Environment
Cape Cod’s water quality is getting worse, report finds
A new report released Monday finds that surface water quality on Cape Cod has degraded for the third year in a row. The Association to Preserve Cape Cod’s annual State of the Waters report tracks the water quality of the Cape’s freshwater ponds, marine estuaries, and public drinking water. Although the report’s findings don’t indicate an immediate threat…
Read MoreWhat will it take to get more Mainers driving electric vehicles? Let’s find out with our own EV
Vehicles are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions in Maine. One goal in the state’s climate change response plan is to get more electric vehicles on the road. There are currently only about 6,000, which is a 90% increase from just a couple years ago. But it’s still a drop in the bucket…
Read MoreTo store greenhouse gases, Maine looks to protect more than 2 Rhode Islands’ worth of forest by 2030
Around the world, the push is on for large-scale conservation. Scientists say at least 30% of lands, fresh water and oceans need protection by 2030 to slow global warming and prevent species extinctions. The ambitious 30 x 30 goal is part of President Biden’s climate agenda. It’s also a target in Maine, the most heavily…
Read MoreFor Christmases yet to come, climate change threatens Maine’s beloved evergreens
Since the 1800’s in Maine, the Christmas tree has been an essential point of light for many in the darkest month of the year. But scientists say that some of the state’s best-loved conifers are under threat, with extreme weather making it difficult for them to grow. When Ephraim Weston moved from Massachusetts to the…
Read MoreWarming waters will affect these tiny, mighty sea organisms, New England researchers say
Different types of phytoplankton will react differently to warming oceans and this can affect which marine species thrive in the region, according to a new study led by researchers in New England. Phytoplankton — single-celled, diverse organisms that use carbon dioxide to produce oxygen — are the base of the food web for species like…
Read MoreSome New Hampshire towns are making more money on recycling than in previous years. What’s changed?
The transfer station in Derry, N.H., is full of neatly organized piles of everything residents don’t want. Old couches, discarded Halloween decorations, and tidy mounds of plastic, cardboard, glass, and aluminum. Mike Fowler, the director of public works for the town of Derry, says it wasn’t always this way. In 1991, the town passed an…
Read MoreConnecticut climate bills are killed by energy company lobbyists, study finds
Governor Ned Lamont announced this week that he is moving forward without state lawmakers to address climate change — and perhaps for good reason. A study from Brown University shows most legislation proposed over the last decade that would keep Connecticut on track to take action on climate change was derailed by lobbyists from the energy industry.…
Read MoreWhat could put New England’s electricity grid at risk this winter?
Depending on several factors, New England’s regional electricity grid operator could ask residents to turn down the heat, do less laundry and minimize cooking this winter. While forecasts predict a mild winter, the grid could be in a precarious position, ISO-New England says. ISO coordinates the flow of electricity through the transmission system, and plans…
Read MoreSlalom, North Atlantic right whale with impressive survival story, gives birth
“Congratulations on your bundle of joy.” That’s what researchers at the New England Aquarium are saying to a North Atlantic right whale just spotted off the South Carolina coast with her sixth calf. The 39-year-old mom named Slalom has at least four grand-offspring — making her a pillar of the surviving right whale population, which…
Read MoreTech tested on Cape Cod could track backyard septic-system pollution
Nitrogen from septic systems has been disrupting local waterways for years, causing fish kills and blooms of toxic algae. Now, field testing on Cape Cod is playing a national role in the development of technology to monitor nitrogen — even in individual backyards — as a step toward keeping the excess out of our waters.…
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