Stories
On a freezing night in December, about a dozen climate activists stood on the train tracks in a wooded section of West Boylston, Mass. They huddled together, headlamps and flashlights pointing south towards an approaching coal train. The light from the train’s headlights got brighter, and the horns blared louder and longer, but the activists…
Read MoreMaine Lobstermen Skeptical Of Proposal To Tie ‘Whale-Safe’ Seafood Label To Use Of New Fishing Gear
A movement is emerging among conservation groups to create a “whale-safe” seal of approval for lobster caught with new types of gear designed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. But it could be a tough sell in Maine, where some say the iconic fishery is already sustainable. A specific “whale-friendly” or even “whale-safe” brand…
Read MoreWhen we think about animals that inhabit the cold New England ocean, sharks, seals, or lobsters may spring to mind. But there’s another critter lurking in the deep off our coast, and it’s one that may hold valuable secrets that could help its tropical cousins. And you may not have even known that it’s actually…
Read MoreThis month, a group of states, including Massachusetts, will release a plan to cut carbon emissions from the region’s biggest source — transportation. The effort is called the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). The states are focused on limiting carbon emissions from fuel. Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration has estimated TCI could generate up to $500 million…
Read MoreAfter Bradley B-17 Crash, Lasting Impact of PFAS Firefighting Foam Remains A Question
Christopher Albani was at home when he heard the call that a B-17 crashed at Bradley International Airport, killing seven people. He’s a firefighter, one of several who responded to the Oct. 2 crash. Albani was put on a hose line, dumping firefighting foam onto burning wreckage. “So in that moment, being exposed to it,…
Read MoreWhat’s Next For New Hampshire Timber As Biomass Power Plants Close?
For the past few decades, New Hampshire’s logging industry has been selling its wood scraps to be burned for energy. But now, after two years of failed subsidies, the state’s small biomass power plants are shutting down. It’s left the forest products sector with few in-state markets for a lot of low-grade timber — even…
Read MoreVermont Farmers Can Legally Kill Bears Eating Their Corn, But Debate Over Practice Persists
Vermonters pride themselves on their connection to the land, but sometimes how one person values the natural world clashes with another’s belief. Such a tension has been playing out in Huntington, a small valley town in Chittenden County where one dairy farmer has been accused of needlessly killing bears. The farmer, however, said if he…
Read MoreBlack bears are adapting their behavior in New England to meet seasonal food needs — they’re becoming more suburbanized. New research shows the bear population in Massachusetts is expanding, even while the state’s human population is the third-most dense among U.S. states. Kathy Zeller is a conservation researcher at UMass and co-authored the study. She said the…
Read MoreDartmouth College had a plan to build a wood chip burning plant to heat its campus. This would have added a new biomass market for landowners and foresters within a 50 mile radius of Hanover. But, after months of local pressure the College said it would reconsider building the plant. Dartmouth’s decision speaks to the…
Read MoreMaine Fishermen Prepare For Losses And Gains In A Climate-Changed Ocean
In 30 years, the Gulf of Maine will have been transformed by climate change. Its waters will inexorably grow warmer, and the species that flourish there will be those that can adapt. The same might be said for the Mainers who make their living from the sea. The future of the state’s marine economy may…
Read More