Sustainability
Building An Ark For New England’s Rare Plants, Seed By Seed
In New England, 22 percent of the region’s native plants are considered rare. Some of them are on the federal list of endangered species. Biologists worldwide and locally have been saving crop seeds, and seeds from other plants important to the ecosystem.
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Maine Utilities Compete To Supply Electricity To Massachusetts
Bids are in for a slew of large-scale clean electricity projects that could influence New England’s energy landscape — and maybe its physical landscape — for decades.
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‘Hit First And Worst’: Region’s Communities Of Color Brace For Climate Change Impacts
The consequences of climate change, experts say, will disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color.
For Farmers Looking To Make Ends Meet, The Sun Provides A Controversial Harvest
As Kevin Sullivan slowly rumbles his pickup truck across his 60 acres of property near the Connecticut-Massachusetts border, he leans in and asks a question: What’s farmland?
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As Vermont Solar Grows, National Companies Want In On The Market
After years of encouraging solar development, Vermont seems to be attracting the attention of national solar companies.
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Ultra-Efficient Apartment Buildings In Portland And Boston Are Part Of “Big Wave”
A new type of energy-efficient construction is drawing attention in the U.S. It’s called “passive housing” — residences built to achieve ultra-low energy use. It’s so efficient that developers can eliminate central heating systems altogether.
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Easiest Nitrogen Fix For Long Island Sound Is Not Necessarily The Fairest
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont wastewater plants along the Connecticut River are waiting to hear from the Environmental Protection Agency. Even without specifics, managers at the larger plants know they will be required to adjust the amount of nitrogen in their treated wastewater, considerably lowering the levels, potentially at a high cost.
Read MoreHow Nutrients In The Connecticut River Become Pollutants In Long Island Sound
By the end of the year, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce new limits on the amount of nitrogen that wastewater treatment plants in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire can release into the Connecticut River.
Read MoreGroups Say Billions Needed To Jumpstart Stalled Wind Energy Development In Maine
After a decade of rapid growth, wind energy in Maine has hit the doldrums. No big new wind projects are likely to go live anytime soon, and it could cost billions to unlock enough of the state’s wind resource — the best in the region — to serve southern New England’s thirst for renewable energy.
Read MoreWhat Happens To That Aluminum Can You Just Recycled?
In New England, all states except for Rhode Island and New Hampshire have bottle bills. Those are recycling programs built around a system of deposits and refunds, aimed at reducing litter and protecting the environment. But when it comes to old aluminum, it’s not just environmentalists who want to see more recycling — there’s a real business case to be made for it, too.
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