Environmental Happenings

[Note: Our email newsletter had the wrong date for Gary Hirshberg's talk at Bowdoin College.  The correct date is Wednesday, April 13.]

Mon 4/11 - Wes Jackson, "Consulting the Genius of Place: An Ecological Approach to A New Agriculture", 7:30 pm, Kresge Auditorium, Visual Art Center, Bowdoin College, Brunswick.

Dr. Wes Jackson, founder and president of The Land Institute, has pioneered research in perennial grains, perennial polycultures, and intercropping.  All the grains that feed billions of people today -- wheat, rice, corn, etc. -- come from annual plants, which sprout from seeds, produce new seeds, and die every year. The plant breeders at the Land Institute are crossing modern grains with wild perennial relatives to develop crops with the deep, dense root systems that make perennial plants so resilient and resource efficient, without sacrificing too much of the grain yield that millennia of selection have bred into annuals.  Due to the high demand for this event a limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Additional seating will be in Beam Classroom where the talk will be projected. Audience members from Beam Classroom will be invited into Kresge Auditorium for the Q&A at the end of the talk.

Tue 4/12 - Green Home Lecture Series Session 3: Your Home's Core Systems, 6-8 pm, ReVision Energy Showroom, 142 Presumpscot Street, Portland.  If you're considering a home renovation, an upgrade to your home's systems, or just want to learn more about greening your home, then this series is for you!  The six-week lecture series is designed to help homeowners make good, green decisions about their homes. Cost $10/session.  For more information, and to register, visit: http://www.maineusgbc.org/

Tue 4/12 - Portland Greendrinks, 5:30-8 pm, Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress Street, Portland.  Portland Greendrinks is a chance to network with myriad Greater Portland eco-enthusiasts, support a local non-profit, and enjoy some (wallet-friendly) brews! Pay $2 at the door if you bring your own beer mug, $5 if you don’t: profits go to tonight’s featured non-profit organization, Cultivating Community. Extra Brownie Points if you commute green to Greendrinks: walk, take the bus, or visit GoMaine’s fun, interactive ride board, perfect for one time trips!

Wed 4/13 - Women's Bike Clinic Series: Bicycle Maintenance, 6 pm, Colonial Ridge (off East Hardscrabble Road in Auburn).  Back by popular demand, all you wanted to know about bike maintenance but were AFRAID to ask!  Enjoy a relaxed, knowledgeable,  basic, hands-on bike maintenance clinic and feel more confident about you and your bike.  Join the Maine Cycling Club for a 3 part series on bicycle maintenance (Wed 4/13), shifting gears (Tue 4/19) and road riding (Tue 4/26).  Hors D’oeuvres and wine will be served.  Cost: $40 for the series or $20 each.  RSVP to rufit@megalink.net or call Barbara at 240-9139 to reserve your spot.

Wed 4/13 - Geothermal Greenhouse Tour, 10-11:30 am, Hutchings Greenhouse, 445 Riverside Drive (new name for Bradley Road), Eddington, Maine. No registration required. Come and see an open-loop geothermal system that provides very efficient heating for a large greenhouse.  The system's installer, Dan Herweg from Airotherm in Brewer, will be present to answer technical questions.  Thanks to this geothermal system and wood-fired heating, Hutchings Greenhouse has not burned a drop of oil in two years!  For more information, please contact Claudia Lowd (cleanenergy@mainerural.org / 949-5106).

Wed 4/13 -  Antonio Rossmann, "The End of Western Water," 4 pm, ES Common Room, Adams Hall, Bowdoin College, Brunswick.  This lecture will explore the crunch that the Southwest and California find themselves in, and the difficult issues that crunch raises about water and land use decisions in particular, and questions about national development policy in general.  Antonio Rossmann is an honors graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and teaches water resources and land use law at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

Wed 4/13 - Gary Hirschberg, "Green Business: Doing Well by Doing Good," 7 pm, Kresge Auditorium, Visual Art Center, Bowdoin College, Brunswick.  Ahead of his time, Gary Hirshberg has led the way in merging business with social responsibility.  Since 1983, Gary has overseen Stonyfield’s phenomenal growth, from its infancy as a seven-cow organic farming school to $360 million in annual sales.  Before casting his lot with cows and becoming CE-YO of the world’s leading organic yogurt producer, Hirshberg directed the Rural Education Center, the small organic farming school from which Stonyfield was spawned. Before that, Gary had served as executive director of The New Alchemy Institute -- a research and education center dedicated to organic farming, aquaculture, and renewable energy. Prior positions include serving as a water-pumping windmill specialist and an environmental education director with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. He has authored books on wind-power and organic gardening and is author of the best selling: Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World (Hyperion Books, 2008).  In addition to receiving eight honorary doctorates, Gary has won numerous awards his corporate and environmental leadership.  This lecture is part of the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay Speaker Series.

Thu 4/14 - Protect Maine’s Children from Toxic Chemicals Lobby Day with the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, 8:30 am - 1 pm, Augusta State House.  The Environmental Health Strategy Center needs your help to show our legislators that Maine residents want to strengthen the Kid Safe Products Act, promote healthy school grounds, and keep toxic materials out of Maine landfills.  For more information, contact Laura Stevens, Community Organizer, Toxics Action Center, 871-1810, laura@toxicsaction.org.

Thu 4/14 - Food+Farm Series: Of Farms and Fables, doors 7:00 pm, show 7:30-9:30 pm, SPACE Gallery, Portland.  The annual sustainable food event with SPACE Gallery features films, talks, a meet-and-greet, and a work day at Turkey Hill Farm.  Of Farms and Fables is a performance that engages artists in farm work and farm workers in  storytelling and acting. This theatrical reading will create a dialogue about local agriculture, farming, and the future of small family farms in Maine.  For more information, visit http://www.space538.org/

Thu 4/14 - EcoCinema: The Fish Belong to the People, 7 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  This documentary chronicles the lives of the fishermen of Port Clyde, Maine, as they work to save their fishing grounds from the government and a market structure that values destructive efficiency over sustainability.  EcoCinema features a periodic series of award-winning documentaries and dramatic films about life and work in resource-based communities that are struggling for sustainability and environmental justice. Each film is a timely and emotional portrait of a marginal or unconventional place whose aspirations and challenges convey a universal message.

Fri 4/15 - Food+Farm Series: An Evening with Anna Lappe, doors 7 pm, talk 7:30-9:30 pm, SPACE Gallery, Portland.  Join Anna Lappe for a discussion of her new book, Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It. Anne Lappe is a founding principal of Small Planet Institute and Small Planet Fund, and for more than a decade has been a key force in the growing international movement for sustainability and justice in the food chain.   For more information, visit http://www.space538.org/

Sat 4/16 - Food+Farm Series: Wake Up the Farm with Cultivating Community, 9 am - 12 pm, Turkey Hill Farm, Cape Elizabeth.  This free, all-ages work day is a great opportunity to help Cultivating Community get ready for the 2011 growing season. With activities for all ages and skill levels you'll be able to get your hands dirty and ask the CC staff about your farming and gardening questions. The morning concludes at noon with a soup and bread lunch to thank you for your hard work.  For directions, visit Turkey Hill Farm online at http://turkeyhillfarm.org/home.html.

Sat 4/16 - Wells Reserve EcoDay, 10 am - 3 pm, Wells Reserve at Laudholm.  This multi-faceted event is sure to have something for everyone! The EcoDay includes a Green Fair with environmental organizations and conservation-minded businesses, a beach cleanup from 2-3 pm, demonstrations by beekeepers on how to keep a hive, the Laudholm 5k (register here), volleyball tournament, nature walks, speakers, as well as fun activities for kids like face painting, geo-caching walks, and crafts.

Sat 4/16 - Green Fair, 10 am - 4 pm, Plants Unlimited, Rockport.  The annual Green Fair at Plants Unlimited in Rockport is being held this year to honor the volunteers that are working hard to make green contributions in the state of Maine.  Volunteer with one of the many participating organizations to receive a free meal ticket to the fun, family-friendly barbecue. Visit the Plants Unlimited website to see how you can get involved.

Sat 4/16 - Food+Farm Series: The Greenhorns' Young Farmers' Mixer, 3-5 pm, SPACE Gallery, Portland.  Are you a young farmer in Maine? (A "young" farmer is anyone under the national average of of 57!) The Greenhorns is an organization dedicated to recruiting, promoting, and supporting young farmers in America. This afternoon mixer is a great opportunity to meet your peers and enjoy some good eats from Local Sprouts, Flatbread Co. and Maine Root. There will also be volunteer massage therapists on hand (to work out those farming knots!), as well as representatives from The Greenhorns and MOFGA.

Sat 4/16 - Food+Farm Series: The Greenhorns Film and Q&A, doors 7 pm, film 7:30-9:30 pm, SPACE Gallery, Portland.  The Greenhorns is an organization that recruits, promotes, and supports young farmers in America ("young" being defined as anyone under the national average farmer's age of 57). This documentary film explores the lives of America's young farming community, and chronicles the promising beginnings of an agricultural revival based on an interest in sustainable lifestyles. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Greenhorns director Severine von Tscharner Fleming, a farmer, activist, and organizer based in the Hudson Valley, NY.  

Sun 4/17 - Food+Farm Series: Intensive Growing Workshops at Urban Farm Fermentory, 9 am - noon and 1 pm - 4 pm, Urban Farm Fermentory, Portland.  The folks at Urban Farm Fermentory have put together a couple of workshops for this year's Food+Farms series.  Session 1: 9 am to noon, Introduction to Urban Gardening; Session 2: 1-4 pm, Season Extension Techniques and Sheetmulching.  Cost: $15 per class.  For reservations and more information, visit http://www.urbanfarmfermentory.com/skills-classes.

Mon 4/18 - Multimedia presentation by Jacinda Martinez, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  Part of the Earth Week celebration at Frontier Cafe.  Artist Jacinda Martinez makes plant-based clothing.

Tue 4/19 - Local Foods Breakfast at Local Sprouts, 8 am, Local Sprouts, Portland.  To celebrate the rich local food community in Portland and throughout Maine, join Local Sprouts every third Tuesday of every month to eat a delicious breakfast cooked with all local ingredients and network with food organizers, advocates, and producers. This is a great chance to promote your work and organization to folks involved in the local food community.  For more information, search for Local Sprouts on Facebook.

