Environmental Happenings

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

 

Global News

 

Federal officials have reopened more than 5,000 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico to fishing, now that a temporary cap is in place over the damaged oil well from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster. More than one quarter of United States waters in the Gulf remain closed to fishing. Officials estimate that at least 200 million gallons of oil flowed into the ocean between April and July. Scientists are now investigating the effects of this unprecedented event, with particular concern about the widespread use of chemical dispersants that were used to keep the oil suspended in the water.

 

State News

 

Maine homeowners can get up to $5,500 for energy efficiency projects with new state and federal incentives. According to Efficiency Maine, "Homeowners simply need to sign up by August 31, 2010 and submit their Rebate Reservation Form by September 30, 2010 to be eligible." For more information, visit Efficiency Maine.

 

Local Events

Thursday, August 12 - Pulling the Plug: Rethinking Energy in Maine, 7 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick.  Bode von Franken is the artist also known as Robert Van Vranken. He now lives off grid in Brunswick, due to a series of unintentional events. Join Bode to explore the journey from the familiar life connected to the electricity grid to the unexpected freedom of living off grid. For more information, please call 729-4050. Free and open to the public.

Monday, August 16 - Image Gazer Film Festival, 12:00-1:30 pm, Ellsworth Grand Auditorium.  See the Natural Resources Council of Maine's documentary film, "Protecting the Nature of Maine," being shown as part of the Image Gazer Film Festival. The film will be shown from  along with another film, "Planting Hope." A one-day pass to view all movies is $10, a three-day pass is $25.  For more information, visit www.imagegazer.org.

Tuesday, August 17 - Product Stewardship State Legislative Forum, 2:15-5:15 pm, Holiday Inn by the Bay, Spring Street, Portland.  Join legislators, government, business representatives, solid waste officials, and environmental advocates to learn how business and states are turning today’s trash into tomorrow’s products at The Product Stewardship State Legislative Forum.  This forum is taking place in conjunction with the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference. Free and open to the public, this event is sponsored by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Council of State Governments, and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.  For more information, contact Matt Prindiville at mprindiville@nrcm.org or 430-0144.  Register online today.

Saturday, August 28 - Phragmites Removal Project, 10 am – 2 pm, Abagadasset River, Bowdoinham.  Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay to continue their effort (started last summer) eradicating a discrete and isolated stand of Phragmites located on the Abagadasset River. Cut and bag the seed heads, then squirt a dose of herbicide down each hollow stem. This method is labor intensive but is effective and selective - the herbicide is only applied directly to individual plants. An experienced, licensed applicator will be present to assist.  If you would like to take part in this rewarding opportunity to kill invasive plants and help protect the natural communities within Merrymeeting Bay please sign up with Misty Gorski at 737-8508 or fomb@suscom-maine.net.  For more information, visit Friends of Merrymeeting Bay online.

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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

Pulling the Plug: Rethinking Energy in Maine

We will host a talk by Bode von Franken titled "Pulling the Plug: Rethinking Energy in Maine," on Thursday, August 12, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

Bode von Franken is the artist also known as Robert Van Vranken. He now lives off grid in Brunswick, due to a series of unintentional events.

"I slowly stumbled into being completely off the grid," says von Franken. "One disaster led to another, and now we're completely free."

Von Franken's talk will explore the journey from the familiar life connected to the electricity grid to the unexpected freedom of living off grid. He will share his personal experiences during his journey to energy self-sufficiency on Pennellville Road in Brunswick.

Von Franken is best known as the artist Robert Van Vranken. His visual work, shown in New York at OK Harris Works of Art and in San Francisco at Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, has been described as "intellectually stimulating paintings of mysterious architectural spaces." A native of New York State, Van Vranken graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine and received an M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has received many awards, including residencies at the Djerassi Foundation and the MacDowell Colony. More information about him and his work is available online at www.rvvart.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 those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Hope you can join us!

Think Beyond Petroleum

July's Sustainable Living Tip

Help our country go "beyond petroleum." Most people think we need to drill for offshore gas and oil to meet our energy needs. Show them otherwise by choosing cleaner energy sources now.

Facts about Going "Beyond Petroleum"

1. According to Reuters, 56 percent of Americans polled in June 2010 believe offshore drilling is necessary for the United States to produce its own energy and not rely on other countries for oil.
2. Deep water drill rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are used to extract both oil and natural gas from rock formations under the ocean.
3. Oil and gas are global commodities, so it's hard to predict how lowering demand in the United States will affect any particular drill site. But lowering demand for fossil fuel anywhere in the world reduces the need to drill offshore for oil and gas everywhere in the world.
4. In the short term, you can help our country become more energy secure by reducing the amount of oil and gas you burn.
5. You will have the most impact on your consumption of oil and gas by focusing on three areas: 1) hot water, 2) transportation, and 3) home heating.
6. Installing low-flow shower heads and washing your clothes in cold water are two easy and effective ways to reduce your energy demand for hot water.
   
7. You can heat most of your domestic hot water (for showers, dish washing, laundry, etc.) this year and every year in the future with a solar hot water system.
8. Unless you carefully size your solar hot water system or can manage your demand, you will probably need a backup heat source to guarantee hot water is available all the time.
9. You can minimize your consumption of fossil fuel by choosing electricity or wood, rather than propane or natural gas, as the back up heat source for your solar hot water system.
   
10. Combining trips, carpooling, walking and bicycling more, and ensuring your tires are properly inflated are all ways you can reduce the amount of gas you burn for transportation.
11. Improving fuel efficiency will slightly reduce our country's need for oil. Switching to fully electric cars, trolleys and buses will dramatically reduce it.
12. Electric cars will be available in the United States starting in 2011, with mass market availability expected by 2012. Nissan estimates that by 2020 electric cars will account for 10% of the global market.
13. Batteries in electric cars may act as buffers to allow intermittent electricity sources like wind turbines to power a larger percentage of the grid without the need for natural gas turbines. If cars are plugged in to the grid while parked, their batteries can be charging when wind turbines are spinning, and discharging when wind turbines stop and the grid needs more power. Currently, stand by sources like hydro and natural gas need to be available to complement wind turbines and other intermittent renewable energy sources.
14. Weatherizing your home by sealing air leaks and improving insulation is one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy consumption. Efficiency Maine is running a summer special, giving up to $5,500 in state incentives to complete projects by August 31.
    
15. Installing zones and setting back your thermostat are also extremely effective energy conservation measures.
    
16. Replacing an old, inefficient heating system with a more efficient model is another way to reduce your energy consumption. But if you decide to replace your heating system you may want to consider switching energy sources as well.
17. In the long term, you can help our country achieve energy independence by choosing other energy sources instead of oil or gas.
18. According to the US Energy Information Administration, there are no natural gas or oil reserves in Maine.
19. Solar is the most significant energy source available to most Mainers. It is delivered daily throughout the state and can be harnessed with systems that are extremely durable and easy to maintain.
20. Wood is another energy source widely available. Systems that burn wood require more maintenance than systems that harness solar energy directly.
21. Wind is available to few Mainers. The best wind resources are along ridge lines, the coast, and offshore. Systems that harness wind energy tend to be difficult to maintain.
    
22. Electricity is a good choice for lowering your consumption of fossil fuel. Even though some natural gas is burned to generate electricity in Maine, you will still reduce your fossil fuel footprint by substituting electricity for heating oil, propane or natural gas. This is because much of the electricity in Maine is generated by hydro and biomass power plants, and an increasing amount is being generated by wind and solar.
23. If your house is currently connected to the public power grid, you can help clean up how electricity is generated in Maine by installing solar electric panels on your roof. Not only will you begin to supply your own power, but any excess power you produce will be used by your neighbors.

Environmental Happenings

Thursday, July 8 - Living Simply in an Affordable Solar Home, 7 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick.  In 2008 Ben Tipton and his family sold their large home in Vermont, gave away or donated most of their possessions and moved to Maine. They now live more simply in a nearly carbon-free house, paying less than a dollar a day for utilities.  Join us to learn how Ben's family made the journey to "footprint reduction."  For more information, please call 729-4050. Free and open to the public.

Friday, July 9 - Friends of Highland Mountains, 7 pm, Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick. Jonathan Carter of Forest Ecology Network and Karen Pease of Friends of the Highland Mountains will show a documentary DVD and speak about the proposed 48 turbine wind project proposed for the Highland Mountains in western Maine. Join them to find out why they believe "industrial wind isn’t green and is destroying Maine’s mountains." Free and open to the public.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 9, 10, 11 - Maine Bike Rally, 1 pm, Brunswick High School. Bicyclists from across Maine, New England, other states, and Canada will gather again this summer for the 22nd annual Maine Bike Rally. The Maine Bike Rally is a combined effort of local enthusiasts, the Casco Bay Bicycle Club, Merrymeeting Wheelers Bicycle Club and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. The three-day event features both on-road and off-road rides as well as an accredited time-trial event. Riders can choose from more than 30 rides that vary in length from a short five miles to a 100-mile century ride winding through country lanes and shorelines. This year's event will be held at Brunswick High School with check-in and set up for campers beginning on Friday, July 9 at 1:00 pm. Bicyclists from Bath, Brunswick, Durham, Freeport, Harpswell, Topsham, and West-Bath ride for $15/person or $30/family meals not included. For more information, visit www.mainebikerally.org.

