I’m new to Maine but one thing I’ve found very refreshing is how many of my new neighbors are dedicated to recycling and ‘go-green’ efforts.  Recycling bins are often as full, if not fuller than regular waste bins on trash day in my small neighborhood in South Portland. I am still pleasantly surprised when I receive cash back from dropping off bottles and aluminum cans through the CLYNK program when I grocery shop at my local Hannaford. And while helping my Grandmother move out of her home in Cape Elizabeth, I was practically in awe when we went to the Cape Elizabeth Recycling Center to drop off trash and recyclable materials. For many Southern Mainers, these resources are the cultural norm, but having lived in Washington, DC for 9 years read more…

Hurricane Irene did not do as much damage as had been feared in New York City, but it brought much more human and environmental trauma two hundred miles or so to the north in Vermont. The state is dealing with a second – and more damaging – round of historic flooding only a few months after Lake Champlain reached record levels in the spring. Three people were killed in the state due to the storm’s effects, and at least one more is missing. Vermont’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure were battered as well. Several of the state’s covered bridges were damaged or washed away despite having stood for a century or more. At one point it seemed likely that water would have to be released from the Marshfield reservoir in read more…

Catch up with the latest news on Talking Fish, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. read more..

National Public Radio offers an excellent in depth piece about how the long running and devastating drought is permanently changing Texas. The climate science is absolutely clear that such droughts are part of the effects of a warming globe (if you are a real wonk take a look at the academic papers on the changing climate, drought and forest health). Of course, reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases causing global warming is not a targeted attack on that drought – but it is the only way to slow (and possibly reverse) the trend towards a world where such horrific and wrenching events are commonplace.   A thought that should resonate here in already soggy New England as we brace for the impact of a hurricane and consider the climate science that read more…

Hopefully these sober and clear analyses from the best scientists in the world can help keep the conversation about climate change based on fact… read more..

The earthquake yesterday had us all wondering about our friends who were closer to it.  After the earthquake, a  colleague from Virginia noted:  “We all abandoned our building, which is probably not what you are supposed to do, but it seemed safer to be on the street than the third floor of a violently shaking building.  What’s even more scary is that the epicenter was essentially under Dominion’s North Anna nuclear plant.  When the NRC came out with a report last March ranking North Anna 7th in the country in terms of risk of damage from an earthquake, the Dominion spokesman noted that the plant was designed to withstand a magnitude 5.9-6.1 earthquake.” Well that’s about what yesterday’s earthquake was.  And similar to the events in Japan, only three of four back-up generators read more…

The latest news from Talking Fish, a blog by CLF and others that aims to increase people's understandings of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England's fisheries. read more..

Smart electricity use means less pollution and more money in our pockets. Tools to make this happen are being deployed in Vermont, which has committed to putting a nearly universal smart grid into operation by 2013. A smarter grid can smoothly integrate energy efficiency and renewable energy resources so our homes, businesses, cars, rooftop solar and smart appliances all work in concert to meet our power needs and reduce pollution. This commitment stems in part from a 2008 settlement between Conservation Law Foundation and Vermont’s largest utility, obligating the utility to implement advanced metering technology, “as fast as it reasonably can.” Roughly 32,000 Vermonters already have some version of smart meters installed in their homes through utility programs. Expanding on the programs will happen rapidly and soon through the utilities’ read more…

A new report released today indicates that a proposed Clean Fuels Standard could significantly strengthen the economy and boost energy self-sufficiency in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic by saving Americans billions in personal disposable income, bringing in billions more for participating states, and creating up to 50,000 jobs per year. The analysis, conducted by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) on behalf of 11 northeast and mid-Atlantic states, shows that creating a Clean Fuels Standard would help strengthen the region’s economy while reducing America’s reliance on oil and our exposure to volatile oil prices by supporting a clean energy economy here at home. It enumerates multiple economic and environmental benefits the standard could deliver in the next 10 years, including: Creating up to 50,000 jobs annually Increasing personal read more…

Water sampling confirms that pollution from the Vermont Yankee plant is fouling the Connecticut River. read more..