Tue 4/19 - Green Home Lecture Series Session 4: Mechanical Systems and Alternative Energy Systems, 6-8 pm, ReVision Energy Showroom, 142 Presumpscot Street, Portland.  If you're considering a home renovation, an upgrade to your home's systems, or just want to learn more about greening your home, then this series is for you!  The Second Annual Maine Chapter of the US Green Building Council's "Green Home Energy" series continues through April and into the first week of May. The six-week lecture series is designed to help homeowners make good, green decisions about their homes. Cost $10/session.  For more information, and to register, visit: http://www.maineusgbc.org/

Tue 4/19 - Women's Bike Clinic Series: Shifting Gears, 6 pm, Colonial Ridge (off East Hardscrabble Road in Auburn).  Back by popular demand, all you wanted to know about bike maintenance but were AFRAID to ask!  Enjoy a relaxed, knowledgeable,  basic, hands-on bike maintenance clinic and feel more confident about you and your bike.  Join the Maine Cycling Club for a 3 part series on bicycle maintenance (Wed 4/13), shifting gears (Tue 4/19) and road riding (Tue 4/26).  Hors D’oeuvres and wine will be served.  Cost: $40 for the series or $20 each.  RSVP to rufit@megalink.net or call Barbara at 240-9139 to reserve your spot.

Tue 4/19 and Wed 4/20 - Film: Economics of Happiness, 6 pm and 7:30 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  Part of the Earth Week celebration at Frontier.

Wed 4/20 to Sat 4/23 - Timber Framing Workshop, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson. Participants in the four-day workshop will learn the basics of timberframing in a hands-on setting, from harvesting the trees through the milling process, joinery techniques, and finally construction. For more information, contact gary@hvnc.org or call 586-6752.

Thu 4/21 - EcoCinema: On Coal River, 7 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  Featuring co-director Adam Wood.  EcoCinema features a periodic series of award-winning documentaries and dramatic films about life and work in resource-based communities that are struggling for sustainability and environmental justice. Each film is a timely and emotional portrait of a marginal or unconventional place whose aspirations and challenges convey a universal message.

Thu 4/21 - Earth Day Extravaganza: I Am Part of My Environment!, 2-3:30 pm, Children's Museum, Portland.  The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is turning their entire second floor into one giant ecosystem for Earth Day! Visit Snowshoe O'Hare to learn about animal homes, meet Ivy Sproutsalot and plant a seed in the greenhouse, and make a crafty bug or insect with Six-Legged-Sue. Kids will learn how they are connected to each character and the environment. The CMTM will offer eco-friendly snacks, games and a really good (really green) time at this Earth Day Extravaganza! The event is free with Museum admission (admission is $9 per person, children under 18 months free).

Fri 4/22 - Earth Day Tour with Jerry Therrien, 10 am - noon, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson.  Join naturalist Jerry Therrien at the Hidden Valley Nature Center for an Earth Day walk. April is the month when wildflowers start blooming and vernal pools are exploding with life, so the tour is sure to be exciting. $5 suggested donation. To make a reservation or for more information e-mail gary@hvnc.org or call 586-6752.

Fri 4/22 - Earth Week Live music: Zemya, 7 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.

Fri 4/22 - Urban Earth Day, 11 am - 6 pm, Monument Square, Portland. This year, MENSK, Flintstonecar, and The City of Portland are hosting Urban Earth Day, a celebration to promote a more healthy, sustainable future. The day's events in Monument Square will involve activities for children, street performers, local farmers, craftspeople, and vendors.

Sat 4/23 - Earth Week Film: Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm, and 8 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.

Sat 4/23 - Wild Plants of Maine book signing, 11 am - noon, F.W. Horch, Brunswick.  Author Tom Seymour is scheduled to be on hand to sign copies of his book, Wild Plants of Maine.  The book is a guide, including recipes, to wild plants that are edible or otherwise useful and found in Maine.

Sat 4/23 - The Great Cloth Diaper Change, noon - 4 pm, Peekaboo Children's Center, Westbrook. The Great Cloth Diaper Change is a global event being held Saturday, April 23rd, to break the Guinness Book record for most diapers changed simultaneously. Be sure to register for the event to put Westbrook in the running and contribute to raising awareness for eco-friendly cloth diapers.  

Sat 4/23, Earth Week Films: Red Gold and Eastern Rises, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  In collaboration with Fly Fishing in Maine.

Sat 4/23 - Dogwood Tree Planting, 9 am - 1 pm, Bayside Trail, Portland.  Meet at the Elm Street trailhead (behind Trader Joe's) to help Portland Trails plant 101 dogwood trees.  Rain date is May 7th, for more information and to sign up, call 775-2411 or e-mail Portland Trails at info@trails.org.

Mon 4/25 to Sun 5/1 - 2011 Midcoast Sustainable Living Fair, Round Top Farm, Damariscotta. The goal of the Fair is to encourage sustainable products and practices and to educate the public on the need for them. This will be the fourth annual Midcoast Sustainable Living Fair where consumers can learn about energy-saving and affordable options for a more environmentally responsible lifestyle.

• A movie and four workshops are scheduled from 6-8 pm each evening, Monday through Friday.
• On Saturday, tours of the Chewonki Foundation campus will be conducted at 9:30 am, 11 am and 1 pm.  The movie Deep Green will be shown at 11 am and 1 pm.
• On Sunday, a local food picnic will be held from noon to 4 pm at Round Top Farm.

Although all events are free, donations are appreciated. For more information, visit the Midcoast Green Collaborative online.

Tue 4/26 - Coyote: America's Songdog, 6:30-8 pm, Topsham Public Library, Topsham.  Biologists say the coyote is the most persecuted animal in the country.  Geri Vistein of Project Coyote will discuss the history, biology, and misconceptions of this animal.  The focus of her talk will be on progressive management strategies that will allow humans and

coyotes to coexist.  Brought to you by the Cathance River Education Alliance.  Free and open to the public.

Tue 4/26 - Green Home Lecture Series Session 5: Healthy Homes and Green Kitchens and Baths, 6-8 pm, ReVision Energy Showroom, Portland.  If you're considering a home renovation, an upgrade to your home's systems, or just want to learn more about greening your home, then this series is for you!  The six-week lecture series is designed to help homeowners make good, green decisions about their homes.  Cost $10/session.  For more information, and to register, visit: http://www.maineusgbc.org/

Tue 4/26 - Women's Bike Clinic Series: Road Riding, 6 pm, Colonial Ridge (off East Hardscrabble Road in Auburn).  Back by popular demand: all you wanted to know about bike maintenance but were AFRAID to ask!  Enjoy a relaxed, knowledgeable,  basic, hands-on bike maintenance clinic and feel more confident about you and your bike.  Join the Maine Cycling Club for a 3 part series on bicycle maintenance (Wed 4/13), shifting gears (Tue 4/19) and road riding (Tue 4/26).  Hors D’oeuvres and wine will be served.  Cost: $40 for the series or $20 each.  RSVP to rufit@megalink.net or call Barbara at 240-9139 to reserve your spot.

Wed 4/27 - Stop the Madness: The Attack on Maine's Environment, 7-8:30 pm, One Longfellow Square, Portland. Our legislature has introduced over 50 bills that are putting development ahead of the protection of our health, wildlife, and natural resources in Maine. We are all at risk from declines in our air and water quality and loss of our natural places. Participants will be joined at One Longfellow Square by Pete Didisheim, the Natural Resources Council of Maine's advocacy director, who will outline harmful bills and explain how we can help. Space is limited, so please register by contacting Todd Martin at tmartin@nrcm.org or (207) 430-0115.

Thu 4/28 - EcoCinema: Shelter in Place, 7 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  EcoCinema features

a periodic series of award-winning documentaries and dramatic films about life and work in resource-based communities that are struggling for sustainability and environmental justice. Each film is a timely and emotional portrait of a marginal or unconventional place whose aspirations and challenges convey a universal message.

Sat 4/30 and Sun 5/1 - 5th Annual Organic Workshop at O'Donal's Nursuries, Gorham. The 5th Annual Organic Workshop is a weekend-long event, with free workshops ranging from composting, planting and growing organically, natural pest and weed control, benevolent bugs for your garden, solar and wind power - and the list goes on!  To see times and descriptions of workshops, visit the O'Donal's Nursuries website at http://www.odonalsnurseries.com/.

Tue 5/3 - Green Home Lecture Series Session 6: Landscape, 6-8 pm, ReVision Energy Showroom, 142 Presumpscot Street, Portland.  If you're considering a home renovation, an upgrade to your home's systems, or just want to learn more about greening your home, then this series is for you!  The six-week lecture series is designed to help homeowners make good, green decisions about their homes. Cost $10/session.  For more information, and to register, visit: http://www.maineusgbc.org/

April's Tip: Best Ways to Save Power

Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis has focused attention on our country's dependence on nonrenewable, radioactive uranium for 20% of our electricity. This month's tip explores ways to cut the typical residential power bill in half, which would allow us to safely and quickly power down all of our nuclear plants without needing to build new power plants to replace them. I also discuss why former nuclear power advocates (such as me; I worked for Pacific Gas & Electric during law school) no longer support public subsidies for fission power, now that we have better technology for managing the grid.

In a nutshell, here's what each of us would need to do to cut our household power bill in half:

1. turn off lights when you leave a room
2. install motion sensors on outdoor lighting so it automatically turns and off as needed
3. remove unnecessary lights
4. install task lighting so you use energy to focus light just where it's needed
5. replace all incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs
6. replace wasteful refrigerators with Energy Star models
7. use a drying line or a drying rack instead of an electric or gas clothes dryer
8. if you must use a machine to dry your clothes, use high-efficiency washing machines with a high-speed spin cycle or use a spinner to wring most water out of clothes before drying
9. in homes with air conditioners and electric heaters, condition a smaller space or accept a wider range of indoor temperatures (a little hotter in summer and a little colder in winter)
10. in homes with electric water heating, do the following:
• wash clothes in cold water
• install low-flow showerheads
• install aerators on all sinks
11. in homes with well pumps, do the following:
• check for leaking toilets
• install low-flow showerheads
• use a rain barrel for exterior watering
12. replace wasteful desktop computers with laptops
13. replace wasteful televisions with Energy Star models
14. turn off and unplug electronic devices when not in use
15. cook with microwaves instead of electric ranges or ovens
16. use solar chargers for recharging personal electronic devices (cell phones, etc.)
17. use solar chargers for rechargeable batteries
18. replace wasteful night lights with efficient LEC or LED models

Let's start by imagining the impact if we were able to cut the typical residential power bill in half. Residential electricity use is 38% of our country's total (the commercial and industrial sectors are responsible for 37% and 25% of electricity consumption, respectively). Cutting residential power bills in half would save almost 20% of our total electricity demand, just about the amount of energy the nuclear power plants across America supply. In other words, cutting our residential power bills in half and improving efficiency in our commercial and industrial sector by just a few percentages would allow us to shut down all of our nuclear power reactors without needing to build new power plants to replace them.