Saturday, July 10 - Merrymeeting Bay Bird Walk, 6:30-8:30 am, Bowdoinham.  Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay to learn about the diversity of birds found around Merrymeeting Bay. Led by Will Broussard, ornithologist and acoustics expert, this walk will provide numerous opportunities to see, hear, and learn more about the birds utilizing the abundant resources around Merrymeeting Bay. From eagles and ospreys to indigo buntings and Baltimore orioles, this is one walk you won’t want to miss!  Pre-registration with trip leader Will Broussard at 837-9520 is required.

Saturday, July 10 - Seasonal Organic Recipe Demonstration, Augusta Farmers' Market, Turnpike Mall (Exit 109 off Interstate 95). The Maine Organic Farmer and Gardeners Association's Organic Marketing Consultant and Resident Chef Cheryl Wixson will host a "Show and Taste" event at the Augusta Farmers' Market. A long-time local foods advocate, Wixson inspires eaters of all ages to enjoy the pleasures of local eating. Plan on leaving inspired to cook, with ingredients and recipes in hand! Wixson's "Show and Taste" will be one in a series of special events at the Augusta Farmers' Market this summer. For more information, contact Sarah Lincoln-Harrison via email at sarah@ecofarm.org or by phone at 781-771-2034.

Sunday, July 11 - Georges River Land Trust Gardens in the Watershed garden tour, 10 am to 5 pm, rain or shine. Seven diverse, lovely gardens in South Thomaston, Thomaston and Cushing. Tickets $25 in advance; $28 on tour day. Gourmet bag lunch available by pre-order. For more information, call 594-5166 or email info@grlt.org

Saturday, July 17 - Local Foods Breakfast at Morris Farm, 8-11 am, 156 Gardiner Road, Wiscasset. Grace Goldberg, volunteer Chef at Morris Farm, also known for her work as the Give Peas a Chance Pea Soup Booth cooker at the Common Ground Fair, works magic in the kitchen with wholesome, organic, local ingredients. Menu includes eggs, home fries, blueberry scones, rhubarb coffeecake, coffee and tea. Adults $10, kids 5-12 $5, 4 and under eat free. For more information visit www.morrisfarm.org or call at 882-4080.

 

Saturday, July 17 - Boyd Street Bash, 11 am to 1 pm, Portland. Join Cultivating Community to celebrate the Urban Gardens, the Diversity of the Neighborhood and Urban Sustainability.  For more information, visit www.cultivatingcommunity.org

Friday, July 23 - Newforest Institute Open House, 9 am to 4 pm, Newforest Institute, 66 Monroe Highway, Brooks.  Join Bill Errickson & Lauren Buyofsky for instructional, hands-on permaculture garden projects in the morning, followed by lunch and a tour of the farm in the afternoon. Tour starts at 1:30 pm. Come for the morning, afternoon tour, or both!  Free, but please pre-register by calling 722-3625, emailing Bill@NewforestInstitute.org, or visiting www.newforestinstitute.org

Saturday, July 31 - Artisan Bread Fair, Skowhegan State Fairgrounds, Madison Avenue (210 North), Skowhegan. Wood-fired oven demonstrations, artisan bread samplings, and opportunities to talk with professional bakers and explore the best books, tools, and delicious accoutrements to artisan bread baking. For further information visit www.kneadingconference.com or contact Dusty Dowse, Fair Director, dowse@maine.edu, cell 717-4578.

Living Simply in an Affordable Green Home

We will host a talk by Ben Tipton titled "Living Simply in an Affordable Green Home," on Thursday, July 8, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

In 2008 Ben Tipton and his family sold their large home in Vermont, gave away or donated most of their possessions and moved to Maine. They now live in a nearly carbon-free house, enjoying a simple life with more time to spend as a family.

"We wanted to build a solar home that the average person could afford," says Ben. "We have succeeded and now our utility costs are less than a dollar a day."

Ben's talk will explain their family's journey to "footprint reduction." In addition to building an affordable solar home, they are growing some of their own food, live locally and sustainably. They believe you don't have to have a lot of money to live small. There will be a short presentation followed by an open discussion on the theme "I cannot change my past carbon footprint, but I will do everything possible to limit my children's."

Ben is not a leading expert and holds no awards or degrees in sustainability. He does, however, try to live with low impact on the earth and to teach his children about being good stewards of the planet. Recently his family's near zero energy home, which is part of the Solar Homes Tour, was featured in Design New England. His common sense and down to earth view of sustainability recognizes that it all starts with each person's story. "I hope you are inspired by my story," he says, "and I hope one day your story can inspire me."

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 please call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Environmental Happenings

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

 

Global News

 

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is the worst oil spill in United States history. According to Time magazine, by the end of May the undersea gusher had released at least 20 million gallons of crude oil -- almost double the amount of oil spilled off the coast of Alaska by the Exxon Valdez. BP, the company responsible for the event, has used nearly one million gallons of chemical dispersants on the surface and at the wellhead in an effort to break up the crude and accelerate the evaporation process. Scientists warn that the effect of the oil and chemicals together could devastate wildlife populations in one of the world's most productive ecosystems.

 

United Nations climate talks involving representatives from 182 countries opened in Bonn, Germany, on Monday, May 31. The goal of the meeting is to pick up where last December's Copenhagen Accord left off, and set the agenda for next December's 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Mexico. Under the non-binding Copenhagen Accord, developed nations indicated that they would provide "new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, approaching $30 billion for the period 2010-2012 with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation."

 

Local Events

Saturday, June 5 - Merrymeeting Bay Shoreline Cleanup, 12-2 pm, Abbagadassett Point in Bowdoinham or Butler Cover in Bath.  Celebrate National River Month with Friends of Merrymeeting Bay for their annual Merrymeeting Bay Cleanup. This year volunteers will gather in two locations.  Help your community by scouring the shoreline for trash; make this magnificent watershed even more beautiful. You can bring the kids too!  Pre-registration is required. To register for the Bowdoinham cleanup please contact Helen Watts at 666-3920 or 522-9366. For the Bath cleanup please contact David Barber at 442-9335 or boatshop@gwi.net.  Trash will be collected, documented and sorted for recycling and disposal. Please dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear and bring work gloves.

Sunday, June 6 - FRESH the Movie, 4 pm, Colonial Theatre, Belfast.  Premier screening of FRESH the Movie, followed by interactive talk on the topic of revving up the connections between traditional family farms and local consumers. Led by a panel including John Piotti, Executive Director, Maine Farmland Trust; Troy Nelson of Nelson Family Farm, a fifth generation cattle farmer in Palermo who sells his meat direct off the farm and at the Camden Farmers' Market; Dr. Joseph Anderson of Belfast Pediatrics, a local advocate of the 5-2-1-0 Initiative, which teaches and promotes the integration of healthy habits in every area of children's lives; Vyvenne Ritchie of Healthy Waldo County. Sponsored by Our Town Belfast (a Maine Downtown Network community organization), the Belfast Farmers' Market, Healthy Waldo County and the Belfast Co-op. Maine-made drinks and snacks. More about the film at freshthemovie.com. For more information or to purchase tickets contact Anne Saggese 338-0651 or Larraine Brown at 323-2747 Advance tickets available at the Green Store on Main Street in Belfast and at Sweet Henry's at the Belfast and Camden Farmers' Markets.

Tuesday, June 8 - Maine primaries and referendum.  Don't forget to vote!

Tuesday, June 8 - Healthy Eating As A Vegan, Vegetarian or Omnivore, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Barrel's Community Market, 74 Main Street, Waterville.  Panel discussion hosted by the Sustain Mid-Maine Coalition. Cheryl Wixson, MOFGA's Organic Marketing Consultant, will serve as the omnivore panelist.

Wednesday, June 9 - Music Inspired by the Environment, 7-10 pm, Liberal Cup, Water Street, Hallowell.  Join host Allison Wells and other Natural Resources Council of Maine  staff for an open Mic Night.  Bring your guitar, shakers, and your favorite environment-inspired songs, or just come, meet NRCM staff, and enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the Liberal Cup’s homemade English pub-style food and beverages.  NRCM staff will be performing some of our own favorites – and inviting you to sing along!  Admittance is free and open to the public.  If you would like to perform a song, please email your song title and artist to beth@nrcm.org.

