Independent Writer
Welcome to the third issue of ContamiNation. Subscribe for free to receive it monthly, and please share this newsletter with others. No one set out to create indestructible chemicals, the stuff of horror films....
Welcome to the second issue ContamiNation. Subscribe for free to receive it monthly, and please share this newsletter with others. The focus of ContamiNation—per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics—might seem like an odd pairing,...
Welcome to ContamiNation, which explores the daunting challenges posed by ubiquitous pollutants like “forever chemicals” (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS) and microplastics. Subscribe for free to receive it monthly, and please share the...
Climate Change/Energy / Coastal Issues
by Marina Schauffler · Published September 10, 2023 · Last modified September 12, 2023
Planetary change may now be outpacing both scientific understanding and political will. Abrupt climate change is most evident, ironically, in hindsight. Relying on ice core records, scientists can track the dynamics of past temperatures,...
Climate Change/Energy / Economics / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published August 6, 2023
Construction is booming where wildfires leveled homes in California and hurricanes left rubble in Florida — even as major insurance companies stop writing new policies in these states, deterred by the growing likelihood of...
Ecological Values / Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published July 9, 2023 · Last modified August 6, 2023
Battery-powered mowers and hedge trimmers at the new South Portland Electric Tool Library (SPETL) are checked out almost as soon as they’re returned. Demand is high among local residents for fume-free and relatively quiet...
Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published June 11, 2023 · Last modified June 15, 2023
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals with a devastating fusion of longevity and toxicity, highlight the hole at the center of the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol. Discussions of a zero-waste or circular economy often fail...
Climate Change/Energy / Education/Family / Housing / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published May 14, 2023 · Last modified May 15, 2023
My cousin Linda Labaree could hardly contain her enthusiasm over learning that her home could readily be converted to heat pump technology. “The relief I feel comes from having an opportunity to make an...