Shedding 20% of our load and shutting down our nuclear power stations permanently would free up resources to invest in improving our transmission and control infrastructure. Engineers, managers, and lawyers currently required by our nuclear power industry could use their time more productively to make the transition to a fully sustainable power system. We would also stop producing nuclear waste in the commercial power sector, limiting the scope of that problem to the military, medical and other industrial sources of radioactive waste. Plus, we wouldn't need to open lands around the Grand Canyon to uranium mining, as is being proposed now.

The average household in the United States uses 920 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. Here in Maine, we use on average 500 kWh per month. In England, the average is 390 kWh per month. My family uses between 250 and 380 kWh per month, depending on the time of year and who's visiting.

If you are a typical family, your lighting and appliances account for the majority of your electricity consumption. In 2008, according to the Energy Information Administration, lighting and appliances accounted for about 60% of residential energy use. Air conditioning was just 16%, water heating was 9%, refrigerators were 8% and space heating was 6%.

Maine leads the nation in showing what happens when you shut down a nuclear power plant. Now that Maine Yankee is closed, we have higher electricity rates and lower household electricity consumption. We replaced nuclear power with efficiency and natural gas. Although it seems likely that we will be storing nuclear waste in Wiscasset for generations, we are no longer importing large amounts of radioactive materials through our communities and our risk of a nuclear catastrophe is much lower. (By the way, even though we no longer have a nuclear power plant in Maine, most Maine electricity rate payers are still paying each month for nuclear power plants in other states. CMP's standard offer is 19% nuclear, for example.)

My personal experience in our home shows that it is not difficult to cut household electricity consumption in half. We expect to be able to stay below 250 kWh per month on a consistent basis once we switch all of our household lighting to LED. (The recent improvement in light quality of LEDs now makes this a viable option for us.)

Given that we could shut down all of our nuclear powers plants just by taking relatively easy and common-sense steps to improve the energy efficiency in our own homes, why do energy experts say nuclear power is a necessity? Are nuclear power plants needed for the reliability of the grid? Do they help prevent climate change?

Since nuclear power has never been economically viable, the industry has developed through political connections. Experts who claim nuclear power is necessary do so for political reasons.

In terms of grid reliability, hydropower is the best reserve because it can be almost instantly turned on and turned off. Nuclear power, in contrast, provides significant challenges to grid operators because it is very difficult to adjust the output. Once a nuclear power plant is up and running, it is typically intended to run at nearly full power for months, producing roughly the same amount of power day and night, whether the power is needed or not. Grid operators must bring in or drop off other power generators to match the supply to the load to maintain a constant voltage for every power customer.

Nuclear power makes much less sense in today's world than it did in the 1970s. As communication and computing technology has improved, we are much better able to manage a diverse mix of power sources.Today, nuclear adds almost nothing in reliability to a grid that combines hydropower, coal, natural gas, biomass, and distributed sources such as solar and wind. Nuclear is a relatively inflexible power source that other power generators must accommodate. Maine's section of the grid, for example, dropped nuclear power and still maintains a high level of reliability.

In a few months, we could shed 20% of our total electricity load, begin decommisioning our nuclear reactors, and enjoy the same level of reliability in our electricity grid as we have now. Shedding loads can happen very quickly. In my house, for example, we were able to shed 25% of our load the day we moved in by replacing the refrigerator and installing CFLs. Similar efficiency opportunities are available to every homeowner in America. There really is no good reason Americans are wasting so much electricity and paying for nuclear power plants to supply it.

In terms of climate protection, the question is whether it would be better to shut down our coal power plants instead of our nuclear power plants. My personal feeling is that we would be in a better position to make the transition to a fully sustainable power grid if we shut down all the nuclear power plants first, and then tackled the coal power plants. The nuclear industry is a huge distraction from the research and engineering work that needs to be done to improve the way our grid operates so that we can power our homes, businesses and factories entirely by clean, renewable sources.

Looking to the future, we have plenty of other clean and sustainable power sources we can develop to supply all the electricity we need. Solar and hydropower could supply our needs many times over.

In the end, whether we continue to expose ourselves to the expense and risk of nuclear power is a political choice. The industry depends on tax payer support to operate now; it will require enormous new government subsidies to grow.

Each of us can do our part to make it possible to choose a nuclear-free future by bringing our household electricity consumption down to half the national average. I hope this article has given you some ideas you can try in your own home.

Green Spring Cleaning - March's Sustainable Living Tip

You can clean your house from top to bottom without harmful chemicals. The key to a healthy house is keeping it warm and dry in the winter, and cool and dry in the summer. Keeping your relative humidity around 40% is ideal. That level of moisture in the air feels comfortable, but still allows counters, dishes and clothes to air dry. Mold and germs thrive in humid conditions, but none can grow on dry surfaces.

In the winter, your indoor air relative humidity often drops far below 40%. In that case, hanging laundry to dry indoors helps put more moisture in the air. You save money and energy, and make your home more comfortable!

In the summer, your relative humidity can rise above 40%. Running fans in your kitchen and bathroom is a good way to exhaust excess moisture before it leads to mold and mildew problems.

It's important to think not just about the water you're adding to your indoor air, but also what else you're putting into it. Any cleaners that contain petroleum-based fragrances are compromising your indoor air quality and increasing the chances your family will suffer from respiratory disease. Likewise, bleaches and ammonia add unnecessary chemicals to your indoor air and can damage cells in your lungs.

The best "chemical" in your cleaning arsenal is plain water. Plant-based surfactants and acids can help water do a better job of dissolving and rinsing away dirt and grime.

Your decisions about which cleaning chemicals to use have consequences far beyond your own home, especially if you are on a municipal sewer system. The dyes and foaming agents that look pretty in your sink don't look so nice in the Androscoggin River. But even if you are on a septic system, it's important to think about what goes down your drain. Anything that kills germs in your house will also kill the beneficial bacteria that break down your waste. Rather than trying to kill every bacteria in your home (an impossible task), concentrate on removing the dirt, grime and water they need to grow.

One final consideration to bear in mind when buying cleaning supplies is unnecessary packaging. How many 16 ounce spray bottles do you really need? Buying in bulk saves money, cuts down on trips to the store, and keeps literally tons of plastic out of the waste stream. Remember, refills not landfills!

Environmental Happenings

Mon 3/7 - Start Your Farm Business The Right Way: By Planning To Make A Profit!, 9 am to 4:30 pm, MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Workshop led by Richard Wiswall, owner/operator of Cate Farm in Vermont, and author of The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook. Registration: $50, which includes lunch. Register online.

 

Tue 3/8 - Portland Greendrinks, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Empire Dine and Dance, 575 Congress Street, Portland.  Portland Greendrinks is a monthly happy hour to connect people who care about the environment and sustainability.  The events are a great opportunity to relax, have a drink, and meet new people who care about environmental issues.  The Environmental Health Strategy Center will be the non-profit host for Greendrinks next week, at the door collecting a $2 donation from people who bring a mug and $5 from those who do not bring a mug.  Inside the event there will be a variety of free local beers and lots of great people to meet.  For more information, contact Rachelle at 699-5789 or rcurran@preventharm.org.

 

Wed 3/9 - Home Energy Efficiency Workshop, 6:30-7:30 pm, City of Bath Council Chambers, Bath. The Midcoast Council of Governments will conduct four workshops to educate homeowners on the financial benefits of making energy efficiency improvements and to provide guidance on easy, inexpensive and effective ways homeowners can improve their home's performance.  Energy auditors, building contractors, heating equipment contractors and other experts will be on hand before, during and after to answer your questions. Several home energy audit coupons worth $200 each will be given away at each workshop.  For more information, contact Jason Bird at 443-5790 or jbird@midcoastcog.org.

 

Thu 3/10 - Green Tea Breakfast, 7:30 - 9 am, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland.  What do the arts and sustainability have in common?  Find out at the next Green Tea Breakfast sponsored by The Sunrise Guide and Maine Businesses for Sustainability.  Jennifer Hutchins, executive director of Creative Portland Corporation and Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance, will present and lead a discussion on their vision for Maine, the LiveWorkPortland.org promotional campaign, and how small businesses can benefit from initiatives in the arts.  $8 MBS members and SunriseGuide advertisers, $15 all others.  Tasty treats provided by Coffee by Design and the Rosemont Market and Bakery.

 

Thu 3/10 - An Exploration of the World’s Most Amazing and Mysterious Fish, 7 pm, Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick.  Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay for a presentation featuring James Prosek, artist, author and activist who follows the incredible, ubiquitous and endangered eel from New Zealand to Maine, Japan and the Sargasso Sea.  Eels are our only catadromous fish species, spawning in the ocean and living in freshwater rivers for 15-50 years before attempting to out-migrate back to their spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea.  For more information, call Jim Mason, Executive Coordinator, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, at 619-1945 or fomb@comcast.net.

 

Sat 3/12 - Environmental Action 2011, 9 am - 5:30 pm, Bentley University, Waltham, MA.  The premier community activist conference in New England, Environmental Action 2011 will offer over 20 workshops, discussions, and panels, designed to help you prevent pollution, tackle climate change, ensure clean drinking water, protect open spaces and develop skills and strategies to create healthy and safe communities.  For more information, Visit www.MAEnvironmentalAction.org or call (617) 747-4362.

 

Wed 3/16 - Home Energy Efficiency Workshop, 6:30-7:30 pm, Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick. The Midcoast Council of Governments will conduct four workshops to educate homeowners on the financial benefits of making energy efficiency improvements and to provide guidance on easy, inexpensive and effective ways homeowners can improve their home's performance.  Energy auditors, building contractors, heating equipment contractors and other experts will be on hand before, during and after to answer your questions. Several home energy audit coupons worth $200 each will be given away at each workshop.  For more information, contact Jason Bird at 443-5790 or jbird@midcoastcog.org.