Thursday, June 10 - Going Solar: Energy From the Sun, 7 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Join us to learn how to harness the sun's energy for heat and power. John Capron of ReVision Energy will explain how solar power systems work, how much solar energy is available at different times of the year for space heating, hot water and electricity, and how much different options cost. For more information, please call 729-4050. Free and open to the public.

Tuesday, June 15 - Evening paddle on the Cathance River, 6:30-8:30 pm.  Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay member and kayak guide, Ian Ramsey, for an evening paddle on the Cathance River.  To pre-register please contact Ian Ramsey at 751-7569.

Wednesday, June 16 - Sustainable Living Presentation, 6 - 8 pm, Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road, Falmouth.  Dr. Catherine Elliott, Extension Specialist and co-author of "Living Sustainable: It’s Your Choice," will explore the concept of sustainable living, discussing three of the barriers to living sustainably in the United States and suggesting ways to overcome them.  If you wish to adopt sustainable living practices, such as buying local foods, service, and products; spending more time outdoors; being more active; reducing carbon footprints; reducing use of toxic substances; living within your means and sharing rather than buying, or wish to reduce waste by reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing, refusing, composting, or donating, this presentation is for you.  Free and open to the public.  UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals.  For more information on the Tidewater Learning Center, to donate to the building campaign, to get involved or to learn about future events, visit: www.extension.umaine.edu/tidewater/ or call 780-4213.

Friday, June 18 - LL Bean Green Expo, 10 am - 4 pm, LL Bean, Freeport.  Visit LL Bean's flagship store in Freeport for a day of green events. See "The Big Green Bus," a bus that runs on waste vegetable oil; learn about "Bean Green," LL Bean’s commitment to environmental stewardship; try "Greening your Home," with representatives from Efficiency Maine, Revision Energy, and Sunrise Guide; watch "Local Sustainability: Maine Roundtable," a multi-media presentation by The Green Living Project showcasing sustainability-related projects in Maine; and enjoy a "Pedal Power Smoothie," whipped up by a bicycle-powered blender.

Saturday, June 19 - Cathance River Education Alliance 10 Year Anniversary, Wild Duck Pub, Highland Green. Celebrate a decade of CREA with hikes, golf, games, a band, cookout, and ecology center tours. Speakers: John Rensenbrink, John Wasileski, Rick Wilson, and Angela Twitchell, Executive Director of the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. For more information, visit creamaine.org.

Friday, June 25 - Meet Your Farmer premier, 6 - 9:30 pm, Strand Theatre, Rockland. Eight short documentaries by filmmakers Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann tell the diverse stories of eight Maine farms: from Aroostook to York, from potatoes to dairy, from large commercial operations to small farms that sell directly to local people. Farm-Fresh Food from 6:00-7:15 pm. 7:15 pm doors open. 7:30 pm films start with commentary and Q&A. 9:00-9:30 pm: Coffee and Chocolates. Tickets: For the entire event - $20 for Maine Farmland Trust members; $25 for non-members. Film and coffee reception (doors open at 7:15) - $10. Purchase tickets through Maine Farmland Trust by calling 338-6575 or by emailing Anna Abaldo
. More about Maine Farmland Trust at www.mainefarmlandtrust.org

Friday, July 2 to Sunday, July 4 - Northeast Permaculture Convergence, MOFGA Common Ground Education Center, Unity.  The 6th Annual Northeast Permaculture Convergence hopes to continue the tradition of bringing the permaculture community together to share, learn, collaborate and celebrate.  For more information, please visit northeastconvergence.wordpress.com.

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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

Go Solar

June's Sustainable Living Tip

Go solar for abundant clean energy. You can start with simple steps like growing a kitchen garden -- the closer to home your food is grown, the less dirty fossil fuel required. Or you can make the switch to heat and power your home completely by clean solar energy. The sunlight falling on just one acre in Portland could support all the energy needs of one hundred and sixty Maine families.

Facts about Solar Energy

1. By some calculations, the typical meal eaten in Maine requires more than its own weight in fossil fuel for transportation, storage, packaging and synthetic fertilizer. Growing your own food or supporting local organic farmers is a delicious way to "go solar," relying more on the sun than oil for your personal energy.
2. Every year each acre in Portland, Maine, receives over 24,000 gigajoules (GJ) of solar energy. This is 160 times greater than the total annual energy (heating, electricity and transportation) needed by an average family living in Maine.
3. The average Maine family burns 900 gallons of heating oil in a 78% efficient boiler, using about 100 GJ of energy for space heating and hot water annually. That energy can be collected every year by about 21 square meters -- about half the size of a two-car garage -- of solar thermal collectors operating at 80% efficiency.
4. Solar thermal collectors collect the sun's heat. Then fans blow air or pumps circulate liquid to bring this heat inside where it can be used for space heating or hot water.
   
5. The average sized Maine home (200 square meters) built to super-efficient standards would require less than 11 GJ for space heating per year. This would require just 2 square meters -- a little bigger than the hood of a Volvo station wagon -- of solar thermal collectors.
6. The average family in Maine uses about 20 GJ of electricity annually (around 500 kilowatt hours per month). That energy can be collected every year by about 17 square meters -- about 10 feet by 18 feet -- of photovoltaic solar panels operating at 20% efficiency.
7. Photovoltaic (PV) panels directly convert sunlight to electricity. This electricity can then be fed into regular house current, or can be stored in batteries. Maine has a "net metering" law which allows homeowners to "spin their meters backwards" when sending excess electricity to the grid.
   
8. If a family could reduce its monthly electricity consumption to 350 kilowatt hours per month (for example, by replacing an inefficient refrigerator and using clothes drying racks instead of an electric dryer), their annual electricity needs could be met by just 12 square meters of PV panels -- about 10 by 13 feet.
9. The average family in Maine burns 1,300 gallons of gasoline in vehicles that are about 20% efficient at converting fuel to motion, using about 31.5 GJ of energy for personal transportation annually. Most of the energy released by burning gasoline in an internal combustion engine is wasted as heat.
10. It is difficult to use solar energy to produce liquid fuels (such as ethanol) that can replace gasoline. Serious concerns have been raised about the sustainability of growing corn as an ethanol feedstock.
11. If a family could purchase an electric car, which could be easily recharged with electricity generated by solar power, 26 square meters of PV panels -- about 10 feet by 28 feet -- could satisfy their annual transportation needs.
12. Switching from internal combustion engines to electric motors in our cars will allow us to switch from gasoline to solar power for our transportation needs. The batteries in our electric vehicles will allow us to store solar power for use when it is needed. The first all-electric, mass-market cars are expected to be widely available in the United States starting in 2012.
    
13. More solar energy reaches Maine in four hours than our entire state economy uses in a year.
14. Enough solar energy falls on just the 23,450 miles of public road in Maine to power an economy that uses three and a half times as much energy as our state's does. We could stop using all other sources of energy except solar and still have plenty of capacity to grow our economy.
15. More than half of the electricity generated in Maine already comes from renewable energy sources -- primarily hydropower and wood -- that are forms of stored solar power.
16. Per square meter, over one thousand four hundred times more energy is available per year by directly collecting solar energy than by harvesting firewood. In other words, cord wood is approximately 0.07% efficient at storing solar energy. One acre of solar thermal collectors is the energy equivalent of a 1,400 acre wood lot .
    
17. Super insulated water tanks, such as the Marathon hot water heater, can store solar energy for up to two weeks. This allows solar hot water systems to provide hot water at night and during weeks of inclement weather.
    
18. Solar panels capture more energy than is used to manufacture them. Depending on the manufacturing process and how much solar energy is available for the panel to collect, it takes between one and six years for the panel to "pay back" the amount of energy used to create it. Since panels last for up to twenty years, almost every solar panel in use is providing a net energy benefit over its lifetime. Solar panels are now providing the energy to make more solar panels.
19. Wind power derives from solar energy because winds are primarily due to uneven heating of the earth's surface.
20. Although there is much less solar energy available in the winter in Maine than in the summer, the winds in certain locations are stronger in winter. Wind power, hydropower and tidal power can complement solar power by being available at night, in winter, and during overcast periods.
21. In general, solar power is much more reliable than wind power and much easier to install on a wide variety of existing buildings without adverse visual and noise impact. Wind power, on the other hand, lends itself to economies of scale and is generally a cheaper way to generate large amounts of electricity intermittently at specific places, particularly offshore and along ridges.
22. Solar power is easy to incorporate into consumer electronics. Our store sells solar-powered clocks, radios, flashlights and battery chargers. These are fun and easy ways to try out solar power on a small and affordable scale.

Going Solar

Join us on Thursday, June 10, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm here at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, for a talk by John Capron, of ReVision Energy, titled "Going Solar: Energy from the Sun." Free and open to the public.

Five hundred square feet of solar electric panels on a sunny, south-facing roof in Maine generate 100% of an average family's annual consumption (about 6 million watt hours of electricity per year). Thousands of Mainers have already decided that the risks of remaining dependent on fossil fuels -- none of which is produced here in Maine -- outweigh the cost of harvesting clean and reliable energy from their own rooftops in perpetuity.

