Maine Environment: Frontline Voices
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is a nonprofit membership organization protecting, restoring, and conserving Maine's environment, now and for future generations. We work to improve the quality of Maine's rivers; to reduce toxic chemicals threatening the health of Maine families and wildlife; to decrease air and global warming pollution, and to conserve Maine lands. NRCM harnesses the power of the law, science, and the voices of more than 25,000 supporters statewide and beyond. Together, we are making a difference. Help us protect the nature of Maine — become a member today!
Episodes
February 1, 2024 • 37 mins
The last few years, our work at the State House in Augusta has delivered enormous progress for Maine’s environment. So, how is NRCM gearing up to continue this momentum and what are the priorities we’ve set for this year’s short legislative session? From curbing the use of polluting gas to encouraging reuse, investing in our trails, and tribal sovereignty for the Wabanaki people, NRCM’s Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim joins the po...
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December 21, 2023 • 30 mins
It’s the holiday season, which means a lot of gifts, a lot of food, and….a lot of waste. Mainers by nature are frugal and don’t like waste. It’s part of who we are. But when we go to the store or buy online we’re faced with a deluge of plastic and other wasteful packaging. And it drives most of us crazy. What can we do about it? We speak with Laura Marston, the owner of the Maine-based, plastic-free, zero-waste business Go Go Refil...
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December 7, 2023 • 35 mins
The U.S. government recently released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the nation’s preeminent policy-neutral report highlighting the latest science about climate change impacts, risks, and responses. We speak with David Reidmiller, the director of the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) who co-authored the Northeast chapter about how climate change is affecting Maine communities and what gives him h...
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August 31, 2023 • 22 mins
The Land for Maine’s Future program is Maine’s most successful and popular land conservation program, helping to support hundreds of conservation projects that have exceptional natural or recreational value or support Maine’s heritage industries of farming, fishing, and forestry. In 2021, the Legislature appropriated $40 million in state funding for LMF, which is being used to support many new projects. In this episode of Frontline...
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August 17, 2023 • 33 mins
Zero-emission cars and trucks are becoming increasingly popular but many prospective buyers are finding that supply can’t keep up with demand. Stronger standards for clean cars and trucks would give consumers in Maine more opportunities to buy electric vehicles and slash toxic tailpipe pollution that is harming human health and making climate change worse. In this episode, we speak with Scott Vlaun of the Center for an Ecology-Base...
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August 3, 2023 • 29 mins
This year's legislative session was another strong demonstration of how Maine's strong conservation ethic continues to define our way of life, drive economic growth, and influence new laws passed at the State House in Augusta. Thousands of Mainers spoke up and took action to protect our environment, strengthen the resiliency of local communities, and accelerate a more equitable clean energy future. NRCM's Advocacy Director Pete Did...
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July 20, 2023 • 27 mins
The on-the-ground experience of local redemption center owners like Shandra Rubchinuk helped get the bill to modernize Maine's Bottle Bill across the finish line during this year's legislative session. Shandra, who is co-owner of Jansel Bottle Redemption in Winthrop, joins the podcast to speak about the challenges of operating redemption centers, the important role these small businesses play in making the Bottle Bill so successful...
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June 22, 2023 • 30 mins
In 2016, Ray and Danielle Ruby set a goal to visit every State Park and campground with their family…and they did it! Along the way they chronicled their travels with unvarnished reviews on their popular blog “Rubys on the Road.” Ray joins the podcast to talk about what makes Maine’s State Parks so special and get some insider tips from his family’s years of experience. NRCM is proud to partner with Mainers like the Rubys to build ...
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June 12, 2023 • 33 mins
The conservation movement and outdoor recreation have long been centered on a white, able-bodied dominant view, but here in Maine and throughout the country there's a movement to interrupt this pattern and instigate change. In this episode we speak with Bri Dostie, one of those Mainers pushing to create more welcoming, joyful spaces in the outdoor community for a greater diversity of people. Bri founded the Confluence Collective, a...
