Environmental Writer
Tracing the movement of PFAS into waterways and wildlife Martha Spiess, a retired veterinarian, began testing waters in Brunswick for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) after hearing news of ‘forever chemicals’ contaminating Maine farms....
PFAS may concentrate over time in landfills near the Penobscot Indian Reservation
Climate Change/Energy / Ecological Values / Health / Sense of Place
by Marina Schauffler · Published July 31, 2022 · Last modified January 15, 2023
In forests, we expect slow change. Trees gain height and breadth by small degrees, and the mix of species shifts gradually over decades. But reality no longer conforms to our expectations. Many tree species...
Ecological Values / Health / Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices / Technology
by Marina Schauffler · Published July 15, 2022 · Last modified July 16, 2022
The soft clouds of gray lint that slide off clothes dryer screens are tangible evidence of the dryer’s tumbling abrasion. Each handful comes at a cost, shortening the lifespan of garments. But the true...
Maine’s transition to clean energy hinges on a wholesale transformation of the electrical grid. Several laws passed in recent years may improve grid planning, but legislating institutional change in the utility field could prove...
Maine made headlines in April as the nation’s first state to ban the spreading of sludge and sludge-based compost. Supporters of the law recognized an urgent need — in the Act’s language —...
Climate Change/Energy / Ecological Values / Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published June 5, 2022
The vacation promised to be high in enjoyment and low in carbon. Rather than flying somewhere and staying in a hotel, we would sail to a cabin powered by solar electricity. Our only fossil-fuel...
Ecological Values / Food / Housing
by Marina Schauffler · Published May 22, 2022 · Last modified June 5, 2022
Spreading like dandelion fluff, a “No Mow May” initiative to support bees and other pollinators is taking seed in Maine. It began when two Rockland residents sent City Councilor Nathan Davis a New York...