"Solar energy is one of the best investments you can make for your children and grandchildren," says John. "If we do not begin solving our energy problems today, we will leave them a legacy of fossil energy pollution, scarcity and geopolitical conflict."

John's talk will explain the basics of harnessing the sun for heat and power. You'll learn how solar power systems work, how much solar energy is available at different times of the year for space heating, hot water and electricity, and how much different options cost. The talk will also cover common questions and concerns, such as how you can find out if your location is sunny enough, how long an installation will take, how reliable is solar equipment, how to integrate solar energy into existing house plumbing and wiring, how to participate in Maine's net metering program to "spin the meter backward," and how to qualify for the myriad financing options, tax credits and rebates available.

ReVision Energy is a full service renewable energy company offering design, sales, installation and service. Formerly known as Energyworks, ReVision Energy has emerged as an industry leader in northern New England, having installed more than half of all solar energy systems in Maine for the past four years. Their engineers from MIT and Brown University have a combined 25 years experience in the design, installation and service of renewable energy systems.

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.

For more information, please visit www.FWHorch.com.

Be Prepared

May's Sustainable Living Tip

Be prepared. Create an emergency kit, make a plan, and stay informed. Start with a short-term plan for yourself and your family, but don't stop there. What is the long-term plan for your community and our society to avoid unnecessary emergencies and survive unavoidable ones?

Facts about Emergency Preparedness

1. The US Department of Homeland Security asks you to be prepared to survive on your own for three days in the event of a serious emergency.
2. You can find a list of supplies to include in your basic emergency kit at www.ready.gov.
3. One of the most important items to have on hand is at least three gallons of clean, drinkable water per person in your family.
4. If you would like a free, 5 gallon HDPE #2 plastic container with a handle and spigot, please call us at 729-4050 or email us at newsletter@fwhorch.com to arrange for pick up at our store. We have empty containers that held non-toxic, plant-based dish and laundry soap from Earth Friendly Products. When thoroughly rinsed and filled with tap water from a municipal supply, these containers are suitable for storing water for emergency use. If you use well water, most authorities recommend adding two drops of liquid chlorine bleach to help prevent microbial contamination.
   
5. Your kit should also contain non-perishable food, a first aid kit, and a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
   
6. For dependable light, you may want a shake flashlight that is water proof and does not require batteries.
7. To hear emergency broadcasts and weather reports, you may want a hand crank radio.
8. Beyond the basics, you should prepare a list of essential items, like prescription medicines or eye glasses, that are unique to your needs.
9. Along with your kit, make a plan of what to do during an emergency. Identify an out-of-town contact that all members of your family can call in case you become separated. Decide on a meeting place if you need to leave your home.
   
10. Once you've assembled your emergency kit and have a short-term emergency plan, think about ways you can help avoid unnecessary emergencies in your home, community and the world.
11. Minimize localized flooding by installing rain barrels and rain gardens to divert water from storm drains. This also helps prevent pollution from being washed into our lakes and streams.
    
12. Ensure greater food security by planting a row for the hungry in your home garden. Vegetables with good storage life are best, such as beets, cabbage, carrots, turnips, and winter squash.
    
13. Help avoid power outages by reducing your electricity consumption. During times of high demand, avoid running your electric clothes dryer (use a drying rack instead), toaster, air conditioner or space heaters.
14. Prevent frozen pipes in your home by insulating pipes near exterior walls, or by moving plumbing runs to central locations during a renovation. Remember, your home freezes from the top down and from the outside in. Pay particular attention to sealing leaks that may allow cold air to circulate around a pipe.
15. Consider installing a solar space heater for emergency or unattended heat. Solar space heaters require no fuel or electricity, just sunlight to help maintain warm indoor temperatures in homes, schools and businesses that are well insulated. They can be installed on a south-facing wall or a roof.
    
16. Make a long-term plan to transition away from fossil fuels. Coal, oil and gas are already unnecessary for home heating; you can heat with solar, wood or electricity instead. Save up for a plug-in electric car, which you likely will be able to buy here in the United States by 2012.
17. According to the Energy Information Administration, Maine, along with much of the U.S. Northeast, is vulnerable to distillate fuel oil shortages and price spikes during winter months. Maine’s per capita petroleum consumption is high due to the widespread use of fuel oil for home heating during the long, cold winters. About four-fifths of Maine households use fuel oil as their primary energy source for home heating, a higher share than in any other State.
    
18. In July 2000 the President directed the U.S. Department of Energy to establish the Northeast Heating Oil Reserve. The Reserve gives Northeast consumers adequate supplies for about 10 days, the time required for ships to carry heating oil from the Gulf of Mexico to New York Harbor. The Reserve's storage terminals are located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and Groton and New Haven, Connecticut.
19. Maine has no fossil fuel reserves but has substantial renewable energy potential. Maine generates a larger share of its electricity from nonhydroelectric renewable resources than any other State.
20. Renewable sources, mainly wood and wood waste and hydroelectric, account for almost half of Maine’s net electricity generation. Maine’s residential electricity use is low compared with the rest of the Nation, in part because demand for air-conditioning is low during the cool summer months and because few households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating.
21. If we start harnessing clean renewable energy for our needs, maybe future headlines about offshore disasters would read like this one posted in jest online: "Large Air Spill at Offshore Wind Farm. No Loss of Life or Environmental Threats Reported. Some Claim to Enjoy the Extra Breeze."

Top Bar Beekeeping

Gold Star Honeybees will present "How and Why to Keep Bees in Top Bar Beehives," a beekeeping discussion and demonstration, at our next sustainable living talk here at our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, May 13 at 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Both experienced beekeepers and "wannabee" beekeepers are encouraged to attend.

"It's not about the honey, Honey," says Christy Hemenway, founder of Gold Star Honeybees in Bath, Maine. "It's about the bees!"

According to Christy, "Top Bar" beekeeping is a simple, bee-friendly, beekeeper-friendly, planet-friendly, and sustainable way of stewarding one of our most important pollinators. At the talk, she will discuss the simplicity of working a Top Bar Beehive and the advantages of this method of beekeeping.

Gold Star Honeybees manufactures a kit to build your own Top Bar Beehive using the most environmentally friendly components available. Gold Star Honeybees also offers a Beekeeping Service for folks who like the idea of having bees on their property, but are not able to dedicate the time and energy it requires to keep bees. For more information about the kit and beekeping service, visit www.GoldStarHoneybees.com or call 207-449-1121.

The demonstration on Thursday will take place inside, featuring an empty kit without the actual bees. Space 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.

From Tax Day to Earth Day

April's Sustainable Living Tip

April 15 is tax day and April 22 is Earth Day. Take advantage of government programs like Energy Star and Efficiency Maine, putting your tax dollars to work to help save the planet.

Facts about Planet-Saving Government Programs

1. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that is intended to help us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
2. The Energy Star label was established to reduce pollution caused by wasted energy, and to make it easy for consumers to buy more efficient products without sacrificing performance, features, and comfort.
   
3. A product with an Energy Star label should meet strict specifications established by the EPA: the product category must contribute significant energy savings nationwide, products must meet consumer expectations for performance, a higher purchase price must be offset by lower operating costs, energy consumption and product performance must be measurable and verified with testing, and an Energy Star label must effectively differentiate more efficient products from less efficient ones.
4. In addition to helping you find Energy Star products like light bulbs and kitchen appliances, the Energy Star web site includes sections on Home Improvement, New Homes and Buildings & Plants.
   
5. If you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you may be eligible for a 30% federal tax credit.
   
6. Some, but not all, Energy Star qualified products qualify for a federal tax credit. Energy Star distinguishes energy efficient products which, although they may cost more to purchase than inefficient models, will pay you back in lower energy bills within a reasonable amount of time, without a tax credit.
   
7. The State of Maine will implement a mail-in rebate program that will help residents replace older, inefficient water heaters and home heating and cooling equipment with new, efficient Energy Star qualified models. The program is tentatively scheduled to begin in May 2010, and will run until funds are depleted. Federal funding for this program is $1,263,000.
   
8. On March 5, 2010, the Government Accountability Office issued a report titled, "Covert Testing Shows the Energy Star Program Certification Process Is Vulnerable to Fraud and Abuse."
9. In light of these findings, EPA is taking the following steps, effective immediately:
   products may no longer be labeled by manufacturers until a lab report is submitted to and approved by EPA, EPA’s automated review process has been suspended, and new Energy Star partners will no longer be granted access to the Energy Star mark upon joining the program. Going forward, the Energy Star mark will be made available to partners only after a qualifying product is submitted and approved.
   
10. Efficiency Maine is a statewide effort to promote the more efficient use of electricity, help Maine residents and businesses reduce energy costs, and improve Maine's environment.
    
