Roux Institute’s new business incubator aims to take on climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 30, 2024

A new business incubator in Portland is trying to help small technology startups take on a big problem: climate change. Northeastern University’s Roux Institute launched its ClimateTech Incubator this month, a shared space for environmentally-focused startups to collaborate and grow their businesses. Terra Dunham, senior program director for the incubator, said the goal is for these small companies “to become huge companies,” outgrow the incubator, add highly skilled jobs in Maine and ultimately boost the economy. The incubator currently houses 12 startups that deal with many facets of climate change.

Scientists monitor insect-borne infections through moose and deer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 30, 2024

The Vector-borne Disease Laboratory at MaineHealth Institute for Research in Portland sends scientists to key big game registration stations in the state to take blood and tick samples from the moose and deer brought in by hunters. The lab has been doing this for several years now, but it has done more of it since 2010. With the increase in dangerous viruses such as eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile across the state, it’s become imperative for those in charge of public health to know what regions hold the biggest threats for infections, which can be fatal. 

Maine’s top forester to head national association at critical time

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 29, 2024

Maine State Forester Patty Cormier has been elected president of the National Association of State Foresters, a significant milestone at a critical time for agencies overseeing forest resources across the United States. Cormier has worked with the Maine Forest Service for over 20 years, serving as Maine’s top forester since 2019, the service said in a statement Friday. She is the first Maine State Forester to be elected to the national post since Austin Wilkins 59 years ago.

UMaine potato breed edges out longtime favorites

MAINE MONITOR • September 29, 2024

Just nine years after it was introduced, the Caribou Russet, an oblong, reddish-brown potato with white flesh developed by the University of Maine, has overtaken the state’s potato market, edging out breeds that dominated the market for over a century.

Editorial: Good climate policy depends on consensus

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 29, 2024

Maine alone can’t stop climate change. But a critical mass of us must understand that mitigating it is a necessarily collective effort. The appointment of a green schools director sends an important message to the broader public; the work of that director will set the tone for a new generation of school buildings, bus routes, conscientious public servants and people. By the same token, the Maine Climate Council’s time-intensive consultation work is being done so that we can all work thoughtfully together. Starting small is fine. It’s starting at all that matters. Any forces that try to detract from these efforts – or, indeed, to deny or discredit them altogether – set us back.

Opinion: Offshore wind in Gulf of Maine an opportunity we can’t ignore

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 29, 2024

The Department of the Interior will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale at the end of October. Eight different areas in federal waters have the potential to power more than 4.5 million homes. That’s enough electricity to avoid nearly 50 million tons of fossil fuel emissions. Maine Audubon has spent a lot of time evaluating and advocating for opportunities to address climate change, including supporting renewable energy. But we have to do it right. This lease sale is the culmination of years of work from Maine Audubon and other advocates to convince the federal government to only issue leases in specific areas, those with the least amount of potential impacts on wildlife, commerce and transit. ~ Andy Beahm, Maine Audubon

Salmon parr at Peter Gray Hatchery have virus 2nd year in a row

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 27, 2024

The Downeast Salmon Federation’s Peter Gray Hatchery’s salmon parr project has tested positive for infectious pancreatic necrosis virus for the second year in a row. Last year, 170,000 salmon were killed because of the virus. The federation said it cannot release this year’s salmon either. The infected salmon will be killed, Dwayne Shaw, executive director of Downeast Salmon Federation, said Friday.

This bear led hunters and hounds on a merry chase

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2024

Ezra Dean, a guide for Grove Hill Outfitters in Brownville, had his eye on this bear for two years. The large boar kept showing up on cameras during overnight hours. Dean has tried over the last two years to help his clients nab it. He tried to get it during trapping season, but the bear simply moved to another area. He tried to get it over bait, but the bear stopped showing up at any of the bait sites. There was one option left. Hounds. And Pastor Mike Spencer of New York state, who was part of a group of pastors from Faith Bible College International hunting in Maine for the week, got it done.

Maine Woman Who Feeds Raccoons and Cats on Her Back Porch Is a Real-Life Snow White

AOL. • September 28, 2024

Generally speaking, feeding wildlife while visiting an outdoor area isn't recommended. Animals can quickly become reliant on humans for food, and then they're out of luck when those humans leave. When you live out in the forest, however, you may be able to offer animal friends consistent, safe snacks that don't mess with their diet or natural instincts. Just look at the Daily Hiss Crew! This is a group of raccoons and cats from Maine who all found a friend (and chef) in one generous resident. She feeds them all from the comfort of her porch, and she's taken in many of the cats as indoor/outdoor pets.

'Stars over Katahdin' celebrates importance of dark skies

MAINE PUBLIC • September 28, 2024

Visitors will gather in Patten Saturday night for Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters' annual celebration of the area's dark skies and stars. The Katahdin Region has the darkest skies east of the Mississippi River, and the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.

