Do you know that the plastic bag you innocently accept when the cashier hands you your groceries could actually be the death of you? I first learned about marine litter when I was 13. I was given an inscribed copy of the book Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion by Loree Read More
Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine
Every day, Maine people and communities embrace better, more sustainable ways to inhabit our great state. Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine is devoted to gathering and sharing information about the people, places, and initiatives making a positive difference for Maine's environment. From fresh local foods to clean solar energy to turning trash into treasure, there are many ways to say “sustainable” in Maine.
If it is good news for our environment and involves Maine or Mainers, it belongs in the spotlight.
Waste Not, Want Not
91. That’s the number of times the Empire State Building could have been filled from top to bottom with the amount of food wasted in the United States in 2010. And the problem gets worse every year. United States Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, representing Maine’s First Congressional District, recently unveiled and introduced legislation to tackle this Read More
Maine Puts A Fresh Coat On Unused Paint
Thursday, October 1st marked the official start of Maine’s Paint Stewardship Program making Maine just the eighth state in the nation to establish a system to help people dispose of unused, unwanted paint without taking it to a landfill. The Maine Paint Stewardship Program is modeled on those already proving successful in other states around Read More
Students Lead the Transition to Clean Energy
Students have been the driving force behind the continuing decline in energy costs at Camden Hills Regional High School since it opened in 2000. While the school owns and operates the 155-foot tall wind turbine erected in 2012, the genesis and work to bring wind power to the high school came from the Windplanners, a Read More
Farmington Turns Waste Into Cash…and Gardens
Farmington, Maine has partnered with the local campus of the University of Maine to put an unused recycling center to good use, generating cash for the town and fertilizer for local gardeners. When the Sandy River Recycling facility closed in 2004, Farmington officials and residents wondered what they would do with the site and the leftover Read More
Volunteers Help Keep Maine Waters Strong for Future Generations
by Roberta Hill, Invasive Species Program Director, Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) is the oldest and largest statewide citizen lake monitoring program in the nation. The mission of the VLMP is to help protect Maine lakes through widespread citizen participation in the gathering and dissemination of credible scientific Read More
A Bold Initiative in South Portland
South Portland is serious about sustainability. This year the city hired its first Sustainability Coordinator, and in her first year on the job Julie Rosenbach has set some ambitious goals for the city. Earlier this year South Portland announced a new goal — zero waste at all city events. This new benchmark is part of Read More
Compost: Good for More Than Just Your Garden!
A growing awareness of the benefits of composting is paying dividends beyond those found in the healthy produce and beautiful flowers compost can help create. Students at Saco Middle School (and many other schools around Maine), through hands-on learning, are discovering the multiple benefits of composting. In addition to the obvious benefits you can taste, Read More
Welcome to NRCM’s Spotlight on Sustainability in Maine
Sustainability is a goal. It’s a quality that we humans need to uphold in order make sure that future humans (and animals, of course) have what they need to live healthy lives after we’re gone. Think of the survival basics like clean water to drink, clean air to breath, resources to make food, clothing, and Read More