 

Thu 3/17 - Kitchen Licensing Workshop, 6:30 - 9 pm, Houlton High School. Co-sponsored by MOFGA and Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. For those interested in processing food at home for resale. Contact: SASWCD, 532-2097, Ext. 3, or angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net.

 

Tue 3/22 - Ag Day at the Maine Legislature, Hall of Flags in the State House in Augusta. Approximately 20 agricultural organizations generally participate. MOFGA will have a table.

 

Tue 3/22 - The Future of Local Food, 6:30 pm - 7 pm, Freeport Community Center, Freeport.  John Piotti, Executive Director of Maine Farmland Trust, will provide a window into the world of local food, presenting about the struggle farmers have finding land, where local agriculture is headed, and how we all play a part.  Admission is $5.  For more information, contact the Wolfe's Neck Farm Education Coordinator at 865-4469.

 

Tue 3/22 - Backyard Composting, 6 - 8 pm, Belfast Free Library. Free presentation led by MOFGA's Organic Landcare Specialist C.J. Walke. Would you like to learn how to turn your food waste into a usable soil amendment for your yard or gardens? Have you tried composting but were not satisfied with the results? Join us for an hour-long presentation on composting in your backyard. Learn different ways to build your compost pile, what to use for materials, and how to cater to the microbes that make it all happen. The presentation will focus on home composting, but will also address different approaches for larger, farm-based composting systems. There will be plenty of time for discussion, questions and answers. The Belfast Free Library, the Belfast Coop and MOFGA are co-sponsoring the event.

 

Sat 3/26 - Maine Garden Day, 7:30 am - 3 pm, Lewiston High School, 156 East Avenue, Lewiston.  The 18th annual Maine Garden Day features workshops, educational displays, and a trade show.  $50.  Advance registration only!  Seating limited; first come, first served.  Register online.

 

Sat 3/26 - Organic Orcharding Workshop: Renovating Old Trees, 10 am - 2 pm, two locations: Swanville (on Mount Desert Island) and Palermo. This course is focused on pruning and feeding non-productive fruit trees in order to bring them back into fruitfulness. This workshop will be taught by Tree Warden Phil Norris in MDI and MOFGA's Organic Orchardist CJ Walke in Swanville, ME. Please bring pruning tools and a bag lunch with you. Fee $30. Pre-registration required.

 

Sun 3/27 - Seed Swap and Scion Exchange, noon - 4 pm, MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center, Unity.  The Maine Tree Crop Alliance, the Maine Seed Saving Network, Fedco and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will host the eleventh annual combined Seed Swap and Scionwood Exchange. For gardeners and orchardists, it’s like the most wonderful flea market in the world. Not only that but most of the best stuff is free!  Please bring any seeds, scionwood, or cuttings you have to share freely with others. Last year scionwood from well over 100 fruit varieties was given away.  Labels and tape and markers will be supplied. On sale will be T-shirts, books, grafting supplies and rootstock.  Please note that this event, formerly held on Saturdays, is on SUNDAY this year.

 

Tue 3/29 - Green Homes Lecture Series: "Greening" Your Home Overview and Financing, 6 pm, ReVision Energy Showroom, 142 Presumpscot Street, Portland.  This is the start of a six-week lecture series designed to help homeowners make good, green decisions about their homes.  If you're considering a home renovation, an upgrade to your home's systems, or just want to learn more about greening your home, then this series is for you.  In this first session, Peter Taggart of Taggart Construction will provide an in-depth overview of "green" building: energy efficiency, occupant health and environmental impact.  Learn about available financing, incentives, tax rebates and how to manage your home's energy efficiency improvements or green renovation project like a pro.

 

Sat 4/9 - Exploring Faith and Sustainability in an Age of Climate Change, 9 am - 5 pm, Maple Hill Farm, Hallowell.  Maine Interfaith Power and Light and Maine Audubon invite clergy, lay people, community leaders, and others to a summit for people of faith who care about protecting life on the planet.  Facilitated by Good Group Decisions.  Keynote speaker will be Malcolm Burson, Climate Adaptation Program Manager, Maine Department of Environmental Protection.  $25 (includes lunch). Register at www.meipl.org.  For more information, call 721-0444 or email info@meipl.org.

 

Sat 4/9 - The Healthy Home book tour, time TBD*, Shubert Theater, Boston, MA.  Anne Olivo writes, "You are invited to see and hear Dr. Myron Wentz and his son, Dave Wentz, authors of The Healthy Home. The book tour will be an event to remember, with audience participation and engaging presentations to demonstrate the science behind the solutions in the book. More importantly, you will walk away armed with information to start protecting your family from the toxic burdens society has created, packaged, and sold to you as 'necessities' for everyday life. ADMISSION IS FREE to this life-changing event. Take this chance to discover what you can do to improve your family’s most important resource -- your health. You don’t want to miss it.  *No time has yet been announced for the Boston event. For further information, contact Anne Olivo at anne_olivo@yahoo.com."

 

Thu 4/14 - Protect Maine’s Children from Toxic Chemicals Lobby Day with the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine, 8:30 am - 1 pm, Augusta State House.  For more information, contact Laura Stevens, Community Organizer, Toxics Action Center, 871-1810, laura@toxicsaction.org.

Valentine's Day Collage Card Workshop

Learn to use recycled materials to make fabulous cards.  Join us on Thursday, February 10, from 6 to 7:30
at our store (F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street in Brunswick) for this free workshop. The focus will be on a Valentine's Day card, but the techniques can be applied to any kind of card you might wish to make in the future.  Space is limited to 15 people, so please reserve your spot now by calling 729-4050.  Children accompanied by an adult are welcome.  All materials will be supplied.

Environmental Happenings

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to December 10, 2010. Representatives from the world's governments are meeting to decide what, if anything, to do about climate change after the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012. You can learn more about the conference and even "virtually participate" through the official UN Climate Change Conference web site.

Events in Maine

Wednesday, December 8 - Last of the Kennebec Log Drives, 7 pm, Bath City Hall Auditorium. Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay to hear Dave Calder talk about the last of the Kennebec Log Drives. A former log driver, Dave grew up in the Skowhegan area and started working on the river drive at the age of sixteen. Dave worked on the drive 10 years until it ended in 1976. Following that, he worked in heavy construction until he retired. Dave has written some songs and stories about river driving which he performs on occasion. Aside from writing he enjoys reading, gardening, some traveling, and time with his grandchildren.  Dave lives in Canaan with his wife, Maureen, their dog and three goats. The FOMB Winter Speaker Series takes place monthly from October-May on the second Wednesday of each month.  For more information, contact Ed Friedman at 666-3372.

Thursday, December 9 - Sustainable Season's Greetings, 7 - 8:30 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Join us for our next Sustainable Living Talk, featuring Shari Burke. Sustaining our own personal peace of mind, sense of well-being, feelings of joy, and personal connections with others can be challenging during the frenzy of activity that is culturally and often personally expected of us in December. Come discuss how we can meet this challenge to create a different kind of holiday experience -- one that is more meaningful and joyful for us and better for the planet.  Free and open to the public. Space is limited; please call us at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Friday, December 10 - Ventilating New & Existing Homes, 8 am - 12:15 pm - Central Maine Power Company, Augusta. Properly ventilated homes minimize the risk of exposure to indoor environmental pollutants (radon, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, combustion pollutants, chemicals) and minimize the risk of moisture damage in the building envelope and subsequent biological contamination. This program stresses why controlling ventilation in a home is necessary to protect occupant health. It will discuss the most common sources of indoor air pollution in homes and how they get there, and what physical processes are present (air flow, pressure, moisture) that affect indoor air quality. The program provides practical strategies to achieve core ventilation goals. Limited space available.  To register, contact Dick Tarr at Lapointe Lumber Company, 622-5025.

Local permaculture groups in Brunswick and Portland have several events planned. You can learn more about these groups and their events using the Meetup web service.  Check them out at

• http://www.meetup.com/Brunswick-Permaculture/
• http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/

A transition town group is active in the greater Brunswick area. Find out more about them and their events at

• http://www.meetup.com/Transition-Town-Brunswick/
  

For more news about Maine's environment, check out Maine Environmental News

Reusable Gift Wrap - December's Sustainable Living Tip

Dress up your gifts in reusable raiment. It's a simple, easy way to "give green" this season. Here are some ideas and inspiration to get you started.

Reuse. Common items can make interesting and practical gift wrap:

• dinner napkins
• reusable shopping bags
• bandanas
• scarves
• hats
• towels
• fabric squares cut from old clothes
• hair scrunchies (for tying up)

Furoshiki. Try using a simple square piece of cloth (called "furoshiki" in Japanese) to wrap just about anything. Like origami paper folding, furoshiki gift wrapping is an art. Learn more about this tradition here:

• Furoshiki techniques

Make Your Own Gift Bags. Add an extra element of originality to your gifts with homemade gift bags. Here's a blog showing you how to make these in a snap:

• Make Your Own Holiday Gift Bags

Track-a-Sack. If you'd like to encourage a friend or family member to try using a reusable gift bag, consider giving them a gift in a "Track-a-Sack" WrapSack. The sight of an overflowing trash bin the day after Christmas inspired The WrapSack founders to start selling reusable gift wrap bags. But they knew that just because something can be reused doesn't mean it will be. So they invented a way to track the progress of each bag as it is re-gifted. In their words, tracking gifts bags is "not just to protect our planet but also to see the journeys they take and hope that those journeys will bring people together so that there is just a little more peace on earth."

We sell Wrap Sacks in our store, available in a variety of sizes and patterns. In addition, we also offer reusable greeting card covers to eliminate the waste of paper envelopes.

Decorate Recycled Paper. While most people will be happy to receive and give gifts in reusable wrapping, others just won't get it. For them, consider rescuing and decorating paper from the recycling bin to use for gift wrap.

Children's Art. If you have school-aged children, you probably have a larger supply of drawings and paintings than display space on your refrigerator or walls. Your child's artistic excess makes great wrapping paper, especially for gifts given to their proud grand parents and teachers.