11. The Efficiency Maine Home Energy Savings Program offers incentives up to $3,000 to homeowners at all income levels for pre-approved energy-efficiency upgrades done by participating contractors. The program is funded by a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“Stimulus” dollars). Both our March and April sustainable living workshops here at the store have been on the topic of how to qualify for this program.
    
12. Thanks to an award of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, Efficiency Maine will offer a Residential Heating / Cooling Appliance Replacement Program to start April 15, 2010. The Program will offer incentives for the replacement of existing Central Air Conditioners, Gas and Oil Boilers, Gas and Oil Furnaces, Air Source Heat Pumps, Electric Heat Pump Water Heaters, and Gas Tankless Water Heaters. Because funding for the Program is limited, a reservation system, based on signed contracts for installation by a licensed heating technical will be required. Additional information will be available the week of April 11, 2010, from Efficiency Maine.
    
13. Replace an old air conditioner, dehumidifier, clothes washer, refrigerator or freezer with selected Energy Star appliances and you could receive rebates of up to $75 through the Efficiency Maine Appliance Rebate Program. Obtain a mail-in rebate form from a retailer at purchase time to submit with a copy of your receipt.
14. Efficiency Maine's Residential Lighting Program enlists the participation of and works closely with manufacturers and lighting retailers to encourage them to produce and sell energy efficient lighting products to the residents of Maine. Our store, for example, is currently offering a $1 per CFL bulb instant rebate.
15. Our store also participates in the Efficiency Maine CFL Recycling Program. You can bring burned out CFLs to our store for proper recycling at no cost to you.
16. Maine has a net metering law that entitles customers to a billing credit for generating electricity for the grid using fuel cells, tidal power, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, generators fueled by municipal solid waste in conjunction with recycling, and high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) systems. If you are connected to a public electricity grid and your system produces more energy in a billing period than you use, you receive credit at the retail rate for the excess. (In effect, your meter "runs backwards".)
17. Maine is one of a handful of states, including California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, that have authorized neighborhood net metering. This allows groups of customers to take advantage of net metering from a single renewable energy facility owned jointly (e.g., residents of a neighborhood served by a community-owned wind turbine).
18. Neighborhood net metering allows customers who would not otherwise be able to take advantage of net metering to do so, such as homeowners whose roofs are too shaded to permit installation of solar panels. Neighborhood net metering can also permit aggregation of load to facilitate larger systems which exhibit economies of scale.
19. Net metering requires a subsidy from other customers because the participating customers are paid a retail rate for the power they sell to the electric company. This power displaces power that the electric company could buy at a wholesale rate. The subsidy tends to be regressive, since the customers who install renewable energy systems and benefit from net metering are usually better off than the average electric company customer.

Energy Saving Workshop

Join us on Thursday, April 8, at 7 pm here at the store for a workshop by Howard Nannen titled "Maine Pays You to Save Energy." The workshop is free and open to the public.

"Mainers are about to learn of an exciting new state program called the Efficiency Maine Weatherization Program," says Howard. "The State-O-Maine will pay you to weatherize your home. But as they say, 'Certain restrictions and requirements apply,' so we will help guide you through program requirements in our talk at F.W. Horch this Thursday."

Howard works with Energy Solutions For Maine, Inc. of Scarborough. The company is owned by Hugh Savage of Brunswick. Principal auditor, Aaron Despres of Harpswell performs home and commercial energy audits, as well as management of recommended energy efficiency improvements.

In his talk, Howard will explain how the Efficiency Maine Weatherization Program works. Incentive payments of $1,500 are available to homeowners who achieve a 25% savings in energy consumption, and a $3,000 incentive payment is available to those who achieve a 50% energy savings. When coupled with tax credits and utility rebates in some areas of the state, this new program provides a strong incentive to invest in weatherization to improve the heating efficiency of homes and businesses.

You'll learn how to qualify for Maine's weatherization rebates while making your home more energy efficient to save money on heating bills. Not only does weatherization pay off in dollar savings year after year, but it also results in a safer, more comfortable home.

Free refreshments and handouts will be provided.

Space is limited. To reserve a seat or for more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Plan a Kitchen Garden

March's Sustainable Living Tip

Plan a kitchen garden to grow fresh, organic food to feed your family and share with neighbors. Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International, reported that in one year on 1/25th of an acre in suburban Scarborough, Maine, his family grew 834 pounds of organic food worth more than $2,000.

Kitchen Gardening Facts

1. If you're new to kitchen gardening, a great little book to get you started is Grow Your Own Food Made Easy.
   
2. You can connect with a community of 20,000 kitchen gardeners from over 100 countries through Kitchen Gardeners International, a non-profit organization founded in Maine. It's free to register for their web site and email list.
   
3. Free gardening advice is available year round from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
   
4. In addition to providing information and publications, University of Maine Cooperative Extension offers a Master Gardener Volunteer horticultural education program to all interested Maine residents.
   
5. You don't need a large garden to grow good food. You can sow seeds in containers for lettuce, greens and fresh herbs, or even put plants on a sunny window sill indoors. For best results, give your plants 16 hours of light each day, using a fluorescent lamp as necessary.
   
6. Memorial Day is the traditional date to start planting outdoors in New England. However, the last frost date has been occurring earlier, and your microclimate (exposure to sun and wind) may allow you to plant sooner.
7. As soon as the ground can be worked in early spring, you can plant seeds for endives, lettuce, peas, radishes, and turnips. In case of a late killing frost, protect seedlings by covering them with a plastic milk jug or soda bottle cut in half. For a quick overview and a timing chart for what to plant when in Maine, see Vegetable Gardening: Are You in a Box?
   
8. You can extend your season with hoop houses (bars bent over garden rows covered with clear plastic) or cold frames (boxes covered in glass or clear plastic). These work especially well over raised beds, which allow the soil to warm up more quickly.
   
9. Essential ingredients for kitchen garden success are healthy soil, full sun (or grow lights) and adequate water.
   
10. It can take years to build healthy soil. You can buy an inexpensive home test kit to check your soil's pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or you can carefully observe which plants are already growing well. You may want to get started by buying a load of good loamy soil and finished compost.
11. An effective and easy way to convert a patch of grass to a garden is to put down cardboard and then bring in new soil on top of the cardboard to form a raised bed. The cardboard will prevent grass and weeds from coming up, then slowly decompose in place. There's no need to till, dig up or pull out grass if you can put new soil on top of it.
    
12. Every year you'll need to feed your soil with composted organic material. Your plants may need fertilizer as well. It's best to use organic fertilizers that contain micronutrients as well as the three macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Compared to synthetic fertilizers which provide immediate results, a slow-release natural fertilizer will deliver long-term benefits and is less likely to dissolve in water and run off to pollute local rivers and lakes.
    
13. It's easy to make your own compost from kitchen scraps. There's no better way to handle food waste than to turn it into healthy garden soil!
    
14. Don't be afraid to grow more food than your family can eat. According to the USDA, 10% of Maine households (141,000 people) are "food insecure." You can help alleviate this problem by planting an extra row of produce each year and donating the surplus to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Now is a good time to contact them and find out what fresh vegetables they want that you could grow.
15. The "Plant A Row for the Hungry" program for Maine is open to all interested gardeners and is coordinated through University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program. For more information contact Barbara Murphy at 743-6329, 1-800-287-1482 (toll free in Maine) or e-mail, bmurphy@umext.maine.edu.
    
16. If your yard doesn't have a sunny spot for a traditional garden, think about planting in containers on your porch, patio or along sidewalks. A fun way to grow tomatoes and strawberries is in an "upside down" planter that you can hang from a balcony or post. Not only is it easier to pick fruit this way, but when plants are up off the ground it's easier to control insects and slugs without resorting to toxic chemicals.
17. A rain barrel is a great way to keep water on hand, especially for watering pots and containers. Put your barrel up on blocks so you can fill a watering can from the spigot at the bottom of the barrel.
    
18. Growing plants from seeds is rewarding and affordable. Choosing open pollinated varieties instead of hybrids allows you to save seeds that will breed true. You may find it more interesting to grow rare and heirloom varieties than conventional mass-market hybrids. Plus, you'll be helping to preserve the diversity of our food supply.
19. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) seeds are a controversial new practice. Genes from unrelated species, typically bacteria, are spliced into the plant genome. Among other things, this allows scientists to design plants that produce insecticidal toxins in their tissues, reducing the need to spray pesticides. In effect, a field of genetically engineered plants becomes a pesticide factory. This puts selective pressure on local insect populations, resulting in resistant strains of pests that can no longer be controlled by conventional pesticide use. GMO and GE seeds with patented genes are an intriguing new prospect for investors in seed companies, because they allow companies to earn larger profits and constantly introduce new types of seeds that express new types of pesticides as existing pesticides become ineffective. While this approach provides clear financial benefit to large corporations with the capital to develop and market genetically engineered seeds, it provides little or no benefit to gardeners or society as a whole. When you buy seeds or plants, carefully consider whether you want to support businesses that are exploiting this technology.
20. Controlling insects, weeds and disease without the use of synthetic chemicals or genetic engineering requires knowledge, common sense, and close inspection. Consult books or gardeners in your community to learn which plants to put together to thwart insects and fungi. Rotate your crops to break the cycle of disease transmission. Mulch to smother weeds after they emerge. Provide the sun, soil and water your plants need to be healthy.
21. Above all, enjoy the satisfaction of eating and sharing fresh, delicious, and nutritious food you have grown yourself!

