New England states’ renewable energy push blasted as too costly by free-market advocates

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2024

“The Staggering Costs of New England’s Green Energy Policies,” a report released Tuesday by a Denver-based organization, and signed onto by free-market advocacy groups in New England, says ratepayers’ bills will double, to $4,610 by 2050, as a result of state policies, or “mandates,” to promote green energy. Decarbonization plans calling for construction of offshore and onshore wind, solar arrays, battery storage and transmission projects will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 26 years, the report says. The report recommends states put affordability and reliability of electricity ahead of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Conservation is topic of book talk

ELLSWORTH AMERICAN • November 20, 2024

Author Karin Tilberg will join the Brooklin Climate Response Committee for a book talk at the Friend Memorial Library on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 4 p.m. Tilberg’s book, “Loving the North Woods: 25 Years of Historic Conservation in Maine,” chronicles the challenges that led to conservation achievements in the Great North Woods of Maine from 1990 to 2015. Anyone who can’t make it in person is welcome to register for a Zoom link at brooklinmaine.com.

Turner woods fire sparked by discarded ashes

SUN JOURNAL • November 20, 2024

Discarded ashes from a wood stove or fireplace sparked a blaze that scorched about an acre of woods early Wednesday morning in Turner. Turner Fire Rescue was assisted by departments from Buckfield, Canton, Jay, Leeds and Livermore.

Column: Chime in on Brunswick’s plans to combat climate change

TIMES RECORD • November 20, 2024

There is a lot to be learned from looking at the executive summary of the draft of Brunswick’s Climate Action Plan — enough to be able to provide feedback to the Climate Action Committee before the plan is presented to the Town Council on Dec. 16. Brunswick has about 7.6 square miles of water, compared to its total area of 54 square miles. That’s a big chunk, which requires a lot of thought with regard to how it is managed — particularly with changing environmental factors. Interesting statistics: 41% of that watery area is intertidal and 37% is shallow water, with 22% being classified as “deep” water. This is illustrative of the large intersection between land and water, particularly when given the tides that can drastically change where the boundary lies. As such, one of the goals of the plan is to “improve watershed stormwater runoff and coastal bluff management,” ~ Susan Olcott

Sen. King outlines how Trump could use tariff policy to confront climate change

MAINE MORNING STAR • November 20, 2024

U.S. Sen. Angus King isn’t normally keen on tariffs, but there is one he would welcome under the upcoming pro-tariff administration. “If we can slip in a tariff on carbon intensity, as part of the president’s program, that would be a major achievement,” King said during a panel discussion hosted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce Wednesday morning that explored international policy on trade, tariffs and carbon emissions. A tariff that taxes imported products based on their carbon footprint would level the playing field between American manufacturers and those in other countries who ignore the environmental impact of their work, King said.

Greene vehicle fire burned 4 acres Tuesday, officials say

SUN JOURNAL • November 20, 2024

A vehicle fire Tuesday afternoon on Route 202 spread into the woods, onto Central Maine Power property and burned about 4 acres of woods and low brush. Fire crews from 10 towns battled the quick-spreading fire with the help of two Maine Forest Service helicopters, three Maine Forest Service rangers, Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office deputies and one of its drones, and two bulldozers escorted into town by Lewiston police.

Tom’s of Maine used contaminated water in toothpaste, FDA says

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2024

The federal government says it is concerned with the Tom’s of Maine toothpaste company after the company failed to address its concerns with small levels of bacteria in the company’s water. Tom’s of Maine is based in Sanford and owned by Colgate-Palmolive.

Opinion: South Portland’s development battle is not over

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2024

The South Portland Comprehensive Plan is designed to be based on community surveys and engagement to understand what the residents of South Portland want for the future of their city. However, PK Realty has exerted disproportionate influence during this process. We remain steadfast in supporting No Yard South as we advocate for safe, reasonable and sustainable development next to Bug Light. Let’s ensure that South Portland’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan reflects the values and vision of its residents, rather than the interests of developers. ~ Barbara Dee, retired education administrator, and Linda Skinner, 30-year South Portland resident

Maine hunters hope to see 72-hour gun purchase waiting period repealed

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 20, 2024

The gun rights group that filed a lawsuit last week challenging the constitutionality of the Maine law requiring a 72-hour waiting period after purchasing a gun hopes the case makes it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. If it does, it could set a new precedent for a court that in the past has allowed restrictive gun laws to stand, said David Trahan, executive director of Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. The lawsuit was filed Nov. 12 by Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and Gun Owners of Maine, citing a violation of the 2nd Amendment. Maine hunters hope that the waiting period will be repealed. Among them is Ben Dyer, who survived being shot five times during the Lewiston shooting.

Construction begins on 84-mile bike trail in Piscataquis

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 20, 2024

The first leg of an 84-mile mountain bike trail was built near Monson in Piscataquis County over the summer. The Elliotsville Foundation Inc. is building the new trail, which will be open to hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and other nonmotorized types of recreation, according to Lucas St. Clair, foundation president. The trail will cost from $30,000 to $50,000 per mile and could take 10 years to complete if the funding continues to come in, he said.

Shoreland restoration work progresses on two lakefront properties on Sebago Lake

SUN JOURNAL • November 19, 2024

A second phase of shoreland restoration work is wrapped up for the winter on two adjacent lakefront properties of Sebago Lake at the center of a legal battle between the town of Raymond  and Auburn businessman Don Buteau for more than two years. The restoration work is part of a consent agreement between the town and Buteau, his real estate holding company Management Controls LLC, his primary contractor Robert Durant, and Q-Team Tree Service.