Plain Brown Paper. You can make classic and classy plain brown wrapping paper from paper shopping bags turned inside out. This paper provides a sturdy protective covering, and has the added advantage of being easy to compost. I'm often asked by concerned gardeners and home owners whether they can successfully and safely compost colorful holiday wrapping paper due to the coatings on the paper, residues from the bleaching process, and chemicals in the inks. While I personally shred and compost all types of paper, including wrapping paper, uncoated unbleached plain brown paper is the best for composting.

More Ideas. For more information and inspiration, check out the stories of these people who have gone to extremes to live with less garbage:

• The Clean Bin Project
• No Impact Man
  
• Green Garbage Project
• The Zero Waste Home
• Fake Plastic Fish
  

Sustainable Season's Greetings

Join us here at the store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, for a discussion with Shari Burke titled "Sustainable Season's Greetings," on Thursday, December 9, from 7 to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

Shari is a sociocultural anthropologist and self-professed Christmas junkie with an interest in the intersection between cultural and personal stories. With her husband Bill Burke, she founded the Center for Cultural Preservation to help people record their own life stories and to create space where community members can come together to share and listen to the stories of others. Through years of listening and helping people tell their stories, she has learned how to cut through cultural noise to discover what better ways are possible to experience the holidays.

"I learned a long time ago, through unhappy experience, that cultural ideas about what Christmas should be do not work for me," says Shari. "So I threw out what didn't work and came up with my own ideas about what does work. Everyone tells me how peaceful Christmas is at my house. I like that because it shows that the possibility for a better way is there for all of us -- we just have to find it."

Sustaining our own personal peace of mind, sense of well-being, feelings of joy, and personal connections with others can be challenging during the frenzy of activity that is culturally and often personally expected of us in December. According to Shari, we can meet this challenge to create a different kind of holiday experience -- one that is more meaningful and joyful for us and better for the planet.

Shari will discuss some of the larger issues surrounding Christmas in the United States, including the increase in waste production and personal stress, and offer practical solutions that will allow us to lighten our environmental impact while simultaneously brightening our own holiday celebrations. She welcomes your personal stories as well. Attendees are encouraged to share their own ideas about creating a meaningful holiday if they so wish.

"We have much to learn from each other," notes Shari. "We'll provide a calm space for listening to one another and for exchanging ideas."

More information about the Burkes and the Center for Cultural Preservation is available online at www.CenterForCulturalPreservation.com.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending please call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Good Giving Day the Friday after Thanksgiving at F.W. Horch

Come visit our store in downtown Brunswick to celebrate "Good Giving Day" on the Friday after Thanksgiving between 9:30 am and 6 pm. We'll share ideas on celebrating the holidays with practical gifts that minimize waste, and acts of generosity that build community. In addition, we will collect food and funds for the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Project. Bring in a donation and you'll be eligible to win a free gift in one of our hourly drawings.

Every year we look for ways to give back to the community that supports us. We sell organic seeds, gardening tools, composting and canning supplies, but we realize that growing and preserving your own food is not possible for many in our society. That's why we are raising awareness and support for our local soup kitchen and food bank, helping to provide healthy and nutritious meals to those who are in need.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is conventionally known as "Black Friday," associated with crowds marking the start of the Christmas shopping season. Among counter-culture activists, it is celebrated as "Buy Nothing Day," a protest against mindless consumerism. Being a sustainable living store, F.W. Horch seeks to provide you with gift and giving ideas that sustain meaningful relationships, cut down on the amount of waste generated during the holiday season, and make a positive difference in our community and beyond.

You don't have to choose between fighting the crowds at the big box stores or staying home alone in protest! Join us on Maine Street to shop at local businesses, support local organizations, and strengthen our community.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program
MOST NEEDED ITEMS

Tuna
Peanut Butter

Baked Beans – regular & large
Rice – small & medium

Pasta
Spaghetti Sauce
Canned Tomatoes – regular

Canned Fruit
Canned Veggies – Green Beans, Corn, Peas

Soup
Hamburger Helper – Tuna Helper

Instant Potatoes and Stuffing
and…

Any other non-perishable items you would like to donate including personal care products.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program – 84A Union Street, Brunswick, ME  04011
207.725-2716   www.mchpp.org     mchpp@suscom-maine.net

Brunswick Earth Art 2010 Event

Fans of the Earth will be able to join with others to promote creative ways to curb climate change on Sunday, November 28 in Brunswick. Earth Art 2010 will take place that day from 2 to 3 PM on the Town Mall. This will be one of many gatherings worldwide between the 21^st and 28^th sponsored by the climate advocacy group 350.org. Led by Bill McKibben, the group intends for Earth Art to “spread a warning” as well as “a message of hope… to cope with the most dangerous problem we’ve ever faced, and begin to work our way towards a clean, renewable future” (from www.350.org).

Brownie Carson of the Natural Resources Council of Maine is scheduled to give a welcome speech. There will also be an open mic for sharing environmental action ideas. The event will culminate in a group photo to capture attendees’ costumes, banners, and other visual art. The emcee will be Brunswick and Bowdoin grad Tyson Weems, who recently founded a Maine non-profit called The Health League in order to promote personal, community, and environmental health.

According to the 350.org website, “350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide – measured in Parts Per Million (PPM) – in our atmosphere. Measurements indicate we presently have 388 PPM. The group considers 350 to be “the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.” That will take collective will and creative action. Using art to help celebrate, educate, and activate, writes McKibben, is a way “to reach past people's heads to their hearts.”

Everyone who cares about Mother Earth and wants to see constructive action to deal with global warming is invited to attend this event and make a statement. Participants are invited to wear a costume, bring a creative piece of Earth Art on a large poster or banner or just come and support others. It’s a celebration and call for constructive action.

Jeff Gillis from Well Tree will be photographing the event from his bucket truck. The event will take place rain or shine. For more information, contact: sfweems68@yahoo.com

Environmental Happenings

F.W. Horch hours: Mon by appointment, Tue-Sat 9:30-6, Sun Closed.

 

The US Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration and Conservation Initiative is a public/private effort that has been working since 2008 to develop and implement a unified plan to restore and protect the ocean and coastal habitats of the Gulf of Maine.  A draft plan, calling for investment of over $3 billion into Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, is now available for public comment.  According to the Boston Globe, "The plan, when finalized, will be made available to the US Congress to be considered alongside similar plans for the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, Florida Everglades, and other degraded aquatic ecosystems whose ecological health is considered vital to the nation’s economic well-being."

Read and comment on the plan by visiting the Gulf of Maine web site at www.gulfofmaine.org.

 

Local Events

Wednesday, November 10 - Words for the Wild, 7 pm, Dresden Public Library, Bridge Academy, Rte. 127, Dresden. Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay for the second presentation of their 14th annual Winter Speaker Series. This program, “Words for the Wild,” features Gary Lawless, Gulf of Maine poet, publisher and co-owner of Gulf of Maine bookstore in Brunswick.  Canoeing down the Concord River in 1839 Henry David Thoreau penned the famous question: “Who hears the fishes when they cry?”  As Thoreau and many others speak out from and of their heart-land, so too Lawless reaches deep into the Gulf of Maine bioregion to carry its message to all who will listen.  Gary Lawless is a nationally recognized poet and has published 16 poetry collections, 12 in the U.S. and 4 in Italy including Caribouddhism and Poems for the Wild Earth. His writing deals with issues of environmental and social justice, and listening to the voices of the underprivileged and overlooked. Gary has traveled throughout the world, reading and sharing his poetry and leading workshops for traditional and nontraditional audiences.  The FOMB Winter Speaker Series takes place monthly from October-May on the second Wednesday of each month.  For more information, contact Ed Friedman at 666-3372.

Thursday, November 11 - Living Sustainably and Saving Money, 7 - 8:30 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Join us for our next Sustainable Living Talk. This month we invite "Mr. Sustainable," Guy Marsden of Woolwich, to discuss the practical steps he has taken in his own life to reduce his environmental impact. Guy notes, "I do not believe that sustainability comes into conflict with living comfortably. My family has made very few sacrifices in the process of reducing our energy footprint." Come find out how you can live more sustainably and save money, too! Free and open to the public. Space is limited; please call us at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Tuesday, November 16 - Among the Bears, 6:30 pm, Colonial Theatre, 163 High St, Belfast.  Naturalist and acclaimed black bear specialist Ben Kilham will present "Among the Bears," a slideshow and stories about New England's black bears.  Kilham has lectured widely and been featured in a number of TV shows and magazines including Field and Stream, National Geographic and People.  He has raised 26 cubs over a span of nearly 20 years and successfully returned them to the wild. His experiences have given him new and startling insights into the lives of bears. Black bears exhibit behaviors thought to be found only in humans and great apes, such as an intricate system of communication and cooperation, empathy and altruism.  Admission will be $8, $5 for students and free for children younger than 8. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Sheepscot Wellspring Land Alliance, which conserves land in the headwaters of the Sheepcot River in Freedom, Liberty, Montville and Palermo. For more information about SWLA and its educational and recreational programs, visit swlamaine.org; or contact Buck O’Herin at 589-3230 or buckoherin@fairpoint.net.

Thursday, November 18 - Wine and Chocolate Party to Celebrate Environmental Health Strategy Center's 8th Anniversary, 5:30 - 8:30 pm, Whitney Art Works, 492 Congress Street, Portland. Join the Environmental Health Strategy Center to celebrate their work to secure a clean and healthy environment where we live, work and play, and develop sustainable solutions. Stop by for a glass of wine or to sample some organic chocolate, celebrate some of our heroes from the past year, and visit with EHSC staff and friends to talk about what's ahead in 2011! For more information, visit www.preventharm.org

Saturday, November 20 - Maine Pesticide Summit, 9 am - 3 pm, Brunswick Unitarian Church, 15 Pleasant Street, Brunswick. Laura Stevens of Toxics Action Center invites you to participate in a day of sharing, discussion and strategy around the issue of reducing pesticde use in Maine.  Best-selling author, journalist and Maine resident Paul Tukey will be the keynote speaker.  According to Laura, "Communities across Maine have been up in arms against pesticide use lately. From Scarborough to Camden, and Fryeburg to Yarmouth, citizens are saying 'Stop the Spray'! Opportunities abound for reducing pesticide use in Maine: We're one of nine lucky states in the US without a pre-emption law, making pesticide bans in towns legally feasible. And there is political support for change at the state level as well."  For more information, contact Laura Steven at 871-1810 or laura@toxicsaction.org.