What You Need to Know About Maine's Weatherization Rebates

Our next sustainable living workshop will be "What You Need to Know About Maine's Weatherization Rebates" by DeWitt Kimball of Complete Home Evaluation Services on Thursday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. This workshop is free and open to the public. Please join us!

DeWitt Kimball has worked in the building profession for over two decades and has extensive knowledge of building science, including green home construction. He is working closely with state officials as they roll out the new Efficiency Maine Weatherization Program. Funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the program offers up to $3,000 in incentives for the first 4,000 homes that complete energy-efficiency projects meeting minimum energy savings requirements.

One of the most qualified professional property inspectors in Maine, DeWitt is a certified HERS rater, a BPI and Maine Home Performance with Energy Star energy analyst, as well as a certified mold tester, home inspector, radon tester, and boiler/furnace analyst.

Learn how to qualify for Maine's weatherization rebates while making your home energy efficient and structurally impervious to environmental conditions. You'll also have an opportunity to ask questions about new home construction, remodeling for improved comfort and energy efficiency, and the renovation of historic buildings.

Enjoy free refreshments and handouts.

Space is limited. To reserve a seat or for more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

DIY Energy Audit

February's Sustainable Living Tip

Use cold weather to your advantage by conducting your own home energy audit. When the temperature drops, spend some time feeling around doors, windows and exterior walls for cold air entering your home. Keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you've found.

Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit

1. On a sunny day, go outside and note which way is south. Check to make sure that trees and bushes on the southern side are not overgrown; you want as much sunlight reaching your house as possible. Remove screens in southern-facing windows that receive sun. This will allow more sunlight into your home. Make sure drapes on southern windows are open during the day and closed at night.
   
2. If there is snow on your roof, observe the melt pattern. Note whether you have ice dams forming along the edge of your roof. Ideally snow should melt from the edge of the roof up. If snow is melting higher up on your roof but remaining around the edges, you are losing heat through your attic.
3. Observe how water comes off your roof. Rain and snow melt should be directed away from your foundation.
4. If you have storm windows, check to make sure that they are closed and tight. Note any needed repairs.
5. If you have a dryer vent, check it to make sure it closes to prevent cold air from back drafting into your house. Also check for lint build up and clean it out if needed.
   
6. Check every exterior door to your home for weatherstripping. From the inside with the door closed, feel around the entire perimeter of the door for drafts. Make a note to replace weatherstripping or door sweeps if necessary.
7. Examine windows for drafts. Consider building interior storm windows for those that feel cold.
8. If you have a basement, check the exterior wall for holes and drafts. Look for a gap between the foundation wall (usually rock, brick or concrete) and the sill plate (the piece of wood on top of the foundation wall). This gap should be caulked or foamed. If you can see the space over the foundation wall between floor joists, make sure each of these boxes contain the proper type of insulation. They should be filled with rigid insulation, foam, cotton batting or bagged fiberglass. They should not be filled with loose fiberglass; it allows too much airflow. Make a note to foam around any pipes that penetrate the foundation wall. If you have a bulkhead door, it should be insulated and weatherstripped. If you have any basement windows, make sure that they are all closed and latched.
9. If your boiler or water heater is in an unheated basement, crawl space or garage, make sure that all pipes are wrapped in insulation.
10. If your basement is unheated, check for insulation in the basement ceiling. A vapor barrier should be on top of the insulation, toward the heated space. If the vapor barrier is on the bottom (on the cold side, toward the basement), make a note to fix it. Vapor barriers should always go on the warm side of the insulation.
11. If your basement is heated, make sure that the basement walls are insulated.
12. In the heated parts of your house, check exterior wall electrical boxes and light switches for drafts. Install gaskets to prevent air from blowing through these openings.
13. Feel for drafts along baseboards. Use clear caulk to seal any gaps between the floor and the wall.
14. Make sure that all thermostats are set to the correct temperature. Consider installing programmable thermostats that will automatically turn down the temperature when you are at work or sleeping. You can usually set back your thermostat to 55 degrees without discomfort or risk.
15. If you have a fireplace, check to make sure your flue is completely closed. Consider using a chimney pillow to seal it off when not in use.
16. If you have an attic hatch, make sure it is insulated and securely latches against weatherstripping to prevent warm moist air from entering your attic.
17. Look for light fixtures, especially recessed lighting, that may allow warm air to leak into your attic. All holes in your ceiling should be caulked if possible.
18. If you have any combustion appliances in your house, including a boiler or a gas stove, consider installing a carbon monoxide monitor in your bedroom. This will alert you to unhealthy concentrations of CO, which is a by-product of combustion.
19. Make sure you have working fans in your kitchen and bathrooms to vent moisture to the outdoors. It is important to exhaust moisture from cooking and showers to the outside. Otherwise, this moisture may be trapped in your walls or ceiling and cause mold problems. You want your home to be warm and dry (relative humidity below 60 percent).
20. If you can access your attic, check to make sure that you have a vapor barrier under the insulation (toward the warmth). If you have fiberglass insulation, the vapor barrier is the kraft paper. It should be on the bottom of the insulation, toward the heated part of your house.
21. Look for areas where air is flowing into your attic. If you have fiberglass insulation, you can often see dust in the fiberglass where air is blowing up from below. Caulk or foam as many of these air leaks as possible. Common problems include holes cut for electrical and plumbing work. These holes should be sealed with caulk, rubber gaskets or foam.
    
22. Check that you have at least 16 inches of insulation in your attic. If you have less than this, consider blowing in cellulose on top of your existing insulation.

Environmental Happenings

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

Global News

On January 28, the United States informed the United Nations that we will "associate with" the Copenhagen Accord. Our emissions reduction target by 2020 is "in the range of 17%" less than the baseline year of 2005.

Fifty-five countries, including all European Union countries as well as China, Japan, India, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia, have formally made pledges. China and India promised to reduce their carbon intensity, while the U.S. and other countries pledged to reduce actual emissions compared to a base year or compared to "business as usual."

According to Leo Johnson, PricewaterhouseCoopers partner for Sustainability and Climate Change, "The Copenhagen Accord pledges are relatively unchanged from those made prior to the Copenhagen Summit. At 9.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, the pledges total just under half the [...] reduction required from business as usual to stay on the low carbon pathway. There is still a big gap between the pledges and the 2 degree pathway."

State News

The implementation of a major home energy efficiency program in Maine was announced in January.

Funded by a federal grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the state-run Home Performance Program will offer incentives of up to $3,000 for the first 4,000 qualifying home weatherization projects for all income levels. Details are available at

http://www.efficiencymaine.com/residential_programs_mhp.htm

Local Events

Wednesday and Saturday mornings - Farmer for the Morning, 10 am, Wolfe's Neck Farm, 184 Burnett Road, Freeport. You and your pre-schooler are invited to have fun helping with chores and getting to know the animals. After chores, have story time in the Haze Hut. On Wednesdays, enjoy a farm- or nature-themed craft project. Families may purchase a season pass, which allows kids to develop a relationship with the Farm and the animals over several seasons. No reservations required. $5/child/session. Season pass $40/child. For more information, call 865-4469.

Saturday and Sunday, February 6 and 7 - NRCM documentary film on Maine Public Television. The Natural Resource Council of Maine's documentary film, "Protecting the Nature of Maine: Fifty Years of the Natural Resources Council of Maine," will be broadcast on MPBN three times during the month of February:
* Saturday, February 6 at 11:00 a.m.;
* Sunday, February 7 at 1:30 p.m.; and
* Sunday, February 28 at 10:30 p.m.
The half-hour documentary was produced entirely in Maine and features stunning footage - from Rockport’s Beech Hill to Mt. Katahdin, Moosehead Lake, Acadia National Park and beyond. The Maine Public Broadcasting Network includes: WCBB Augusta Channel 10, WMEM Presque Isle Channel 10, WMEB Orono Channel 12, WMEA Biddeford Channel 26, and WMED Calais Channel 13. For a sneak preview, see the trailer and more at http://www.nrcm.org/NRCM_film.asp

Saturday, February 6 - Canning Skills: Roasted Garlic Jelly, 10 am - 12:30, Wolfe's Neck Farm, 184 Burnett Road, Freeport. Learn (and do!) the basics of water bath canning, and go home with a jar of a delicious preserves. Fee: $20. Materials Fee $3. Work trade option available. For more information, call 865-4469.

