EATING LOCAL ALSO means eating in season, which in Maine provides great opportunity for a varied diet and also a challenge to figure out just what to do with the bounty (or perhaps, in late winter and early spring, the scarcity) that the local harvest provides. Here are some ideas to guide you through four…
It may be common practice in your household at this point to toss your used paper, plastic and foil into the mixed-use recycling bin and to haul it out the curb (or recycling center) once a week. But what about those larger-ticket items that just don’t seem right to throw away? Chances are, they can…
Banish boredom with these fun ideas for bird feeders made out of recycled and household items. Bird feeders are a great craft project to make with kids of all ages any time of year—and they provide entertainment for everyone in the family as you watch the birds flock to your yard. Some of the steps…
In what is becoming a beloved annual tradition, we turned to our friends at Longfellow Books in Portland and Royal River Bookstore in Yarmouth for their top picks on recently published books about living with compassion for the planet. And they delivered! With something for all ages and interests, here is a list of recommendations…
By Dylan Voorhees Transportation is Maine’s largest source of climate-changing carbon pollution, and it mostly comes from the passenger cars and trucks we drive. While other sources of carbon pollution have declined in the last decade in Maine, carbon pollution from transportation has remained steady. Electric vehicles (EVs) represent an enormous opportunity to change this…
Benjamin Lake Charging an electric vehicle is a key part of owning and operating one. Here’s what you need to know about charging in Maine. Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) have tripled nationally in the past five years, with more than 500,000 EVs on the road in the US, and all indicators point to considerable…
Meet some of Maine’s EV owners By Heather Chandler As an EV owner since 2014, I’m often stopped when I pull into a parking space by a curious onlooker who says, “Is that an electric car?” This usually elicits a follow up, “Is there a gas back up?” and finally, “How do you like it?”…
The case for whole-house ventilation By Tim King Across the United States, building codes are (slowly) changing to encourage the construction of tighter homes. That is, homes that incorporate new materials, designs and construction techniques that drastically limit the amount of naturally occurring airflow between indoor living areas and outdoors. The rationale? Reducing the amount…
By Barry Woods I have been driving a Chevy since April 2017. While not a surprising statement in itself, you might be surprised to find it uses no gas and runs on renewable electricity stored in a 60-kWh battery that straddles the frame. When passengers exit my car after their first time driving electric, they…
By Lynn Ascrizzi If you’re looking for more eco-friendly ways to reduce your use of chemically laden plastics and synthetics in your home—think wool. Today, the renewable virtues of wool’s natural fibers are gaining new devotees among people alarmed by scientific studies that show how plastic-based fibers contaminate our environment. For instance, synthetic fleece jackets…