Energy company wants Maine to use its port instead of Sears Island for offshore wind hub

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 6, 2024

An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial site for an offshore wind port as an alternative to nearby Sears Island preferred by the state and opposed by local residents. Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. Mack Point has already been dredged to accommodate ship traffic and the plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.

Climate records keep getting shattered. Here is what you need to know.

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 6, 2024

Month after month, global temperatures are setting new records. Meanwhile, scientists and climate policymakers warn of the growing likelihood that the planet will soon exceed the warming target set at the landmark Paris 2015 climate talks. Climate scientists are steadfast that fossil fuel use must be phased out to stave off the worst consequences of climate change. Making sense of the run of climate extremes may be challenging for some. Here’s a look at what scientists are saying.

U.S. Senate panel divided over climate as cause of rising insurance premiums

MAINE MORNING STAR • June 6, 2024

The U.S. Senate Budget Committee debated the cause of the insurance crisis plaguing homeowners around the country at a Wednesday hearing, with Democrats identifying climate change as the ultimate driving force of rising premiums and Republicans pointing to high government spending and inflation. Homeowners insurance premiums have skyrocketed in recent years, following billions in damages, which has led many insurance companies to drop coverage.

The secret to Norway’s economic success? Historic preservation.

ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT • June x, 2024

For more than 50 years Andrea Burns has impacted numerous citizens and local institutions. She spent the first 25 teaching first-grade children. After retiring she committed the next 25 plus to rescuing local treasures. Through her work, she has established that economic progress does not require bulldozers and fresh concrete, but can be achieved by embracing the foundations already in place. Burns was recently honored, again, for her vision and determination. This time she was chosen to receive a 2024 Maine Preservation Honor. “A preservation-based economy is economic development,” she said.

Quicksand startles woman who suddenly sinks hip deep at Popham Beach

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 6, 2024

Jamie Acord was with her husband, Patrick, at Popham Beach on Saturday, when she sank up to her knees in a pocket of supersaturated sand, or quicksand. It was a frightening experience, but scientists say it’s not possible for a person to fully sink in quicksand. While state officials say these pockets of super wet sand are more startling than life-threatening, park rangers were set to install warning signs Wednesday that will tell beachgoers what to do if they step in one.

A fast-warming Gulf of Maine is rising faster than ever

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 5, 2024

The fast-warming Gulf of Maine is rising faster than ever, with average monthly sea levels in Portland, Bar Harbor and Eastport breaking record after record over the last two years and driving storm surges and king-tide flooding higher and farther inland. “The rate of sea level rise is increasing,” said Maine State Geologist Steve Dickson. “It’s no longer an inch per decade. It’s more. The tides now are about 7 to 8 inches above what they were when my grandfather was a kid playing on the shores of Jonesport.” On Wednesday, during a Maine Climate Council briefing, Dickson said that future generations will be dealing with a few more feet, not inches.

UN chief wants a tax on profits of fossil fuel companies, calling them ‘godfathers of climate chaos’

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 5, 2024

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called Wednesday for a “windfall” tax on profits of fossil fuel companies to help pay for the fight against global warming, calling them the “godfathers of climate chaos.” Guterres spoke in a bid to revive the world’s focus on climate change at a time when elections, inflation and conflict in places like Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan have seized the spotlight. In a speech timed for World Environment Day, the U.N. chief drew on new data and projections to make a case against Big Oil.

How vulnerable is Maine's coast to sea level rise and climate change?

MAINE PUBLIC • June 5, 2024

Many coastal communities were impacted by several major storms during the winter of 2024. That’s put a spotlight on a major question facing the state: just how vulnerable is Maine’s coast to a warming world, and what steps do we need to take to prepare? That’s what we dive into in this episode of Maine Explained. Experts say flood hazard maps are one of the best ways of assessing the risk of damage from coastal events. Here's what the labels and numbers on the maps mean, in an area of Higgins Beach in Scarborough. Here is a link to the flood maps for some of Maine.

Appalachian Mountain Club cuts jobs as ‘glamping’ popularity hits lodging revenue

BOSTON GLOBE • June 5, 2024

Amenity-laden glamour campgrounds, tiny houses, and high-end RVs are luring more Americans than ever to the greatoutdoors, exposing them to the beauty and fragility of the environment. That’s good: Mother Nature needs all the friendsshe can get. But the cushy competition is proving problematic for Boston-based Appalachian Mountain Club, the nearly 150-year-oldconservation and recreation organization whose expensive but rustic lodging isn’t necessarily what many postpandemic nature newbies want to pay for. AMC recently laid off six employees and eliminated seven open jobs as it seeks to close a $2.5million deficit in its $35 million operating budget.

Carriage trails ready for walking in Cape Elizabeth

FORECASTER • June 5, 2024

The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust on Sunday will hold the grand opening of its trails on 15 acres of newly acquired land off Spurwink Avenue. The land trust has had its eye on the Davis Parcel for a long time because it is a “trifecta of conservation,” according to Executive Director David Briman. “It’s part of a significant habitat block, it’s got amazing recreational opportunities and it provides undeveloped protection for a portion of water that goes out into Casco Bay; it’s part of the Casco Bay watershed,” Briman said.