Monday, February 8 - "Your Home: Questions & Answers" with Dewitt Kimball, 7 - 8 pm, Freeport Community Library, Community Meeting Room, 10 Library Drive, Freeport. Your home ~ it's one of the most important investsments you have. At this free question and answer session with Dewitt Kimball of Complete Home Evaluation Services in Brunswick you can get answers & learn more about a broad range of home ownership topics. Wondering about mold in your home & how to eliminate it safely? Would you like some Do-It-Yourself ideas of how to make your home more energy efficient and less expensive to heat? Wondering what it means to live "green" and how to make your living environment more green? Dewitt has an extensive background in the building profession and environment studies. He is a certified home inspector specializing in a wide variety of energy and safety related issues.

Tuesday and Wednesday, February 9 and 10 - 9th Annual Soil Quality Conference: Bringing Life and New Understandings to Agriculture, 8:30 am to 5 pm, Bangor Motor Inn, 701 Hogan Road, Bangor. Speakers: Joel Salatin, Norman Uphoff and Paul Hepperly. Presented by The Heart of Maine RC&D. Cost includes handouts, refreshments and lunch each day: delicious, locally grown food from farmers you know! Registration: $145 per person / $240 two people from the same farm. To register, pay online at: www.heartofmaine.org. For more information, please contact Heart of Maine Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) at 947-6622 x 142 or tessa@heartofmaine.org.

Wednesday, February 10 - On Deposit: Maine Vessels and the 19th Century Guano Trade, 7 pm, Bath City Hall Auditorium, 55 Front St., Bath. Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (FOMB) as Local Maritime Historian, Bud Warren, shares some lesser-known but colorful chapters in our nation’s maritime history. For thirty years or so the Guano Trade kept a number of Maine ships in service and made fortunes for those involved. But then, as so often has happened to "inexhaustible" supplies of natural resources which have been there for the taking, the guano ran out and the trade faded into history. To receive more information on FOMB’s programs call Misty Gorski, Executive Coordinator, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, at 737-8508 or fomb@gwi.net.

Thursday, February 11 - Seed Starting Workshop, 7 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Come learn learn how to start garden seeds and build your own low-cost light stand. "We'll show you how to grow an indoor salad and at last have real baby greens!" says master gardener volunteer Brett Thompson, who will be conducting the workshop. For more information, please call (207) 729-4050. Free and open to the public.

Tuesday, February 23 - Citizen Action Day, 8:30 am - 2 pm, NRCM, 3 Wade Street, Augusta. Learn firsthand from Natural Resource Council of Maine staff about their priorities for the upcoming legislative session, participate in the legislative process by meeting your legislator during our visit to the State House, and meet other NRCM members and activists who care about Maine’s environment. A tentative schedule (subject to change):
* 8:30-9:00 am Arrive at NRCM’s office
* 9:00-9:15 am Brownie Carson, NRCM’s executive director, welcomes you
* 9:15-10:00 am NRCM project leaders provide an overview of environmental priorities
* 10:00-10:30 am Expert advice on speaking with your legislators
* 10:30 am Walk to State House for brief tour. NRCM staff will help you find your legislators.
Then back to NRCM for lunch and debrief. Expect to wrap up between 2 and 2:30 pm. To participate, please contact Leisa Dennett at leisa@nrcm.org or 430-0111.

Tuesday, February 23 - "The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the End of the American Dream", 7:30 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick. Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. As we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. Tickets cost $5; a work exchange at Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport is an option.

Thursdays, February 25, March 4, 11, and 18 - Top Bar Beekeeping 101, 6 - 8:30 pm, Freeport Adult Education. Here's your chance to get the buzz on why top bar beekeeping is so green... and why it makes sense, AND get a good close look at the Gold Star Top Bar Hive. Registration is required. Gift Certificates are available. Tuition Fee is $75 (non-RSU5 $85). For details, call Christy Hemenway at 449-1121.

Friday, February 26 - How Permaculture Can Save Humanity and the Planet, but Not Civilization, 6:30 pm, greater Portsmouth area (location being confirmed). Toby Hemenway, author of the acclaimed "Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Homescale Permaculture" will be giving an evening lecture co-sponsored by the Portland Permaculture Group and the newly formed Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group. In his talk Toby will examine the question of whether "Sustainable Agriculture" is an oxymoron. Feeding ourselves is not only central to our culture but central to our survival and this will be a rich look back as well as a look forward at the options and pathways before us. Attendees will gain a solid understanding of basic permaculture concepts as well as the context within which it is experiencing a renewed interest. For details, please visit http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/

Sunday, February 28 - Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Community Supported Fisheries (CSF) Fairs, 1 to 4 pm, statewide. Come to one of the 12 fair locations statewide to learn about buying a share, become acquainted with local seasonal foods, meet your local farmers and fishermen, and discover how you can grow a relationship with them. (Community Supported Fisheries may not be represented in all locations.) The fairs are sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the Maine Council of Churches, and local organizations at each site. Free admission. Each location will have its own local flavor including local produce and other farm products, light refreshments featuring local, seasonal foods, a Seafood Throwdown cooking competition with local chefs and more. For more information, contact Melissa White Pillsbury, MOFGA's Organic Marketing Coordinator, by email at melissa@mofga.org or by phone at 568-4142.

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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/

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

Seed Starting Workshop

We will host a seed starting workshop, "Grow Your Own Organic Food," by master gardener volunteer Brett Thompson on Thursday, February 11, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm here at our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, Maine. The class is free and open to the public.

"We'll show you how to grow an indoor salad and at last have real baby greens!" says Brett, a leader in Maine's master gardener volunteer program.

Attendees will learn how to start garden seeds and build a light stand for under $11 in parts. Including shop lights, the total cost is under $40. With this stand one can start seedlings of organic vegetables, fruits and flowers. Class participants will also learn how to plant seeds directly in trays or in paper pots that home gardeners can make themselves.

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

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

For more information, please call 729-4050.

Think Locally to Act Globally

January's Sustainable Living Tip

You've heard the adage, "Think Globally, Act Locally." But there are a surprising number of global problems that can be solved if more of us paid closer attention to little, local details. Imagine the global impact if everyone adopted the following New Year's resolutions!

New Year Resolutions: Think Locally to Act Globally

1. Vote for green electricity. If you are a CMP or Bangor Hydro customer in Maine, you can choose which electricity suppliers get paid to generate power for the grid. Until recently, you had the opportunity to choose a 100% green power option. Under this plan, clean power generators get the contract to supply the grid and receive payment from you. If everyone signed up for green power, clean power providers would have the money and the mandate to build new power plants (using renewable water, wind and solar energy), and dirty coal, nuclear, and natural gas power plants would be forced out of business. Now that the market in Maine is no longer offering a clean power option, using your vote in local elections may be the best strategy to clean up our power grid.
   