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May 25, 2023 • 29 mins
Solar energy in Maine has grown seven-fold in the last few years. These projects are bringing enormous benefits to Mainers, including helping cash-strapped businesses and towns save money on electricity bills. We know more solar is needed to meet our climate goals, and it’s necessary to help buffer against the price spikes we’re experiencing from dirty oil and gas. Climate & Clean Energy Senior Advocate Rebecca Schultz joins the po...
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May 11, 2023 • 31 mins
The Bottle Bill is a big part of Maine’s culture and environmental ethic. It’s also our most effective recycling and litter prevention program. And hundreds of Mainers have built their lives and small businesses around bottle redemption. But in the 45 years since it began a lot has changed. NRCM’s Sarah Nichols joins the podcast to talk about improvements that are needed to strengthen the Bottle Bill and make it more efficient.
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April 27, 2023 • 14 mins
In celebration of National Poetry Month we rebroadcast a powerful poetry reading and discussion that former host Carly Peruccio had with Maine-based poet Richard Blanco for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In March of this year, Blanco was awarded with the National Humanities Medal by President Biden at the White House. We hope by rebroadcasting our conversation with Blanco we have given our listeners space to reflect and rest am...
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April 13, 2023 • 32 mins
Trails are part of what define the Maine experience. Although Maine currently has wonderful trails for hiking, biking, skiing, snowmobiling, commuting, and other uses, many of our trails are in serious need of repair and maintenance. The Maine Trails Bond would be the State-funded grant program dedicated specifically to supporting trail development and maintenance. Outdoor accessibility specialist Enock Glidden and NRCM Advocacy Di...
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March 30, 2023 • 14 mins
The snow is melting, roads are getting muddier, and amphibians are on the move! We speak with University of Maine graduate student and 2022 Brookie Award winner Greg LeClair about amphibians in Maine, and in particular the annual spring migration they take to get to breeding habitat. Greg founded Maine Big Night, a community science project to collect data and research on road-crossing amphibians across Maine, that has engaged more...
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March 17, 2023 • 78 mins
For the first time in two decades, the chiefs of the tribes in Maine appeared before a special joint session of the Legislature on March 16, 2023, for the Wabanaki Nations’ State of the Tribes address. In this episode, we give listeners an opportunity to hear the full remarks of the five chiefs during this historic moment. One of NRCM’s top priorities is to stand alongside the Wabanaki people as they work toward the State of Maine ...
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March 2, 2023 • 28 mins
More than 100,000 heat pumps have been installed by Mainers and every day more are installed. Without a doubt, heat pumps are a runaway success story for Maine, making our state an incredible example for the rest of the nation. We speak with Andy Meyer, Senior Program Manager at Efficiency Maine, about this exciting transition in how we heat and cool our homes, and why Maine’s love of heat pumps is attracting national attention. An...
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February 16, 2023 • 27 mins
Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby might be Maine’s most famous Mainer you’ve never heard of, but a new statue unveiled in Augusta this week aims to educate more people about her legacy. Fly Rod was a skilled fly fisher and big promoter of Maine in the 1800s who became the state’s first Registered Maine Guide. Maine Master Guide Roger Lambert and Brent West, Executive Director of the High Peaks Alliance, discuss Fly Rod’s enormous legacy an...
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February 2, 2023 • 26 mins
Our new CEO Rebeccah Sanders has been on the job a little over a week and has hit the ground running, drawing on her two decades of executive nonprofit management experience in community-driven conservation work and her long-time love of Maine’s great outdoors. What has Rebeccah learned so far, and what is she looking forward to in the future for NRCM and Maine’s environment? Tune in to hear it all in her own words.
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January 25, 2023 • 42 mins
Bonus episode! On January 24, 2023, the Natural Resources Council of Maine joined with Senator Mark Lawrence, labor leaders, and conservation partners to announce a bill to boost floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.
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January 20, 2023 • 24 mins
The State House in Augusta is once again bustling with activity, and NRCM’s experts have been hard at work identifying our top priorities for the 2023 legislative session that will protect Maine’s climate, water, wildlife, and outdoors. Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim joins the podcast to highlight some of the top environmental issues and bills we’ll be tracking in the upcoming legislative session, and offers tips on how to keep u...
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