Bates is the seventh college in the country to reach its goal pronounced in 2007.
environment
Scientists link warming of Gulf of Maine to decline in right whales’ food supply
Copepods, the flea-like creatures the whales feed on, have sharply declined with rising water temperatures.
Auburn super recycler: Zero-sort ‘not effective’
Silver Moore-Leamon wants Auburn’s recycling program to be improved so it can be successful.
Is Maine’s recycling in the trash?
Auburn is one of the latest Maine municipalities to consider ending recycling because of rising costs, low participation and improper recycling habits by residents. Supporters say haste will make waste.
Gov. Mills proposes climate council to pursue emissions, energy goals
Following up on earlier pledges, the governor proposes setting ambitious goals for reducing Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions and obtaining electricity from renewable energy sources.
First they came for plastic bags; coffee cups are next
As local and national governments move to tax — or ban — to-go cups, Starbucks and Dunkin’ race to find an alternative.
Houses still using petroleum
2010: 80.4% of homes used heating oil and propane 2017: 71.9% of homes used heating oil and propane If 100,000 heat pumps were installed in Maine over the next five years, the state would use between 27 million to 54 million fewer gallons of oil a year, a reduction of between 9.5% and 19% of […]
Heat pump myths
Myth No. 1: Heat pumps do not work well in the winter, so turn them off. Wrong. Michael Stoddard of the state agency Efficiency Maine said that was true 10 years ago, but today’s high-efficiency heat pumps work well, even in the dead of winter. “Let them run as much as possible, providing as much […]
This writer’s experience: I’m glad we got a heat pump
A heat pump was not on our radar when my husband and I decided to get an energy audit to see about ways of reducing the heating bills at our Portland home. It was the energy auditor who knew about them. After analyzing our house with gadgets that measured heat loss, he gave us lots […]
Experts: You can save money and help the planet with a heat pump
Gov. Janet Mills will encourage installation of 100,000 heat pumps in homes and buildings in the next 5 years to save Mainers money and reduce fossil fuel use.