Stories
Some In New England Unhappy With End Of Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine
The U.S. government has lifted a quarantine on an invasive insect, the emerald ash borer, that’s killed many trees in Massachusetts and Connecticut. But critics of the change have been more vocal outside those states. The emerald ash borer was first discovered in the U.S. in 2002 in Michigan. The federal government soon instituted a…
Read MoreALS And Algae Blooms? Scientists Say A State Registry Is Needed To Study Possible Link
In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s easy to forget that there are other terrible diseases in the world, ones that we know very little about. Consider amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is an illness whose outcome is never in doubt. The always-fatal neurological disorder traps its…
Read MoreThe impacts of climate change could prompt millions of Americans to relocate in coming decades, moving inland away from rising seas, or north to escape rising temperatures. Judith and Doug Saum have moved already, recently leaving their home outside Reno, Nev. “It was with a view of the Sierra [Nevada Mountains] that was just to…
Read MoreFor Massachusetts to meet its 2050 climate change emission goal, the state is going to have to green the grid, replacing fossil fuel power plants with clean renewable energy sources. To do this, the commonwealth is banking on offshore wind. “Offshore wind is the linchpin of Massachusetts clean energy strategy and critical to our success,”…
Read MoreSevere storms. Heat waves. Rising seas. New England is already seeing the impacts of climate change, and scientists project they will become more severe and deadly, shaping how we live and work in the northeastern U.S. In a special ahead of Inauguration Day, the New England News Collaborative and America Amplified look at climate change…
Read MoreProgram Offers A Lifeline To Fishermen, And A Home For Unwanted Oysters
Standing on a cold, wet beach, Bruce Silverbrand rummages through a metal basket of oysters. He picks out a huge one — almost as big as a mitten, with a knobbed and lumpy shell. It’s what people in the shellfish industry call a “big ugly,” though Silverbrand abhors the term. “I would never call an…
Read MoreNENC/America Amplified Special: What The Biden Administration Will Mean For Climate Change In New England
Premieres: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2020 Severe storms. Heat waves. Rising seas. New England is already seeing the impacts of climate change, and scientists project they will become more severe and deadly, shaping how we live and work in the northeastern U.S. Ahead of Inauguration Day, the New England News Collaborative and America Amplified will look…
Read MoreClosure Of MIRA Plant Sets Off Scramble To Recycle Thousands Of Tons Of Wasted Food
After decades of burning trash, the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) will close its Hartford incinerator by July 2022. That means hundreds of thousands of tons of trash will be destined for out-of-state landfills, a costly reality that has state and municipal officials questioning how to quickly reduce trash volumes. One solution? Recycling leftover…
Read MoreState Workers’ Switch To Telework During Pandemic Brings ‘Seismic’ Drop in CO2 Emissions
Maine government workers have reduced their car travel by 1 million vehicle miles a week since the start of the pandemic, thanks to the rapid, wholesale adoption of telework policies. The preliminary data are opening an unexpected window on the future of telecommuting and its potential to deliver substantial reductions in global warming pollution. Last…
Read MoreTo Survive The Pandemic, Vermonters Took A Hike
The reports from earlier this year are in, and all across the state, the number of people using Vermont’s hiking trails was way up. Whether it was the Long Trail, Vermont’s State Parks, or developed trails in our towns and cities, people flocked to the outdoors during the early months of the pandemic. Before COVID-19…
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