This is an old familiar tale of wealthy corporations exploiting Maine’s laws and natural resources in pursuit of profit, and the underrepresented people who are being affected banding together and fighting back. The setting for this story is Maine’s State-owned Juniper Ridge Landfill (JRL) in Old Town/Alton; its protagonists are the working-class people living adjacent Read More
environmental justice
Moving Beyond Good Intentions to Make Changes for More Inclusive and Just Environmental Response
In 2017, the Natural Resources Council of Maine formed a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Committee (DEIJ) made up of staff members. This year they have moved to include board members and a member of the NRCM Rising Leadership Team. I have the honor of serving as the Rising representative. NRCM formed the committee in Read More
Recognizing Unjust, Disproportionate Health Impacts of Our Waste System
There is more to our waste crisis than meets the eye as a new United Nations (UN) report makes clear. The study, released by the United Nations Environment Program and the environmental justice nonprofit Azul shows that at every stage of the life-cycle for plastics – from production to disposal — there are significant human Read More
News & Noteworthy — January – March 2021
Read some highlights from this month’s news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this month’s News & Noteworthy from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. March 2021 Plastic pollution continues to be on the minds of many Mainers, including lawmakers who this week discussed a Read More
Biden’s Climate Actions Will Benefit Maine’s Environment and Economy
President Biden today will issue a second round of executive orders focused on building a clean energy economy that works for all Americans by reducing fossil fuel pollution and investing in underserved communities. Maine’s leading environmental advocacy organization, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), applauded the Biden Administration for prioritizing ambitious, science-based actions that Read More
Mainers Call for Greater Protections at State-owned Landfills
News release (September 16, 2020) — A group of Maine residents and the Penobscot Nation will call on the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) at their September 17th meeting to support a citizen’s petition that will ban out-of-state waste from being disposed in State-owned landfills and enact greater environmental justice protections for those communities directly Read More
Why You Should Care about Landfills
There’s a hidden climate villain in Maine that you might not know about, and it’s where about 75% of our total waste goes. According to the U.S. EPA, landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States.[1] Pound for pound, methane has about 30 times more atmospheric heat-trapping capability than carbon Read More
