By Seth Koenig, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine —A group hoping to block transportation of so-called tar sands oil through South Portland — one end of the Portland-Montreal Pipeline — have gathered four times the number of signatures needed to put a prohibitive new ordinance on the November ballot. If Read More
Climate
Climate change and global warming pollution harm Maine people, wildlife, and our environment. Among the highest rates of childhood asthma in the nation, rising seas and severe storms battering our coastal homes and towns, warming and more acidic oceans threatening fisheries, too many “bad air days,” more and more tick-borne diseases, threats to our fall foliage and winter tourism industries—these are among the many health, environmental, and economic problems climate change pollution is causing here in Maine.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is working to reduce climate-changing pollution by making Maine more energy efficient. We work to provide clean, renewable energy and cleaner more efficient vehicles that will reduce Maine’s contribution to air pollution and climate change to ensure Maine people and wildlife have clean air to breathe.
Enough Signatures Collected
by Jack Flagler, Staff Writer The Sentry news story SOUTH PORTLAND – A group of South Portland residents hoping to block the transport of tar sands oil from Canada to Maine say they have collected enough signatures to include a citizens’ initiative on city ballots this November. The group, Concerned Citizens of South Portland, announced Read More
Harrison Passes Resolution Opposing Tar Sands Oil
by Leslie Dixon, staff writer Sun Journal news story HARRISON — Voters at Tuesday’s annual town meeting approved a resolution expressing their concern and opposition to any form of processed tar sands being piped through the town. The vote was 156-59. Harrison became the sixth town in Maine, including Bethel and Waterford, to oppose the Read More
Harrison Residents Pass Resolution Opposing Sending Tar Sands Oil Through Town
NRCM news release Harrison, ME — Harrison residents voted 156-59 Tuesday to pass a municipal resolution stating opposition to sending tar sands oil through ExxonMobil’s Portland-Montreal Pipeline, making it the sixth Maine town to publicly and officially oppose the proposal. The 62-year-old pipeline, which stretches 236 miles from Montreal to South Portland, is being considered Read More
Senate Passes Energy Bill in 28-7 Vote After Rejecting LePage-backed Amendments
by Matthew Stone, BDN staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Senate gave overwhelming support to a comprehensive energy bill Thursday, voting 28-7 in favor of a far-reaching measure aimed at expanding New England ’s natural gas infrastructure, boosting funding for energy efficiency, directly lowering businesses’ electricity costs and making it Read More
Maine Legislature Enacts Sweeping Energy Bill, Despite Veto Threat
by Patty B. Wight MPBN news story It’s being touted as an unprecedented solution to one of Maine’s most pressing problems: The House and Senate today passed a bipartisan bill aimed at cutting energy costs. The support comes in spite of an expected veto by Gov. Paul LePage, who is unhappy with two components of Read More
Omnibus Bill Represents Big Step Forward on State Energy Policy
The measure addresses transmission costs and efforts to step up efficiency and fight global warming. by Dylan Voorhees and Beth A. Nagusky Portland Press Herald op-ed You may find it surprising that we agree with Gov. LePage that Maine’s energy costs are significantly higher than they need to be. For more than a decade, Maine Read More
Starving Puffins Indicate Trouble at Sea
by Abigail Curtis, BDN staff Bangor Daily News news story BELFAST, Maine — Maine seabirds – including the iconic Atlantic puffin – may be in trouble. Researchers are concerned about starving chicks and dead birds that washed up this winter off Cape Cod and Scotland. Lately, the razorbill, a species related to puffins, has been Read More
New Effort Seeks to Block Tar Sands Oil Export from South Portland
A citizens group says they will try to change a zoning law to prevent Canadian tar sands oil from being pumped through the city and prohibit building new infrastructure to process it. by Matt Byrne, staff writer Portland Press Herald news update SOUTH PORTLAND—A citizen group opposed to the prospect of Canadian tar sands oil Read More