Independent Writer
In the energy transition underway, Maine has strong assets and lingering liabilities. The Legislature and the Mills administration have set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse emissions and increasing reliance on renewable energy. The state...
Climate Change/Energy / Economics / Health / Pollution/Waste / Technology
by Marina Schauffler · Published March 7, 2021 · Last modified April 15, 2021
Amid a torrent of public comments at a recent Rockland City Council meeting to discuss a proposed Midcoast natural gas pipeline, a teenager’s honest expression of bewilderment stood out: “I am surprised by this...
Climate Change/Energy / Economics / Technology
by Marina Schauffler · Published February 21, 2021 · Last modified April 15, 2021
Central Maine Power’s most recent debacle, attempting to charge solar developers millions more for grid interconnections despite signed contracts, was shocking but not surprising from a utility that has sought for decades to undermine...
Climate Change/Energy / Ecological Values / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published February 7, 2021
It was a strange scene to encounter on a January night, sitting in my car among more than 100 other parked vehicles, all populated but dark, at a drive-in town meeting. Townspeople had gathered,...
Ecological Values / Food / Sense of Place / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published January 24, 2021 · Last modified January 25, 2021
Agroforestry, an age-old concept, could provide a path to Maine’s future. Part of the regenerative agriculture movement, it involves an integrated approach to cultivating trees with crops and – sometimes – livestock. These diversified...
Climate Change/Energy / Ecological Values / Education/Family / Health / Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published January 10, 2021 · Last modified January 25, 2021
I can’t recall reading a book I so wanted to recommend to others as the new climate anthology, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and...
Ecological Values / Sense of Place / Slower Living / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published December 20, 2020 · Last modified January 25, 2021
It is the eve of Winter Solstice, the nadir of a harrowing year. Ordinarily, holiday gatherings would buoy our spirits and tide us through this season of brittleness, when hope itself can seem dormant....
Climate Change/Energy / Ecological Values / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published December 6, 2020 · Last modified December 7, 2020
The Maine Climate Council’s 15-month process preparing Maine Won’t Wait: A Four-year Plan for Climate Action was a refreshing affirmation of constructive, nonpartisan policymaking. Roughly 230 working group volunteers and many more citizens weighed...