Meet the new face of Growing to Give charitable farm

TIMES RECORD • November 19, 2024

Growing to Give Farm Director Theda Lyden hands over leadership to Lindsay Wasko, who will carry on the mission of cultivating fresh produce for those in need. Recently, the group has attracted attention for its commitment to regenerative agriculture and its role in combatting food insecurity. This August, it exceeded over 100,000 pounds of donated produce — nearly 83,333 meals. n less than a decade, the organization at Scatter Good Farm has grown and distributed 86 varieties of vegetables across seven counties, all while using climate-friendly farming methods and supporting vulnerable communities.

Maine film ‘A Peace of Forest’ brings the natural world to the screen

TIMES RECORD • November 19, 2024

Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner will present its first feature-length film screening since 1956 on Saturday, Nov. 23, with “A Peace of Forest.” The filmmakers and producers, Lee Ann and Thomas Szelog, will host a Q&A with the audience immediately following the 7 p.m. movie. Created in Whitefield, “A Peace of Forest” is an 87-minute film described by audience members as, “The most beautiful film I have ever seen, exhibiting our natural world,” and “This film is a gift; it is so rich.” Touted as a quiet film, “A Peace of Forest” is a one-of-a-kind cinematic adventure, allowing viewers to experience a wild, peaceful and mysterious world that is filled with complex relationships and ways of wonder.

Maine Compass: A loon miracle on China Lake

CENTRAL MAINE • November 19, 2024

This past summer I witnessed an unusual occurrence on China Lake. In mid-May, a baby loon seen swimming along with its parents. This “loonlet” and its parents were defying the odds. For loons to build their nest right on the waters’ edge in a populated area — and for the chick to survive — is amazing. During the Fourth of July fireworks boaters crowded into the area to watch the fireworks display. One of the leading causes of loon-chick deaths is boat strikes, but the loon family survived. Bass tournaments begin at the boat landing, and I cringed every time the bass boats took off, speeding down the lake to claim their fishing spots. But the loons paddled on. One neighbor told me they watched an eagle try to make the baby loon its lunch. Fortunately, by this time the baby was able to dive. Now, having seen the challenges this young loon faced, I have new appreciation for every loon I see. ~ Bill Powell

How a Maine botanical garden hangs 66 miles of holiday lights every fall

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 19, 2024

A decade ago, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens realized that it could take advantage of the natural lull in its calendar and keep its workers on through the winter. It began an annual holiday light display that’s now the biggest in Maine and one of the most well-regarded in the nation. The Gardens Aglow light display recently began its 10th year, with about a mile of paths leading visitors through gardens with 750,000 LED holiday lights. If laid out end-to-end, the lights would stretch 66 miles in total. The team has begun to think less about making it bigger each year, and more about making it sustainable for the environment and the workers.

31,000 acres returned to Penobscot Nation promise conservation without land-use restrictions

MAINE MORNING STAR • November 19, 2024

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land is set to return 31,000 acres purchased from a timber investor in Maine to Penobscot tribal management. It will be the largest return of its kind to an Indigenous tribe in U.S. history, without any easements or other restrictions. More than 420,000 acres have been returned nationally to tribal management over the past 20 years.

Opinion: Maine is courting disaster by not addressing its electrical grid

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 19, 2024

Maine is making substantial progress toward reducing carbon emissions through the strategy of becoming reliant on a single source of energy: electricity – and distributing that electricity from the main energy corridors to homes and business through a highly vulnerable network of wooden poles located right next to our roads. In the past 10 years the amount of weight being carried by these poles in many parts of the greater Portland area has increased by close to 50%. This 170-year-old technology is no longer capable of providing Maine with secure and resilient energy. If every federal and/or state-funded transportation project included matching funds and technical assistance for grid relocation and redesign, Maine could, project by project, ensure that we are able to rely upon electricity when it becomes the only game in town. ~ Peter Ryner, research faculty member, University of Michigan, and planning director, University of Southern Maine’s Coastal Zone Laboratory

Opinion: Stand up for the environment – and for your children

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 19, 2024

Trump’s anti-climate policy declares war on our children, who will bear the brunt of accelerated climate change. Why would the Republican Party turn its back on climate progress? Because they are beholden to the fossil fuel industry, which has been paying billions of dollars for decades to politicians and political media to spread the lie that climate change is either a hoax or not a big deal. Sen. Collins has previously sponsored legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but she also accepts donations from the fossil fuel industry. We ask her now to step up and be the climate hero that our children need. Someone has to lead the Republican Party out of the wilderness. They have to start representing our families, not multinational corporations. ~ Richard Thomas, Waterville

Report finds that America is catching and eating a little less fish

ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 18, 2024

The volume and value of America’s commercial fishing industry both fell according to newly released federal figures, though members of the industry said the decline was to be expected following a recent spike in supply. The catch at U.S. ports in the 50 states fell 2.6% to 8.4 billion pounds in 2022, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s “Fisheries of the United States” report, which the agency released this month. The same report said the catch was worth $5.9 billion at the docks in 2022, the most recent year with available statistics, and that was a drop of 11%.

Auburn council supports new slate of watershed protections

SUN JOURNAL • November 18, 2024

The City Council on Monday supported a series of changes to the Lake Auburn watershed ordinance focused on limiting the impacts from farming and other related uses on water quality. While previous changes focused on limiting development, updated septic standards and a process for conducting septic inspections, the new slate of changes focuses on how agricultural uses could impact the lake.