Aug 02, 2017
“Today’s failure is one that has a direct impact on the wallets of businesses and families across our state,” said CLF attorney Emily Green. “Despite the bill’s overwhelming passage in June and widespread public support, clean energy in Maine has once again fallen victim to Governor LePage’s and utilities’ anti-progress stance. Regardless of this regressive decision by the legislature, CLF will continue fighting to ensure that solar power has a bright future in Maine.”
Jul 28, 2017
Maine lawmakers have made it easier for small farmers to get their products directly to your plate with the recent passage of L.D. 725, “An Act to Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems.” This new “food sovereignty” law allows cities and towns to pass ordinances exempting local farmers and food producers from licensing and inspection… Continue reading Maine Passes New Law to Increase Access to Local Food
Jul 28, 2017
The story of North Atlantic right whales is a sadly familiar one. Historically, they were targeted by whalers because they were commercially lucrative and easy to kill. Today, with barely 500 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet, they face threats from warming waters, which push their food sources north, as well as fishing net entanglements and ship collisions.
Jul 26, 2017
Fighting Big Gas How One Community’s Fight Could Shape the Future of New England Restoring Lake Champlain Reasons for Hope after Decades of Degradation Local Food 2.0 Training a New Generation of Farmers in Western Massachusetts Whale Watch Saving North Atlantic Right Whales from Extinction Measuring Community Health A New Research Model Puts the Community… Continue reading Conservation Matters Summer 2017: Year in Review
Jul 13, 2017
Today marks the start of the National Governors Association summer meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. Held over four days, the meeting will bring together more than 30 governors from across the country to discuss the most critical issues facing our nation. However, one of the glaring omissions from the conference’s agenda: climate change, specifically state… Continue reading New England Governors, Stand Up for Paris
Jul 07, 2017
UPDATE: On July 10th, Governor LePage vetoed Maine’s solar bill. We’re urging the legislature to override the veto. You can take action by sending your legislator a message asking them to stand strong for solar, here. We expect the vote before the end of the month, and we need as many people to reach out… Continue reading UPDATED: Maine Solar Bill Passes: One Step Closer to Solar Progress in Maine
Jun 28, 2017
“When the PUC tried to gut solar energy programs across our state, it did so in direct defiance of public opinion and economic opportunity,” said CLF attorney Emily Green. “Today, the state legislature stood on the side of all Mainers and righted this wrong. Good solar policy creates jobs, lowers energy prices, and protects our air and water, and we thank all those who fought for progress and today prevailed.”
Jun 23, 2017
Last week, I gave a presentation on the pollutants that plague Lake Champlain. On one slide I focused on the negative impacts of microbeads – miniature plastic balls so tiny that they slip through wastewater treatment systems and wind up in our lakes (and rivers, streams, and ocean). Once in the water, microbeads don’t biodegrade… Continue reading The Threat of Plastic Pollution
Jun 15, 2017
“From local innovators to the small farms that blanket our state, our food economy is at the heart of Maine’s cultural identity,” said CLF advocate Phelps Turner. “CLF’s Legal Food Hub helps these food businesses move beyond costly legal needs so they can focus on growing, thriving and providing for the community. Today this program hits a major milestone, but the work of creating local and sustainable food systems across Maine is far from over.”
Jun 13, 2017
It’s that time of year when fish like alewives and blueback herring journey from the sea to their native fresh waters to spawn. As a keystone species, these fish, collectively known as river herring, play a critical role as building blocks in our coastal ecosystems. They are also important to the health of New England’s fisheries,… Continue reading Restoration Efforts Bring Thousands of Native Fish Back to Maine’s Coastal Rivers