Sunday, November 21 - By Land and By Sea, 4 - 6 pm, The Peace Center at Midcoast Friends Meeting, 77 Belvedere Road, Damariscotta.  Community Chowder Supper will follow a presentation, By Land and By Sea, that examines a growing movement linking farmers and fishermen around their common challenges and opportunities to build local foods systems and food security. Amanda Beal and Ellen Tyler, Tufts graduate students and local foods advocates, will share the outcome of this project in Maine. The supper will include seafood/sea vegetable chowders, breads and desserts Donations accepted.  For more information, contact Andy Burt at 882-6848.

###

Local permaculture groups in Brunswick and Portland have several events planned. You can learn more about these groups and their events using the Meetup web service.  Check them out at

• http://www.meetup.com/Brunswick-Permaculture/
• http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/

A transition town group is active in the greater Brunswick area. Find out more about them and their events at

• http://www.meetup.com/Transition-Town-Brunswick/
  

For more news about Maine's environment, check out Maine Environmental News

Tip: Beat the Tax Credit Deadline

November's Sustainable Living Tip

Take advantage of the federal tax credits for energy efficiency. Purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment, to receive a federal tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $1,500.  Improvements must be "placed in service" in an existing home between January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010.

 

Facts about Consumer Energy Tax Incentives

1. The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended many consumer tax incentives originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and amended in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
2. A tax credit is generally more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction because a tax credit reduces tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government.
   
3. If you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit. For details, visit the Energy Star web site, Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency.
   
4. Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies.
   
5. Individuals and businesses who buy or lease a new hybrid gas-electric car or truck are eligible for an income tax credit for vehicles "placed in service" starting January 1, 2006, and purchased on or before December 31, 2010. The amount of the credit depends on the fuel economy, the weight of the vehicle, and whether the tax credit has been or is being phased out. Hybrid vehicles that use less gasoline than the average vehicle of similar weight and that meet an emissions standard qualify for the credit.
6. The hybrid vehicle credit will be phased out for each manufacturer once that company has sold 60,000 eligible vehicles. At that point, the tax credit for each company's vehicles will be gradually reduced over the course of 15 months. See the IRS's Summary of the Credit for Qualified Hybrid Vehicles for information on the status of specific vehicle eligibility.
   
7. Alternative-fuel vehicles, diesel vehicles with advanced lean-burn technologies, and fuel-cell vehicles are also eligible for tax credits. See the IRS summary of credits available for Alternative Motor Vehicles.
8. The Recovery Act modifies the credit for qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles purchased after Dec. 31, 2009. The minimum amount of the credit for qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles is $2,500 and the credit tops out at $7,500, depending on the battery capacity. To qualify, vehicles must be newly purchased, have four or more wheels, have a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 lbs, and draw propulsion using a battery with at least four kilowatt hours that can be recharged from an external source of electricity.  The full amount of the credit will be reduced with respect to a manufacturer's vehicles after the manufacturer has sold at least 200,000 vehicles.  The credit will then phase out over a year.
9. The Recovery Act also provided a tax credit for plug-in electric drive conversion kits. The credit is equal to 10% of the cost of converting a vehicle to a qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle and placed in service after Feb. 17, 2009. The maximum amount of the credit is $4,000. The credit does not apply to conversions made after Dec. 31, 2011. A taxpayer may claim this credit even if the taxpayer claimed a hybrid vehicle credit for the same vehicle in an earlier year.
10. The Recovery Act law also creates a special tax credit for two types of plug-in vehicles: certain low-speed electric vehicles and 2- or 3-wheeled vehicles. The amount of the credit is 10% of the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum credit of $2,500 for purchases made after Feb. 17, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2012.  To qualify, a vehicle must be either a low speed vehicle propelled by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery with a capacity of 4 kilowatt hours or more, or be a 2- or 3-wheeled vehicle propelled by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery with the capacity of 2.5 kilowatt hours. A taxpayer may not claim this credit if the plug-in electric drive vehicle credit is allowable.

Living Sustainably and Saving Money

Guy Marsden of Woolwich will give a public talk entitled "Living Sustainably and Saving Money" at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, November 11 at 7 pm. Guy will speak from his own experiences about his efforts to live as sustainably as practical while also saving money and reducing his carbon footprint. The event is free and open to the public.

"I do not believe that sustainability comes into conflict with living comfortably," says Guy. "My family has made very few sacrifices in the process of reducing our energy footprint."

Guy's presentation shares practical steps on the path to living sustainably -- from simple no-cost things like turning down the water heater, on up to installing solar panels. Along the way he will share anecdotes and personal stories about his journey. As an electrical engineer he will also demystify electric power: attendees will learn what a kilowatt hour is and why this measure of electrical energy is important to know.

 Guy documents his solar installations, including the solar building heating system he designed and installed and the solar domestic water and solar power systems he installed, on his web site at www.arttec.net.


Space for this talk is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly workshop is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information about the F.W. Horch sustainable living series, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Environmental Happenings

Environmental Happenings

F.W. Horch hours: Mon by appointment, Tue-Sat 9:30-6, Sun Closed.

Don't Forget to Vote!

Election day is November 2. As usual, there will be state bond issues.

Question 3 on your ballot asks, "Do you favor a $9,750,000 bond issue to invest in land conservation and working waterfront preservation and to preserve state parks to be matched by $9,250,000 in federal and other funds?"

For the full gory details of how this money would be used, you can read Part J of Maine Public Law Chapter 645. In short, $9.25 million would go to the Land for Maine's Future Board to leverage $9.25 million in other funds; $0.5 million would go to the Bureau of Parks and Lands to preserve state parks and properties managed by the Department of Conservation.

Local Events

Wednesday, October 13 - Climate Change: Perspectives and Realities, Surprises and Opportunities, 7 pm, Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center, Bowdoin College, Brunswick.  Dr. Paul Mayewski, Director & Professor at the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine Orono, is a world-renowned glaciologist and climatologist. He will discuss his research findings from around the globe including Greenland, Antarctica, the Himalayas, Tibet, and Tierra del Fuego. Dr. Mayewski's research has documented abrupt changes in the world's atmosphere, produced naturally and by human activity. He has been honored with numerous international scientific awards, published more than 300 papers and led more than 50 expeditions to remote regions. This lecture is sponsored by Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, and co-sponsored by Bowdoin's Arctic Studies and Environmental Studies Programs.

Thursday, October 14 - Designing and Building a Photovoltaic Powered Solar Hot Water System with Internet Enabled Energy Monitoring, 7 - 8:30 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Join us for our next Sustainable Living Talk. This month we invite Phil Shelton to explain his "Zero Net Energy" solar hot water heating system. Phil asks, "Why add to your electric bill when you can power your solar hot water pumps from the sun too?" Come find out how you can use a solar photovoltaic-powered pump on an evacuated tube solar hot water system, and how to design and install a monitoring system that provides a more accurate measure of the hot water actually being delivered for use. Free and open to the public. Space is limited; please call us at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Friday, October 15 - A National Ocean Policy: Moving Ocean Management into the 21st Century, 7:30 pm, Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center, Bowdoin College, Brunswick.  The way in which the United States manages its marine resources is undergoing major changes. The new National Ocean Policy recently unveiled by the Obama Administration could have significant implications for many stakeholders and for the health of marine ecosystems. The Bowdoin College Coastal Studies Center is hosting a symposium October 15-16, 2010, to examine the implications of these policy reforms. The symposium kicks off Friday, Oct. 15, at 5:30 p.m., with a reception and poster session in Morrell Lounge, Smith Union, followed by the keynote address by former Maine Congressman Tom Allen '67, co-founder of the House Oceans Caucus.  The symposium continues 8 am - 6:30 pm, Saturday in Smith Auditorium, Sills Hall, with presentations by experts including 2005 MacArthur Fellow and Visiting Coastal Scholar Ted Ames, Island Institute President Phillip Conkling, University of Maine Professor of Marine Sciences and Economics Jim Wilson, and others. Registration is required; the events are free and open to the public.  For more information, visit the Bowdoin College web site.

Sunday, October 17 - 3rd Annual Kennebunk Green Living Expo, Noon - 5 pm, Kennebunk High School, Kennebunk.  Educational exhibits will include renewable energy companies, green builders, and organizations ranging from local farmers to the Maine Energy Education Program, Efficiency Maine and Borealis Breads. Local food, music. Solar, wind, geothermal exhibitors. Energy efficiency products, services & incentives. Green lifestyle companies: jewelry, clothing & more. Raffle to benefit Kennebunk High green projects. Free admission. Co-sponsored by Kennebunk High School’s eKo Club and the town of Kennebunk’s Energy Efficiency Committee. For more information, visit Kennebunk High School's eKo Club web site.

Wednesdays, October 20 to November 10 - Fishes and Loaves: A Study of the Covenant between Land and Sea, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, The Peace Center of Midcoast Maine, Midcoast Friends Meetinghouse, 77 Belvedere Road, Damariscotta.  What if there were no fish?  This question is at the center of a five-week program of study and reflection about how our oceans and fishing communities are being affected by environmental changes. "Using films and guest speakers, we will learn about the environmental changes currently taking place in the oceans and how these are impacting Maine fishing communities," explains Andy Burt, co-creator of the study and the local facilitator. The public is welcome to attend any or all of the Wednesday evening programs from 6:30 to 8:30 pm beginning on October 20 at the Midcoast Friends Meetinghouse in Damariscotta.  The study, sponsored by The Peace Center of Midcoast Maine, concludes on Sunday, November 21 with a program and Chowder Supper from 4 to 6 pm.  For more information about the program or dinner, please contact Andy Burt at 882-6848 or 380-5387.

Thursday, October 21 - Maine Gubernatorial Candidate Forum On Energy, The Environment, And A Sustainable Maine Economy, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, University of Southern Maine's Hannaford Hall, Portland. Maine environmental organizations will host a forum for citizens to hear our gubernatorial candidates discuss topics critical to Maine's future, including clean air and water, climate change and energy, wildlife and land conservation, and a sustainable economy. The event is free and open to the public. The event begins at 6:30 pm with coffee and dessert; the forum will begin at 7:30 pm. Susan Sharon of Maine Public Broadcasting will moderate. Hosted by Conservation Law Foundation, Environment Northeast, Maine Audubon, Maine Center For Economic Policy, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. MOFGA and many other environmental groups in Maine are co-sponsoring the event. For more information, email Judy Berk at judy@nrcm.org or call 430-4103.

