Home to some of the world’s strongest offshore winds, the Gulf of Maine can play an essential role in helping meet New England’s climate goals. But the energy of those winds has yet to be harnessed. Over the last decade, progress on this front stalled due in large part to the anti-wind policies of former… Continue reading Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Maine Back on Track
Atlantic herring is one of the most important fish in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. An upcoming decision by the New England Fishery Management Council could recognize herring’s role in maintaining the health of our ocean ecosystem.
Polluted runoff is harming our lakes, rivers, streams, and ocean. To solve the stormwater pollution problem, we must address its largest source: the storm sewers of our cities and towns. Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection is proposing a new permit program that will not only limit and control the volume of pollution flowing from the storm sewers in our communities but also require cities and towns to devise plans to prevent that pollution in the first place.
“We saw a trend and a growing need in the farming and food entrepreneur community for affordable legal services,” says Phelps Turner, a staff attorney who manages the Maine hub. “So we leveraged our connections in the legal community throughout New England to create this program. We identified attorneys and law firms willing to volunteer their time and provide free legal services to farmers and food entrepreneurs.”
Our environment is drowning in a flood of single-use packaging.
We’re updating our electric grid for the 21st century.
This is part three of a three-part series on the current state of Atlantic cod in New England. Part three explores how a warming ocean is making problems caused by poor management worse. Read part one about the challenge of inaccurate data here and part two on decades of bad management here. The climate crisis… Continue reading Give Atlantic Cod a Break: The Role of Climate Change
Over the last few years, the push to get food waste out of landfills and incinerators has become the new kale. Or cupcakes. Or bone broth. You get the picture. And rightfully so! As a nation, we waste a staggering amount of food every year: about 40 percent of what we produce. That’s more than… Continue reading Are You Composting Yet? If Not, Now Is a Good Time to Start!
Our recycling system is in a crisis. Up until last year, recyclables collected for the U.S. were shipped to China for processing. But then, China stopped accepting our recycling, setting off a chain reaction of problems. In New England and across the country, the cost of recycling for towns and cities is skyrocketing, forcing local… Continue reading Our Recycling System is Broken
Think for a moment about the trash you produce every day, either directly or indirectly. First, there’s what you throw out at your home or your job; then there’s the trash that restaurants, laundromats, doctors’ offices, and other businesses you frequent throw out after you leave. Next, add the waste from the farms that produce… Continue reading Municipal Solid Waste: What is It and Why is It a Problem?
