld, Scrooge and climate change – a holiday parable

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2023

What is the carbon footprint of these Holidays and their many lights and candles? A Christmas tree: large incandescent lights, 13.15 kg of CO2; mini incandescent lights, 19.17 kg of CO2; and LED lights, 2.26 kg of CO2. The type of tree purchased to be lit by those lights matters, too – 3.1 kg/year of CO2 emissions for a natural tree versus 8 kg of CO2 per year over the course of the six-year life span of an artificial tree. How about the Menorah candles for Hanukkah? The standard paraffin candles many buy emit, over the eight nights, just 0.27 kg of CO2. Beeswax candles are deemed carbon neutral – they emit CO2 recently absorbed by plants and then transferred to beeswax. But don’t use olive oil lamps – those emit 10 times the CO2 of paraffin candles. And try digital cards instead of the 2.65 billion holiday cards sold each year in the U.S. Or there is a holiday you can substitute that has no energy use or emissions, Festivus, made famous in a 1997 Seinfeld episode. ~ Jeff Thaler, Yarmouth

Storm wipes out power across Midcoast, shuttering schools and blocking roads

TIMES RECORD • December 18, 2023

Power outages racked up across the Midcoast as gusty winds reaching 60 mph and heavy rain swept across the state Monday, hitting coastal communities especially hard. Several towns in the area were completely in the dark. In Brunswick, more than 9,000 of Central Maine Power’s 11,690 customers were in the dark as of 5:30 p.m. Brunswick schools closed their doors and sent students home shortly after noon Monday as outages became more widespread. The towns of Phippsburg, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Georgetown, Arrowsic and Woolwich didn’t have a single customer with power as of Monday evening. In Harpswell, all but 100 of CMP’s roughly 4,700 customers were in the dark.

Letter: Reject proposed electric vehicle standards

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 18, 2023

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection is considering the adoption of a California-inspired policy, which will force car dealerships to replace about half their inventory with electric vehicles. Furthermore, it will mandate 43 percent of new car sales be electric vehicles by 2027. As a consumer, this greatly concerns me. Maine, like many states, lacks the comprehensive charging infrastructure. Furthermore, the performance of electric vehicle batteries in colder climates poses a significant challenge. I urge the Board of Environmental Protection to reject the adoption of this potentially harmful policy. ~ Kathleen Szostek, Dixfield

More climate disasters are forcing millions of Americans to move, researchers say

BLOOMBERG • December 18, 2023

3.2 million Americans moved away from high-flood-risk areas between 2000 and 2020. The full extent of the migration has been hidden, however, since most people didn’t move far. “There appear to be clear winners and losers in regard to the impact of flood risk on neighborhood-level population change,” Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications research at First Street, said. “The downstream implications of this are massive and impact property values, neighborhood composition and commercial viability, both positively and negatively.” The analysis also extrapolates these trends 30 years into the future, predicting that vulnerable areas will continue to lose population.

Opinion: EVs need a detour

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2023

A new rule under consideration by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection subjects car dealers to new requirements regarding zero-emission electric vehicles. For the 2027 model year, 43% of new car sales must be EVs; that increases to 82% by the year 2032. The real question for Maine BEP is whether they should adopt it. As an economics professor who truly believes in our free-market economy, they absolutely should not. ~ Sen. James Libby (R)

Letter: Pickett Mountain mine would pollute

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 18, 2023

My grandfather worked for a mining company for 32 years until he died 2,000 feet below the surface at age 59, when I was 6 years old. His health was diminished by his life in the mines. I defy anyone to find a mining community where the air is clean and one can drink the water and eat the fish and game. Wolfden’s deceptive branding of “Environmental. Sustainable.” on their Patten office window is an insult to Mainers’ intelligence. There is no question their proposed Pickett Mountain mine would pollute. ~ Ed Spencer, West Old Town

Editorial: Remarkable population growth is a remarkable opportunity for Maine

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • December 17, 2023

Suddenly, Maine’s population growth is booming, outpacing the national average for the first time in decades. The reversal is the result of a once-in-a-century pandemic that led a lot of people to reconsider what they want out of life. It’s time for us to take advantage. Most of the growth has come from people searching for a safer, quieter, more community-centered place to live. No one moved to Maine in the last few years because taxes or welfare were cut, or because businesses were allowed to pollute or mistreat workers. As the climate crisis brings high heat and more frequent storms to other parts of the country, people may continue to look to Maine for respite. We need housing so that more people can live affordably. We need to improve and expand our public parks, trails and downtowns. We need to manage growth so that we’re not overwhelmed by traffic, or see our towns pulled apart by sprawl.

Letter: Leaders must act on climate, or let someone else lead

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 16, 2023

My message to the leaders who were at COP 28, the recent United Nations climate change conference: The time has come for you to do something. While the world burns, you do what you do best. Private jets, caviar, champagne — while us commoners will soon need to move, or literally starve and die. If those who are meant to lead us, lack the vision necessary to solve the hugely complex and severely consequential challenges we face, they must step aside — for those who can. ~ Carl Altomare, Machiasport

A major snowmobile trail with massive gaps likely won’t be fixed this season

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 15, 2023

The major snowmobile trail that connects Jay, Wilton and Farmington likely will not be fixed for this season of sledding, according to the head of the Maine Snowmobile Association. Two large gaps in the trail, each 40 feet deep by about 100 feet long, were caused by flooding and erosion in the rainy spring and summer. It looks like the two huge gaps may not get fixed before the season gets underway, which means that part of the trail system will either have to be rerouted or will dead-end on either end of the hole.