Sunday, October 24 - The Art of Local Food, 5 - 7 pm, Summit at Point Lookout, Ducktrap Mountain, Northport.  Savor an autumn evening with neighbors who love Maine’s environment.  The Art of Local Food supports the environmental work of the Natural Resources Council of Maine and showcases the culinary talents of Maine chefs. Appreciate their artful use of the catch of the day, locally-produced fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats, and other Maine-made products. Enjoy a cash bar featuring Maine beers, wines, and spirits, live music by Tom Luther and Justin Walton, and a breathtaking view of Penobscot Bay as the moon rises.  For $40, all of which supports NRCM’s work to protect Maine’s environment (and $20 of which is tax-deductible), what better way to celebrate Maine’s bounty?  Space is limited.  For reservations visit www.nrcm.org/artoflocalfood.asp or call Joyce Gracie at 430-0128.

Saturday, November 6 - Go Green Expo, 10 am - 4 pm, Mount Ararat High School, Topsham. Save the date for the 4th Annual Go Green Expo. You and your family and friends will discover how easy it is to make your home a green home. Find everything from hybrid cars, to alternative energy, to recycled building materials and consumer products and services. All with sustainable living in mind.  New this year is a “Go Green Science Fair” featuring exhibits from area school students. There will be a food court, children’s activities and wonderful door prizes.  Admission is free and there is plenty of free parking for all!  For more information, visit the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce web site.

###

Local permaculture groups in Brunswick and Portland have several events planned. You can learn more about these groups and their events using the Meetup web service.  Check them out at

• http://www.meetup.com/Brunswick-Permaculture/
• http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/

A transition town group is active in the greater Brunswick area. Find out more about them and their events at

• http://www.meetup.com/Transition-Town-Brunswick/
  

For more news about Maine's environment, check out Maine Environmental News

Tip: Compost Fall Leaves

October's Sustainable Living Tip

Collect your leaves for making great compost. For quick results, make a pile at least three feet tall and three feet in diameter, add a compost activator, water thoroughly, and turn every few days. Another option is to allow your leaves to dry in the sun, then collect and store them under cover or in garbage cans for use throughout the year. Dry leaves are a good source of "browns" to add to your kitchen "greens."

 

Facts about Cold Weather Composting

1. To make compost, you W-A-N-T four things: water, air, nutrients and temperature.
2. Now that fall has arrived, outdoor temperatures start to fall below the range that supports composting. You can still collect materials, but the composting action will slow down the colder it gets.
3. Making a big pile of leaves helps keep the temperature in the center of the pile high enough to complete the composting process before winter comes.
4. The trick to successfully composting fall leaves is to ensure that you remember to provide the water, air and nutrients needed, in addition to building a large enough pile that will retain heat.
5. Water is essential to making compost. You'll need to water your pile of leaves to get things started, and you may need to add water every few days. Building a pile in the sun will help with heat, but will require extra water. Building the pile in the shade will retain more moisture, but doesn't take advantage of the sun's energy for heating things up. Some people like to build their pile in the sun and cover the top with black plastic. This keeps some moisture in and also collects heat to keep those microbes toasty.
   
6. Periodically turning your pile will allow air to circulate. Aerobic microbes require oxygen to do their work. In the absence of oxygen, anaerobic microbes take over. If that happens, be prepared for odors. Ensure an adequate supply of oxygen for your microbes by turning your pile every few days. And if odors do develop, remember the best remedy is fresh air.
7. A pile of leaves by themselves won't compost as quickly as a pile of leaves with some added nutrients. Compost activators supply the missing nutrients--mainly nitrogen. Other sources of nitrogen include manure and kitchen scraps. If your leaf pile doesn't seem to be "cooking," try adding water and an activator to speed things up. But once temperatures fall too low, if your pile isn't cooking you may just have to wait for warmer weather.
   
8. Besides building a big compost pile, you have other good options for using your leaves. Shredding them and using them as mulch around bushes and trees, or on garden beds, is a simple and sustainable approach. After all, your trees are expecting their leaves to feed their roots for next year.
9. Another option is to store your leaves to use when you take your kitchen compost out. Whenever you empty your compost pail from your kitchen, it's a great idea to cover your scraps with dried leaves. Now is the time to collect those leaves for use the rest of the year.
10. If you shred your leaves they'll take up a lot less space, and break down into compost quicker when you add them to your compost pile. You don't have to buy a shredder; a weed wacker in a garbage can works well. Just remember to wear eye protection and be prepared to get covered in little leafy bits.
11. We're often asked whether you can continue to add things to your compost pile in the winter. The answer is yes! Just don't expect much to happen. On the positive side, you don't have to worry about odors once things start freezing. That means you don't have to be as concerned about adding browns to your pile. Late fall and winter is the time of year when you can "dump and run" with your kitchen compost pail and get away with it. The rest of the year, it's a better idea to cover your kitchen scraps with a layer of "browns" (shredded leaves or sawdust or the like).
    
12. If you're the type that doesn't want to just wait until spring for your compost, consider bringing your composting action inside. Worm bins are a fun choice. You can use leaves as the top dressing in your worm bins. Simply bury your food scraps under the leaves and let worms eat your garbage. In a few months, your hard-working pet worms will turn both your scraps and your leaves into beautiful castings.
13. If you start your garden from seeds, you really ought to try worm castings for your seedlings. My favorite mix is half and half worm castings and coconut fiber (also called "coir"). Many people consider coir to be more sustainable than peat moss. Some peat bogs are being harvested faster than the peat forms. Coir, on the other hand, grows on coconut trees--it's the stringy stuff in the coconut husk. Plus, if you think about it, every coconut is just a big seed.  The coir is designed to help that seed grow. So it makes sense to use coir for seedlings.
    
14. A great spot for a worm bin is down in the cellar next to your boiler. Worms like it dark and dank. You can provide a good home to some deserving invertebrates and save yourself the hassle of taking your kitchen scraps outside this winter by keeping a worm bin.
    
15. Now is the best time to start a worm bin to produce castings in time to use for your spring seedlings. It's never too early to be planning for next year's garden!

Solar Hot Water Talk

On Thursday, October 14, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, we will host a workshop by Philip Shelton titled "Designing and Building a Photovoltaic Powered Solar Hot Water System with Internet Enabled Energy Monitoring." Please join us at the store for this free talk.

Solar hot water systems are a common upgrade to many high performance homes in Maine. While free solar energy heats the water in these systems, many of them rely on house electric power for the pumps that circulate fluid between the solar collector outside and the hot water tank inside.

"Why add to your electric bill when you can power your solar hot water pumps from the sun too?" asks Phil. "After being told by a 'professional' that it could not be done, I set out to design and build a system that was truly Zero Net Energy."

Phil's free workshop will cover solar hot water system design, basic plumbing techniques and low cost system monitoring devices. He will show how you can use a solar photovoltaic-powered pump on an evacuated tube solar hot water system. Harnessing solar energy for your pumps provide two advantages. First, your solar hot water system is more reliable; it continues working even during power outages. Second, your pump speed matches the available solar energy: when more heat is available, your pumps circulate faster.

During the workshop, find out how to design and install a monitoring system that provides a more accurate measure of the hot water actually being delivered for use. You will learn how to use inexpensive monitoring hardware to determine how much energy -- and money -- your solar hot water system is actually saving.

"All the energy for my entire system, including radiant heat for our greenhouse, comes from the sun," says Phil. "The performance of our system is posted live on the Internet at www.sunnyhotwater.com."

Phil is perhaps best known for designing and building the world's largest rotating globe for DeLorme Mapping in Yarmouth, Maine. Computer controlled, 42' in diameter and built with 3 miles of aluminum tubing, it made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999.

Phil honed his skills as a wooden boat builder on Long Island, New York, before heading to the wilds of Washington County, Maine. He bought 30 acres of woodland, three miles from electricity, and built a log cabin from the trees on the land. After living for five years without electricity or running water (unless you count "running water" up from the stream with galvanized buckets) and with a second son on the way, Phil decided to move towards civilization. He landed a job at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine, and taught boat building for ten years.

His lifelong goal, as a boat builder, was to design and build his own boat and sail around the world. After ten years of off and on construction, the 42-foot gaff rigged cutter "Iwalani," equipped with a modified wind generator, was finally launched. Phil and his wife Amy left Maine in 2000 and successfully returned three years and 30,000 miles later. At Williams Farm, in Georgetown, Maine, they continue to pursue a self-sustaining lifestyle.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so if you're interested in attending we encourage you to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Environmental Happenings

Global News

BP reports that it has spent $8 billion due to the Deepwater Horizon drill rig explosion that killed eleven people and caused an uncontrollable flow of oil from the Macondo reservoir into the Gulf of Mexico between April 21 and July 15. BP successfully stopped the leak by capping the well. A relief well is expected to be in place by mid-September that will allow the company to permanently "kill" the leak from the bottom. The Macondo oilfield, which is owned by the United States, is estimated to contain 45 million recoverable barrels of oil, worth less than $4 billion at today's prices. BP has a 65% stake in the field, Anadarko Petroleum Corp has 25% and MOEX Offshore 2007, a Houston-based unit of Japan's Mitsui & Co, holds 10%.

State News

Maine homeowners can get up to $4,500 for energy efficiency projects with state and federal incentives. For details of the Home Energy Savings Program, visit EfficiencyMaine.com.

Local Events

Tuesday, September 7 - Public Forum: "Food and Energy," 7pm-9pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick.  All voters in legislative District 66 in Brunswick are invited to a series of public forums between September 7th and 15th to meet their candidates for Representative to the Legislature and to discuss key issues. Each forum will take place from 7 pm to 9 pm. The schedule will be as follows: "Food and Energy," Tuesday, September 7th, at Frontier Cafe; "Transportation and Redeveloping the Base," Monday, September 13th, at Curtis Memorial Library; and "Health Care and Education," Wednesday, September 15th, at Curtis Memorial Library.

