Articles
Canaries in the Mine
For birds and those of us who regard them as environmental indicators, the news isn’t good. This summer we heard from the National Audubon Society that out of 600 species of common birds in North America, about one-third lost population in the last 40 years. Some species declined by 50 percent or more. The declines
Good Ideas
For some whales, the news is a little better: the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation is helping lobster fishermen change over to new kinds of pot warp that may not ensnare fin, humpback and right whales. For every pound of floating rope turned in at a one-day event earlier this summer, lobstermen received a voucher
Sustainability
If one were to organize the bulk of this month’s stories in Working Waterfront around a single theme, it would be possible to do so around sustainability: the idea that if we humans are to keep going much longer on this planet, we must go about our business differently; that we can’t go on using
LNGA Level-Headed Look at the Liquefied Natural Gas Controversy
Camden, Maine: Down East Books, 2007 Paperback, $15.95 A Partial Look at LNG Opponents of the various liquefied natural gas projects proposed for Maine aren’t going to like this book; its author explores the arguments for and against LNG, but she concludes, frankly, that it’s a reasonable source of energy for the Northeast. “To this
Bartlett show opens at Archipelago on June 30
Archipelago Fine Arts, the gallery at the Island Institute, will exhibit sketches, studies and oils by James William “Bo” Bartlett III, a Georgia-born artist who paints on Matinicus. The 17 sketches and paintings in the show will be offered for sale. “How did this son of the South find his way to the outer edge
“Island Visions”
Five photographers will open a group show called “Island Visions” on North Haven on July 29 with a three-gallery exhibition intended to support the construction of the island’s new school. Louis W. Cabot, Eric Hopkins, George Moss, Jay Panetta and Peter Ralston will exhibit approximately 50 prints through Aug. 13 at Waterman’s Community Center, the
Fixing Tree Growth
The Tree Growth Tax, Maine’s premier current-use tax law, goes back to the early 1970s when the Legislature, at the urging of paper companies and other big forest landowners, crafted it as a way to tax land on its ability to grow trees, rather than as conventional real estate. At the time, the backers of
YMCA boat auction plans annual event, passes torch
Ned Kyle of Camden, the mastermind of the Penobscot Bay YMCA’s annual boat auction since its founding 10 years ago, plans to make this year’s June 9 event his last as skipper. He’s turning the top job over to Mike Devine, a professional boat hauler based in Lincolnville who has volunteered his services to the
Wind Power
News that electric co-ops on Swan’s Island and Vinalhaven are taking steps to develop those islands’ ample wind-energy resources is heartening evidence that citizens of the United States, if not their national government, are thinking creatively when it comes to replacing fossil fuels. Wind turbines are one of those technologies — hydroelectric dams are another
Green and Affordable
A “green” subdivision planned for Mount Desert deserves positive mention. Its architect, who won a statewide green housing design contest, says there’s nothing cutting-edge in his Mount Desert project; just fundamental good building practices and small design changes. But the little changes add up to a lot: solar orientation for the houses instead of lining