Brief rain hasn’t alleviated Maine’s drought conditions

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2024

A short period of rainfall this past week hasn’t done much to alleviate mild drought conditions in Maine. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of central and eastern Maine are experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions. The advisory extends through Down East Maine and the midcoast. The areas closest to Maine’s coastline, including southern Washington and Hancock counties, as well as Knox and Lincoln counties are experiencing “moderate drought” conditions. York County is also experiencing abnormally dry and mild drought conditions.

Opinion: Maine’s landfill capacity must be expanded to avoid crisis

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 28, 2024

When L.D. 1911 passed in 2022, it was first-of-its-kind legislation in the United States and a milestone in public health toward the elimination of PFAS and other forever chemicals from the environment. And while the positive impacts of Maine’s legislation have been proudly celebrated across the country, its clean water industry has quietly inherited one of the largest challenges since the Clean Water Act of 1972: Where (and how) to safely dispose of the states’ biosolids? While it is not our first choice, the state must expand capacity at its landfill so industry leaders can continue to develop and fund the infrastructure to support the policies that have been enacted. We strongly recommend that the public benefit determination is granted for the proposed expansion of the Juniper Ridge landfill. ~ Theresa Tucker, Maine Water Environment Association

Letter: Voters should spike artificial turf proposal

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 28, 2024
On Nov. 5, South Portland voters will decide whether to spend over $12 million to install four artificial turf athletic fields at South Portland High School, which are blankets of plastic laid down over natural vegetation. Over an 8-12-year lifespan, these fields leach microplastics and other chemicals into local waterways, create a significant “heat island” effect (over 150F), increase runoff and erosion, and increase skin abrasions and foot/ankle injuries in players. The fields are not recyclable, although companies fraudulently say that they are. Old turf fields continue to contaminate our environment in landfills. ~ Karen Talentino, South Portland

Letter: Searsport wind project is about the big picture

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 28, 2024

It saddens me to think about how Maine is, and will continue to be, affected by climate change, which is why I support the offshore wind project in Searsport. With offshore wind, Maine can shift away from fossil fuels that cause harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and move into a sustainable energy source. Bringing offshore wind to Maine will help protect our fragile environments and ensure that Mainers will continue to have the beautiful outdoors to explore and protect. ~ Leah Johnson, Portland

Aroostook farm couple plan to fill void left by loss of Houlton dairy’s milk

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2024

The owners of a small family farm want to fill a void created by the loss of Aroostook County’s only white milk producer and meet what they say is a growing demand for non-traditional dairy products. Starting this fall, longtime partners Adam Dube and Melissa Jandreau want to start constructing a new organic dairy creamery that will produce white and chocolate milks, ice cream and yogurt from their farm in Perham, and then ship those products to County stores and schools.

Only experienced hikers should take on these rugged Maine mountains

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2024

In Baxter State Park, Katahdin and The Brothers are among 40-plus peaks and ridges that you can explore on more than 220 miles of trails. Each summer, my family camps in the park, and I make it my mission to explore different trails. Perhaps someday I’ll have hiked them all. ~ Aislinn Sarnacki

Letter: The cost of climate change

SUN JOURNAL • September 28, 2024

How many more storms, property and lives lost due to climate change, will it take before we are willing to make the necessary changes to try to mitigate the damage? It seems to make sense to pay an upfront cost now to try to minimize the harm that is going to occur later. Let’s try to leave future generations a better planet than we now have. ~ Stan Tetenman, Poland

New bike, pedestrian trail projects will help close the loop around Portland’s peninsula

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 27, 2024

Portland is finalizing designs for two new trails that will nearly complete a route that will allow cyclists and pedestrians to circumnavigate the peninsula. The city’s trail network already covers large swaths of the peninsula’s perimeter, like the Eastern Promenade and the Fore River Parkway, but several gaps leave bikers and pedestrians navigating traffic and dangerous intersections.

New bike, pedestrian trail projects will help close the loop around Portland’s peninsula

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 27, 2024

Portland is finalizing designs for two new trails that will nearly complete a route that will allow cyclists and pedestrians to circumnavigate the peninsula. The city’s trail network already covers large swaths of the peninsula’s perimeter, like the Eastern Promenade and the Fore River Parkway, but several gaps leave bikers and pedestrians navigating traffic and dangerous intersections.

Column: This is why cedar waxwings are special

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 27, 2024

Cedar waxwings are special. Cedar waxwings could have been designed by a Renaissance painter. Cedar waxwings are one of the most sociable species on the planet. Bohemian waxwings are slightly larger and grayer than cedar waxwings. They nest farther north. Cedar and Bohemian waxwings will likely invade this winter, and they don’t mind sharing each other’s company. Some flocks of cedar waxwings are already here. ~ Bob Duchesne