2. Switch off the lights when you leave a room. There are more than 500,000 households in Maine. If every household in Maine happens to leave just one 100-watt light bulb turned on unnecessarily, that requires 50 MW of power -- which is more power than the entire Mars Hill wind farm produces. As we build wind farms and install solar panels to make the transition to clean power, let's be sure we're using it for something worthwhile!
3. Hang dry your laundry. Do a load of laundry, set up a wooden drying rack by the wood stove, and dry your clothes without using a penny's worth of electricity. Even if you don't have a wood stove, clothes dry quickly indoors in winter because the relative humidity is low. When the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant was supplying our grid, its entire output (2,700 MW) would just about equal the demand if every household in Maine used an electric clothes dryer at the same time. Imagine that, we can dry our clothes with a nuclear power plant, or with the free energy already in our homes!
4. Swap out disposable batteries for rechargeable ones. Each rechargeable battery can be recharged up to 1,000 times. Not only will you save money, but you'll also keep lots of unnecessary garbage out of our landfills and incinerators. And when your rechargeable battery no longer holds a charge, bring it to a proper recycling location. Here in Brunswick, Curtis Memorial Library is a convenient downtown location that accepts rechargeable batteries for recycling. Unfortunately, disposable batteries are not collected for recycling. Believe it or not, our local public works department recommends you throw disposable batteries in the trash -- there's no other way to dispose of them!
5. Compost everything that rots, including paper waste. Have you ever seen a mound of one million paper towels? If you've ever been to your local landfill, like the one here in Brunswick, chances are you have. About 40% of the waste sent to landfills and incinerators in the United Sates is paper. It could all be sustainably used to build fertile soil in backyard composters. After all, paper was once part of a living thing; given the right opportunity it could live again. Facial tissue, paper napkins, and paper towels are often overlooked as compostables, but they are easy and safe to compost in backyard compost bins. If you are concerned about chemicals in the paper leaching into your soil, buy paper products with the Green Seal certification. Certified products use less toxic bleaching and dyeing methods. Or consider buying unbleached paper products. They are a little rougher (bleaching whitens and softens wood fibers) but a lot easier on the planet.
6. Walk more. Simple things, like parking in the first spot you find instead of driving and idling an extra thirty seconds to find a spot closer to the door, really add up. There are almost 200 million registered drivers in the United States. If each of us shaved just one minute off our driving time each week, that totals almost 175 million hours of engine time per year. With an average fuel economy of about 25 miles per gallon, the average car in America burns about two gallons of fuel per hour. So everyone in the US resolved to drive one less minute per week, we could save 350 million gallons of gas per year. At $2 gallon that's only an extra $700 million dollars in our pockets. But if gas goes back to $4 per gallon that's $1.4 billion dollars per year. A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about some real money.
7. Grow some of your own food. Probably the easiest place to start is with sprouts or salad greens. If you buy lettuce in the grocery store in winter in Maine, chances are good that it has traveled hundreds and perhaps thousands of miles to reach you. A large percentage of fresh greens sold in the Northeast in January are grown in California and Mexico. Assuming it costs you $1 per pound to ship things from California to Maine, you could send two heads of lettuce or 372,000 lettuce seeds. In other words, for $4 you could send eight heads of lettuce or you could send enough seeds to grow more than a million heads of lettuce -- enough for every single person in Maine. Beyond the cost savings, growing your own food is a great way to ensure you're eating fresh, healthy and organically-grown produce.
8. Bring your own bag. Choosing paper bags ranks right up there with recycling as one of the "environmental myths" that curmudgeons delight in debunking. Try a web search for "paper or plastic" and you'll find hundreds of thousands of news articles and blog posts discussing the issue. The reason this question gets so much press is the ubiquity of bags in our modern lifestyle. According to one source, over 4 trillion (4,000,000,000,000) plastic bags are manufactured each year. Bags (or more precisely, small fragments of plastic bags) are now covering virtually the entire surface of our planet -- to the extent that ocean phytoplankton have to compete for sunlight with floating plastic detritus that won't break down for another 1,000 years. Americans are now using on average about 19 disposable bags per week -- about three every day. Here's an experiment to try at home: guess how many bags you use each week, then find out by saving every single disposable bag (both paper and plastic) over the course of seven days. Then try bringing your own bags -- little nylon stuff sacks are especially handy -- to see how few disposable bags you really need. Even those who scoff at the idea of recycling understand that reusing a bag to eliminate the need for a disposable bag really does make a difference. Even if each bag saved is just a penny earned, saving them all adds up to 40 billion dollars every year.

Environmental Happenings

Global Events

At the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference (the "Copenhagen Summit") in December, the United States, China, South Africa, India and Brazil brokered a non-binding Copenhagen Accord that recognizes "the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius," calls for the establishment of greenhouse gas emission targets by 2020, and asks developed countries to commit new resources "approaching $30 billion for the period 2010 - 2012" to developing countries to implement the The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, the Copenhagen Accord has no legally-binding consequences and no clear mechanism establishing sources of revenue. No countries have yet signed on to the Accord. The Conference merely "takes note" of the Accord, which means delegates acknowledged its existence without expressing support for it. By January 31, 2010, developed countries that agree to the Accord will submit emissions targets for 2020 and developing countries will submit "nationally appropriate mitigation actions."

It is unclear which, if any, countries will sign on to the Accord, and what impact it will have on greenhouse gas emissions. The Copenhagen Summit has been described as everything from a "near disaster" to a "home run." One of the critical questions to be decided in 2010 is whether international cooperation to address climate change can be organized successfully under the auspices of the United Nations, or whether more meaningful negotiations will happen among a smaller group of countries in a different context, such as at the Group of Twenty summits in Toronto and Seoul.

Local Events

Thursday, January 7 - Sustainability Across Maine, 7-9 pm, Frontier Cafe, Brunswick. Green Living Project is proud to premier its first multi-media event on unique sustainability projects in Maine. Learn about Maine Huts & Trail's cool new hut-to-hut system, Chewonki's unique sustainability programs, Primo's backyard organic farm, Local Sprout's popular local food movement, Maine Compost School, Inn by the Sea's leading green initiatives, and Island Institute's pioneering wind-energy projects along the islands of Midcoast Maine. Explore cutting-edge sustainability issues and find out how you can get involved. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, January 9 - The Road to Successful Beekeeping, 9:30 am - Noon, Wolfe's Neck Farm, Freeport. This class will walk participants step by step through the process of starting your own hives. Wolfe's Neck Farm is an historic 626 acre farm on the Maine coast dedicated to sustainable agriculture, environmental education, and community well-being through the enjoyment of our natural landscape. For more information about programs at the farm, call 865-4469.

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 12 and 13 - First Annual Maine Association of Building Efficiency Professional’s (MABEP) Training Conference, Holiday Inn By-the-Bay, Portland. The Maine Association of Building Efficiency Professionals has been established to represent and advance the interests of energy auditors, energy retrofit contractors, energy efficient green builders, insulation contractors, weatherization professionals, installers of wind turbine, geo thermal, heat pump, and solar technologies, installers of energy efficiency materials and equipment, installers of non-fossil fuel generating devices, manufacturers and suppliers, home inspectors, architects, engineers, interior designers and all other persons and businesses who seek to improve the energy efficiency of residential and commecial buildings and to reduce our dependence upon fossil fuels. Registration for the training conference closed on January 5, but you can learn more about MABEP at http://www.efficiencypros.org/

Thursday, January 14 - Make Your Own Interior Storm Windows, 7 pm, F.W. Horch, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Due to popular demand, we're offering this seminar again! Come learn how to make reusable insulating storm windows to keep heat in and stop drafts. Properly measured, made and installed, interior storm windows will significantly reduce your heating bills year after year. These window inserts can be installed and removed without the use of tools or fasteners. Rendon Sabina of Downeast Interior Storms will demonstrate his affordable design, using wood, polyolefin film, and open cellulose foam. For more information, please call (207) 729-4050. Free and open to the public.

Tuesday, January 19 - Growing Greens in Maine All Winter Long, 1:45 pm, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 95 Court Street, Belfast. Imagine -- growing your own fresh greens all winter without a heated greenhouse. For more than six years, NRCM communications director Judy Berk has done so. She will share her secrets, successes, and failures, in a talk at the Belfast Garden Club’s January 19 meeting. The Belfast Garden Club meetings are open to the public. Plan to arrive at 1:00 pm to attend the business meeting and a mini-horticultural talk, or arrive at 1:45 pm for Judy’s 2:00 pm talk.

Wednesday, January 20 - Protecting the Nature of Maine, 6:30 pm, Bates College, Keck Classroom, Pettingill Hall, 4 Andrews Road, Lewistion. Join the Natural Resources Council of Maine for a showing of their documentary film, "Protecting the Nature of Maine," followed by discussion with NRCM executive director Brownie Carson, registered Maine Guide and NRCM board president Bill Houston, and other environmental activists. Free and open to the public. RSVP through email or phone to Gretta Wark 207-430-0108.

Thursday, January 21 - Going Green to Stay in the Black, 6-8 pm, USM Glickman Family Library, Portland. Glen Brand, National Cool Cities Director, Sierra Club as well as Lita Semrau and Andy Hyland of the United States Green Building Council Maine Chapter will speak about green building, what it is, why it is important and how we can make it happen locally in our Maine communities. Anyone interested in green building and policies in their communities -- contractors and construction employees, town officials, and homeowners -- should attend. Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact Sandy Amborn at 761-5616 or email sandyamborn@yahoo.com

Thursday, January 28 - Sustainability: Then and Now, 6:30 pm, Freeport Community Center, Freeport. Local historian Fred Koerber will talk about changes in the use of land and water throughout history. Using examples from Maquoit Bay, he will connect historic land use to our contemporary search for sustainability. Community discussions to follow the talk.

Friday, January 29 - Keeping Foundations Warm and Dry, 9 am - Noon, USM Mitchell Center, 37 College Ave, Gorham. In partnership with the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council, the Maine Association of Building Efficiency Professionals presents a free training for site work and foundation construction. Learn about the physical processes at work below grade and understand how these processes are addressed by the new Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code. Registration by January 22 is necessary. For more information, contact Becky Morgan, 622-4466 or becky@mabep.org.

Saturday, January 30 - Top Bar Beekeeping Demonstration, 10 am - 2 pm, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Christy Hemenway of Gold Start Honeybees will be at our store to demonstrate how to keep bees in a top bar bee hive. The Gold Star Top Bar Beehive promotes healthy honey bees by allowing bees to make their own natural beeswax. This helps bees by strengthening their immune systems, helping them to fight off parasites and other bee problems without the use of toxic chemicals in the beehive. Christy will be demonstrating using an empty hive -- you'll have to imagine the bees and the honey!

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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/

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