Details emerge on how new Roux Institute campus will alleviate traffic as neighbors express concern

MAINE PUBLIC • June 5, 2024

The latest plans for a permanent Roux Institute campus on the site of the former Baked Bean factory in Portland call for new traffic signals, crosswalks and other changes to alleviate what residents fear will be a dramatic increase in neighborhood traffic. Traffic engineers presented new data from city and state planners and private consultants to community members on Tuesday night.

This biodegradable material could be leaking PFAS into your garden

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 5, 2024

One of the most readily available options for mulching and creating weed barriers around the home garden is cardboard. Placed at the bottom of a raised bed or lining a pathway, it can prevent unwanted plant growth and be the base of a new soil layer. But if you use treated cardboard packaging, it may contain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The glossy layer that makes boxes resistant to water, grease and food is created with these “forever chemicals,” so called because they are difficult to break down in the environment and the human body.

Maine regulators order audit of Versant Power after multiple rate increases

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 5, 2024

Maine regulators have ordered a broad audit of the state’s second-largest electric utility, citing unspecified “questions and concerns” related to rate increases and other actions. The Public Utilities Commission did not say precisely why it directed the audit of Versant Power on May 29. It cited four cases before the agency, including two for distribution rate increases that Versant says are needed to improve service and bolster operations. The utility serves 165,000 customers in northern and eastern Maine.

Scammers are trying to sell Mainers’ land without their knowledge

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 5, 2024

Deed fraud is an increasingly common real estate scam plaguing landowners in polar ends of Maine and across the country. It consists of so-called “title pirates” using forged deeds and identification documents to dupe real estate agents into selling other people’s vacant land, often at below market rates and in cash. Most attention around deed fraud in Maine has been focused on York County, where 12 separate instances had been reported to the county sheriff’s office as of March. But Mainers with land in more rural areas are being targeted, too.

World Environment Day 2024

UNITED NATIONS • June 5, 2024

World Environment Day is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach. It is celebrated by millions of people across the world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host World Environment Day 2024 with a focus on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world.

Keeping ticks out of your yard requires a precise attack plan

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 4, 2024

While it may never be possible to completely eliminate ticks from the landscape, there are steps people can take to help control tick populations in backyards or around their property. Options for dealing with ticks include chemical pesticides, natural repellants, fencing, habitat modification and importing domestic birds known to dine on ticks. One resident is preparing to burn parts of her land to reduce the tick population. “These natural products tend to be much less effective than our established conventional pesticides,” said Griffin Dill, manager of the University of Maine Tick Lab. “They can play a part in an integrated tick plan, but if you are just going to spray natural ingredients, you are going to have less effects.”

Column: You, too, can plant a tree … or three

CENTRAL MAINE • June 4, 2024

Twenty years ago, I bought three trees. The white pine, the oak, and the maple all fit in my Toyota Corolla Wagon. Now, with 15 years of volunteer conservation work under my belt, I know I was making a radical environmental statement. I had planted three small ecosystems where birds, mammals, insects, moss, lichens, and micro-organisms thrive. Everything in those ecosystems has contributed to a healthier planet. We need heroic action more than ever before. If you’ve never been involved in conservation, this is your chance to come to the rescue. Planting trees can’t reverse or help all the damage of extreme weather. But it helps an awful lot. Please help. It’s easy. ~ Doug “Woody” Woodsum

Sierra Club report defends New England offshore Wind

MAINE PUBLIC • June 4, 2024

Developing New England's offshore wind power will lower electric bills and limit the region's exposure to natural gas price swings, according to a new report from the Sierra Club. The analysis, released Tuesday, suggests that building nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 could halve New England's spending on natural gas to produce electricity. Ratepayers could save up to $55 a year with new wind power which would also eliminate huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.

Congress weighs delaying farm bill over SNAP and climate disputes

WASHINGTON POST • June 4, 2024

A battle that ties food aid for needy families with crop subsidies for American farmers may stall efforts to renew a sweeping agricultural policy law, forcing Congress to consider delaying action on the $1.5 trillion proposal until after this fall’s elections.The law, known as the farm bill, is set to expire Sept. 30. It typically draws bipartisan support because it combines resources for such programs as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for low-income families with updates to farm supports, including commodity price guarantees and crop insurance. This year, however, the Republican-controlled House is writing a version of the bill that would spend less on future low-income food assistance and more on large-scale commodity farmers, while the Democratic-controlled Senate is mulling a proposal to do the opposite.

Rangeley’s Saddleback Mountain receives BirdSafe Maine award

SUN JOURNAL • June 4, 2024

Saddleback Mountain is the recipient of an inaugural BirdSafe Maine award for environmentally conscious design at its new midmountain restaurant, The Nest. Saddleback is home to the rare Bicknell’s thrush, a small bird that inhabits dense alpine forests at high elevations. In constructing The Nest, Saddleback worked closely with Maine Audubon and Davies Toews Architecture to design innovative bird deflection screens.