By Froma Harrop Sun Journal column As large parts of America burn or drown under weird weather conditions made more extreme by global warming, California and other states are doggedly pursuing solutions. What do you say to those who deny climate change is happening — or who dismiss the scientific consensus that humankind is making Read More
climate change
Rep. Pingree: Congress Must Face the Unassailable Reality of Climate Change
With the help of allies on Capitol Hill, the Trump administration is refusing to stand up for science. by Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, represents Maine’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives Portland Press Herald op-ed Maine’s largest city just tied the record for its hottest summer. Warming ocean waters have shifted lobster populations Read More
South Portland’s Tar Sands Ban Upheld in a ‘David vs. Goliath’ Pipeline Battle
Citing Maine’s ‘home rule authority’ to protect public health, the small city took on Big Oil, which lined up behind a company challenging its tar sands ban. By Sabrina Shankman Inside Climate News news story A federal judge has ruled that the coastal city of South Portland, Maine, did not violate the U.S. Constitution when Read More
Feds to give $2M to Add Electric Buses to Portland Fleet
The Associated Press Bangor Daily News news story The Maine Department of Transportation is slated to get more than $2 million in federal money to help pay for electric buses in the Portland area. The transportation department worked with other organizations, including Greater Portland Metro, to submit a proposal for the grant. The money is Read More
South Portland’s “Clear Skies” Ordinance Survives Challenge as Federal Judge Finds It Constitutional
Portland Pipe Line Corp. had sued to overturn the ordinance adopted in 2014 to prohibit the bulk loading of crude oil onto tankers on the city’s waterfront. by Randy Billings, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story A federal court ruled Friday that a South Portland ordinance prohibiting bulk loading of crude oil onto tankers Read More
Trump Administration Pushes to Gut Air Pollution Rules for Nation’s Dirtiest Power Plants
Statement of Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “The Trump Administration’s proposal to roll back air pollution limits is bad news for everyone who breathes. The proposal is particularly bad news for Mainers, since so much of the air pollution that affects Maine people comes from upwind power plants that would Read More
Stalling Fuel Economy Standards Won’t Save Lives. Keeping Them in Place Will.
Bangor Daily News editorial When it proposed to weaken fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, the Trump administration said the move would save lives. This left many experts scratching their heads. With good reason. It turns out the life-saving claims were false. Staff at the Environmental Protection Agency warned that the safety claims were Read More
Quebec Hydro Isn’t a Good Fit for Mass.
We need closer-to-home renewables that actually reduce emissions by Deb Pasternak, interim chapter director, Massachusetts Sierra Club Commonwealth Magazine op-ed Massachusetts electric distribution companies submitted long-term hydro electricity supply contracts to the Department of Public Utilities for review recently. The Massachusetts Sierra Club believes strongly that these contracts are not the right way to get Read More
Ignoring Climate Change Puts Mainers in Danger
Politics has stifled research that would have helped the state prepare for a warming planet. Central Maine Newspapers editorial Policy driven by research works better than science driven by politics. Witness Maine, which experienced a historic explosion in its tick population, and not coincidentally, a 20-fold increase in Lyme disease diagnoses between 2000 and 2016 Read More
