Environmental Happenings

Tuesday, February 19 -- Frontier Cafe in Brunswick will show a special screening of Kilowatt Ours, a film about energy conservation and alternative energy. For more information about the film, visit http://www.kilowattours.org/

Sunday, February 10 -- Learn about community supported agriculture at a CSA Fair near you. Connect with good, clean and fair food. Buy a share in a local farm's harvest. Grow a relationship with a Maine farm. Purchase farm products and food. Enjoy refreshments and snacks. Free fairs will be held from 1 - 4 pm in four locations:

• Auburn - St. Michael's Episcopal Parish, 78 Pleasant St
• Bangor - Redeemer Lutheran Church, 540 Essex St
• Hallowell - St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 18 Union St
• Portland - First Parish Church of Portland, 425 Congress St

Thursday, January 31 -- USM joins over a thousand schools across the nation in hosting a day long "Focus the Nation" conference addressing issues surrounding sustainability and the environment. For details, visit http://www.usm.maine.edu/reslife/SLC/

The New York Times reports on January 29 that conservation scientists are grappling with the implications of globale climate change. "We have over a 100-year investment nationally in a large suite of protected areas that may no longer protect the target ecosystems for which they were formed," said Healy Hamilton, director of the California Academy of Sciences. Areas that are now forests may become deserts, islands may disappear as sea levels rise, and rivers may become too warm to support many species of fish.

Maine Street Station Project in Brunswick is underway. The last in-fill location in downtown, the site is being redeveloped in anticipation of the return of passenger rail service to Brunswick. Concrete and soil contaminated with coal ash are being removed, with plans for the material to be mixed into asphalt to be used on site. For the latest developments, visit http://www.brunswickme.org/ecdev/mssic/latest-happenings.htm

On January 13, the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) approved TransCanada's 44-turbine wind-power project near the Canadian border in Franklin County, but rejected Maine Mountain Power's 18-turbine project on Black Nubble Mountain in Redington and Wyman townships. Last year LURC also rejected a larger 30-turbine proposal on Redington Mountain which would have been visible from the Appalachian Trail.