Thursday, September 9 - Deep Energy Retrofit, 7 pm - 8:30 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Join us for our next Sustainable Living Talk. This month we invite Al Heath to explain his deep energy retrofit of a 1940’s duplex in Bath, Maine, into an energy efficient, well insulated single family home. His goal was to double the efficiency of the building -- reducing the heating cost to the bare minimum. Free and open to the public. Space is limited; please call us at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Friday, September 10 - Rally to Restore the Shad, 3:30 - 6:30 pm, Brunswick Mall Gazebo. Rally to restore the American shad to the Androscoggin River. Gather at the gazebo in downtown Brunswick, then march with the giant shad down Maine Street to the Topsham bridge. Rally to be followed by a press event and refreshments at the Frontier Cafe. Bring friends! For more information, contact Neil Ward, Program Director of the Androscoggin River Alliance, at 933-5268 or nward@fairpoint.net.

Friday, September 17 - Sedgeunkedunk Symposium and Celebration, 1 - 4 pm, Fields Pond, Holden.  The Friday afternoon symposium will emphasize research on changes to the ecosystem since the Meadow Dam was removed in 2008 and will highlight the dam removal process as a model for ongoing restoration projects in other parts of the Penobscot River watershed as well as a model for other communities that may own dams and are exploring ways for changing the dams that they own.  For more info visit habitat.maineaudubon.org.

Sunday, September 19 -  Brunswick Topsham Land Trust Race 4 Space, 9 am,  Livesay Field
Corner of Middle Bay & Pennellville Roads, Brunswick.  The 4 mile route passes 6 beautiful properties protected from development by conservation easements or open space plans. An open meadow, soccer field, cow pasture, coastal farm, sledding hill and bird sanctuary. Turn around is at a small swimming beach and boat launch. PLUS! Walking tour of nationally registered historic district and kids fun run (distance dependent on age). Register at www.active.com "Race 4 Space."

Friday - Sunday, September 24-26 - Common Ground Country Fair, 9 am - 6 pm Fri & Sat, 9 am - 5 pm Sun, Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Join hundreds of vendors, exhibitors and demonstrators, more than 1,000 volunteers, and tens of thousands of fairgoers to share knowledge about sustainable living; eat delicious, organic, Maine-grown food; buy and sell beautiful Maine crafts and useful agricultural products; compete in various activities; dance; sing and have a great time. Come visit our store's booth in the Energy & Shelter section. For directions, visit www.MOFGA.org. See you at Common Ground!

Monday, September 27 - Birds of the Gulf of Maine, 7pm, Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick.  Shearwaters, Storm-petrels and Phalaropes.  Luke Seitz will present photos and tales from his summer as the whale and seabird spotter on the Odyssey Whale Watch out of Portland, Maine as well as other pelagic birding experiences on the Gulf of Maine. Luke is a birder, photographer and artist from Falmouth, Maine.  Free and open to the public. Refreshments. Contact: Ted Allen 729-8661.

Saturday, October 2 - Apple Day, 10 am - 2 pm, Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth.  Autumn is a dynamic and bountiful season well worth celebrating. Discover how Maine’s wildlife prepares for the coming winter in all sorts of interesting ways through migration challenges, scavenger hunts for young and old, games, and kids crafts. Our annual harvest festival includes something for everyone - cider pressing, storytelling, organic markets, live music, contra dancing, and more!  For more info visit habitat.maineaudubon.org.

Sunday, October 3 - Belgrade Lakes Member Paddle, 9 am - 2:30 pm, Castle Island Boat Launch, Long Pond, Belgrade Lakes.  This paddle is open to Natural Resource Council of Maine members and area residents who want to join us for a beautiful fall paddle on Long Pond. NRCM staff and Ellen Blanchard, a local naturalist, will be leading this trip for you.  If you don't have your own kayak, you can rent one for $25 per person by contacting Stacie Haines at shaines@nrcm.org or 430-0127.

Tip: Clean and Efficient Heating

September's Sustainable Living Tip

Take advantage of state and federal incentives to improve your home's heating efficiency, then start  switching away from fossil fuel to heat your home. Solar supplemented by electricity is the most sustainable heating system, and it's easy to get started.

 

Facts about Clean and Efficient Heating

1. Conventional houses waste 90% or more of the energy they use for space heating, compared to houses built to the Passive House standard.
2. The Passive House standard is the industry leader in energy efficiency, having been successfully pioneered in Europe and now reaching Maine.
3. Federal and state incentives are available to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes, including up to $4,500 through Efficiency Maine's Home Energy Savings Program.
4. The key to achieving the dramatic improvements in home heating efficiency necessary to reach the Passive House standard is to air seal the building envelope and provide fresh air ventilation using a heat recovery ventilator.
5. Another important aspect of Passive House design is to use passive solar gain, which can be achieved through windows and solar air space heaters that ensure solar energy can enter the home during the day, but prevent heat from leaking back out at night.
   
6. Houses built to the Passive House standard in Maine will maintain a temperature of at least 10 degrees C (50 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout winter when their ventilation and heating systems are turned off. You can leave these houses unheated in the winter without risk of freezing. Passive House heating systems are needed only for comfort.
   
7. While it is challenging to retrofit many existing homes to Passive House standards, the principle of controlling air flow can be applied to every home to improve its heating performance.
8. A professional energy audit is the first step to qualify for state funding under the Home Energy Savings Program.
9. A good energy audit will help you understand how your home uses energy, so you can prioritize your energy upgrades.
10. A blower door test, which uses a big fan to suck air out of your house, is one of the best ways to identify air leaks and to check that home energy work has been done properly.
11. An infrared scan, using a camera that measures surface temperatures, is another important diagnostic tool that allows you and your contractors to see where energy leaves your house.
12. In most existing homes, it is not cost effective to control all air leaks; enough air will flow uncontrolled in and out of the structure to maintain healthy indoor air quality.
13. But if you are able to control air leaks to the point where a blower door test shows fewer than 0.3 air changes per hour during the heating season, then you should install a heat recovery or energy recovery ventilator.
14. Heat recovery ventilators exhaust stale outdoor air and bring in fresh outdoor air in a way that transfers heat from the outgoing air to the incoming air. This helps maintain a higher indoor air temperature, but can lower indoor relative humidity because outdoor air is usually dryer than indoor air.
15. Energy recovery ventilators perform the same function as heat recovery ventilators, but also help transfer humidity to maintain not only a higher indoor air temperature but also a higher indoor air relative humidity.
    
16. If a ventilator fails, windows can be opened to provide fresh air.
17. As homes are "tightened up" by sealing places where cold air enters and warm air leaves, it becomes more important to consider ways to maintain indoor air quality.
18. It is a good idea to choose paints, finishes, and cleaning products that do not emit noxious fumes. A surprising number of household products contain petroleum-based fragrances that irritate human respiratory systems.
19. As you improve your home's energy performance, you increase the affordable options for heating your home.
    
20. A conventional 2,500 square foot home in Maine that is not well insulated would require a heating system rated between 30,000 and 40,000 watts. This is equivalent to about 24 electric space heaters.
21. Doubling the efficiency of this home would allow it to be heated with 12 space heaters; raising it to Passive House standards would allow the entire house to be heated with just three electric space heaters which would typically be integrated with the ventilation system.
22. Solar space heaters are a way to turn conventional homes into passive solar homes. These units can be installed on a southern wall or roof. Without the need for electricity or plumbing, they circulate air from inside your home, through a heat collector, and back into your home, effectively harnessing the free energy that is delivered to your home every sunny winter day.
    
23. In the long term, our society must make the transition away from burning all types of fossil fuel, including propane and natural gas.
    
24. Although a fraction of our electricity here in Maine is generated by burning fossil fuel, much of it is already sourced from clean renewable sources.
25. In the future, we can generate all of our electricity from clean and renewable sources here in Maine.
26. If you want to help jump start the conversion of our economy to a sustainable clean energy future, you can install a grid-tied renewable energy system. The most reliable systems use solar photovoltaic panels. The electricity you generate will flow into the grid, displacing the need to generate electricity from non-renewable resources.
    
27. With current technology, it is much easier to stop burning fossil fuel for home heating than to stop burning fossil fuel for transportation, so it makes sense to start our society's transition to clean energy by changing the way we heat our buildings.
28. One of the advantages to using electricity for home heating, from the perspective of the overall sustainability of our society, is that the delivery system for electricity is largely in place. Since most homes already use electricity for lighting and appliances, we are committed to maintaining this infrastructure.
29. Building a new distribution system for natural gas throughout Maine is an unsustainable and unnecessary expense. Private and public funds will be tied up in this venture that could be better put to use increasing the heating performance of our housing stock and improving the reliability of our electric grid.
30. Delivering cord wood or pellets throughout Maine places a huge burden on our roads.
    
31. Although work is being done to develop renewable sources of solid and liquid fuels, these energy strategies do not lend themselves as easily to distributed production as electricity generation.
32. Most homes and businesses in Maine with a sunny roof can be used to generate electricity; few residential and commercial properties are suitable for fuel production.
33. The heating systems of the past were based on wood; the systems of the present require fossil fuel; those of the future will likely be solar electric.
34. If you are building a new house, you can be part of the solution for a clean energy future by choosing to build to the Passive House standard.
    
35. If you plan to live in an existing house, you can still help bring about a clean energy future by improving your home's heating performance, installing a solar space heater, and switching your home to electric heat room by room.

Deep Energy Retrofit

Join us for our next Sustainable Living Talk on Thursday, September 9, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. We'll host Al Heath for "Deep Energy Retrofit."

 

"You don’t have to build a new house to have a super-efficient home, but you do need to follow basic rules of building science and not so common sense," says Al. "Saving 10-20% is fairly easy.  Saving 50-90% is a much bigger challenge."

 

Al purchased a duplex in Bath and has converted it to a super-efficient single family home with goal being to reduce the total energy load (heating + electrical) by 75%.  From basement to attic he restructured the entire envelope using a combination of techniques and materials that lend themselves to retrofit.

 

"Home energy usage is twenty two percent of the US carbon footprint (twice that of private cars).  A deep energy retrofit home will not only save you money, but be much more comfortable, improve indoor air quality and increase re-sale value.” says Heath. "The time to act is now, before the next price hikes."

Al is a Energy Auditor and Consultant in Bath.  Photos and more information are available at www.ColdClimateHome.com.  He can be reached at 522-4588 or al@coldclimatehome.com.

Our monthly Sustainable Living Talks are held at our store, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, on the second Thursday of each month. Free and open to the public, but please call us at 729-4050 to let us know you're coming so we have enough seats for you.