Is climate-friendly flying possible? The Biden administration is making a big bet that it is

WASHINGTON POST • December 15, 2023

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled the framework of its plan for achieving one of the most elusive goals in the fight against global warming: making jet travel more climate-friendly. The proposal calls for giving subsidies to support the development of so-called sustainable aviation fuels, capable of powering jet engines from agricultural products.

A Kansas-based company has purchased the former Androscoggin Mill

MAINE PUBLIC • December 15, 2023

A Kansas-based company has officially purchased the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay, and plans to repurpose it for new manufacturing uses.JGT2 Redevelopment this week completed its purchase of the former paper mill, which was shut down earlier this year. Partner Tony McDonald said the company plans to demolish about 900,000 square feet of buildings on the site, while retaining the remaining 475,000 square feet. "This is where the paper machines were, and where the warehousing and shipping was located. And those are just spectacular, heavy industrial buildings with 65-foot clear ceiling heights, high capacity overhead cranes, heavy power, heavy construction. And they're absolutely perfect for other types of manufacturing," McDonald said. The company has held early conversations with a few groups about the future of the site.

Fayette residents donate woodlands to land trust for conservation

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • December 15, 2023

Jane Brogan remembers riding Sancy, one of the many horses she once owned, into the vast woodlands she owned with her husband Jim, in Fayette. The longtime Fayette resident couple has now donated the 53-acre Bamford Pond Woodland Conservation Area to the Kennebec Land Trust. The conservation area protects scenic woodland and wetland habitats. The land is home to animals like deer, black bears and moose. Jane said the donation was inspired by her parents. “When my mother died in 1997, she donated 17 acres” to the Kennebec Land Trust. The land trust has conserved 7,753 acres with 58 miles of trails.

Column: ‘Tis the season to kill holly

SUN JOURNAL • December 15, 2023

What could anyone have against holly? Plenty if you are an ecologist. This cheery herald of Christmas, with its serrated green leaves and red berries, has become an invader, crowding out native plants on the forest floor. And the most fearsome of the 500 species is the beloved English holly. Holly joins other beautiful non-indigenous plants now threatening less glamorous natives in the North American wilds. Purple Loosestrife, for example, with its striking spikes of purple flowers, have taken over wetlands. ~ Froma Harrop

Opinion: Expanding Jetport parking an inclusive, nuanced process

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 15, 2023

While we appreciate all of the recent discussion surrounding the Portland International Jetport’s plans to add additional parking to serve the increase in passenger demand, many of the alternative ideas suggested are not viable. We explored a wide variety of options to achieve the need for increased parking. The existing cellphone lot area is included and becomes part of this proposed parking project. The existing Pink Lot is bounded by wetlands and an easement, which limits the amount of expansion that can occur there. There is always a balancing of priorities when considering removing trees. Increasing bus routes in Portland is not going to solve the demand issue as the Jetport serves the entire state of Maine as well as southern New Hampshire. ~ Paul Bradbury, Portland International Jetport

Letter: EV agenda driven by a few

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 15, 2023

The seven-person Maine Board of Environmental Protection has the power to dictate the number of future electric vehicles on Maine roads (“Maine considering California-style incentives to encourage electric vehicle sales,” Dec. 13) . I’m reeling to think that these individuals, who are not elected and do not represent the people of Maine or our free market, have this liberty. The people of Maine must wake up! The technology has yet to be advanced and a panel forcing the market will not turn fantasy into reality. ~ Vickie Shane, Buxton

Androscoggin Mill in Jay has a new owner

SUN JOURNAL • December 14, 2023

JGT2 Redevelopment, based in Kansas, announced Thursday that it has purchased the defunct Androscoggin paper mill buildings and 1,000 acres on Riley Road. Pixelle stopped production of paper in March and shut down the mill permanently. The plan is to demolish the south end of the mill and redevelop the north side. JGT2 proposes to restart the cogeneration plant to produce power to sell to the grid while redeveloping the properties associated with the former mill into a mix of industrial, manufacturing and distribution components.

Fourth lawsuit filed challenging new law on foreign campaign spending

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 14, 2023

A group of residents that includes current and former lawmakers has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a law passed by voters in November that restricts foreign spending in referendum campaigns. The suit argues that the law approved by voters as Question 2 on the November ballot violates the freedom of speech, right to petition the government, and freedom of the press under the First and 14th amendments.

Opinion: Coastal communities should support a port for offshore wind farms

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 13, 2023

Climate change will continue to impact fisheries and other marine industries that our coastal economies rely on. Maine has an opportunity to take steps toward addressing this issue through the implementation of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, which has the potential to supply a significant amount of renewable energy for the state to help us transition away from fossil fuels and invest in a renewable energy economy. Offshore wind production also has the opportunity to create a new industry and jobs in the clean energy sector. A new port and industry in Seaport could provide continuous employment in family-supporting jobs as well as bringing additional families and jobs to the midcoast area. As residents of the midcoast, we support this project. ~ Audrey Hufnagel, 17, Maine Youth for Climate Justice; Cletis Boyer, 83, Third Act Maine