Lightning talks will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono.
- Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form for Zoom connection information
Talks in this session will focus on sustainability research by graduate and undergraduate students in Maine. Each presenter will have 5-minutes for their talk. PowerPoint presentations are allowed but will be limited to 10 slides.
Presenting Students
Solar Bans in the US: Assessing Spread, Drivers, And Possible Solutions
Solomon Agbesi, MS student, Resource Economics and Policy
Sustaining Food Waste Education in Maine through Collaborative Student-led Research
William Brenneman, MA student, Anthropology & Environmental Policy
Kathryn Busko, BA student, Ecology & Environmental Sciences and Journalism
Call the Midwife: A Sustainable Solution to Centralizing Maternity Care
Gianna DeJoy, PhD student, Anthropology & Environmental Policy
How is PFAS Impacting Maine Anglers?
Carissa Furtado, BS student, Ecology & Environmental Sciences and Economics
Supporting Sustainable Energy Initiatives within Wabanaki Tribal Nations
Jasmine Lamb, PhD student, Ecology & Environmental Sciences
Impacts of Climate Language on Rural Maine Community Resilience Initiatives
Sonia Leone, BS student, Anthropology and Sustainability
Building Capacity for Underserved Communities through Local Energy Action Networks
Faizan Saif, MS student, Resource Economics and Policy
Lobster shell composite materials for temporary structural applications
Greg Simms, PhD student, Materials Science and Engineering
Abstracts
Solar Bans in the US: Assessing Spread, Drivers, And Possible Solutions
Solomon Agbesi, MS student, Resource Economics and Policy
Sustainable and clean energy generation is essential in the fight against climate change. Solar energy offers a key solution to reducing carbon emissions as compared to fossil fuels because its generation is entirely free from carbon emissions. This contributes to global climate goals such as achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the United States’ target of producing 80% clean electricity by 2035. Solar energy’s potential to offset environmental damage caused by non-renewable energy sources is also well-documented, positioning it as a vital strategy for mitigating climate change.
However, an emerging challenge is the rise of solar bans at various levels across the United States. Towns, counties, and even some states have enacted laws or held referenda to halt the installation of solar panels in their communities. This trend poses a significant barrier to achieving broader sustainability goals and raises important questions about the underlying causes of resistance to solar energy deployment.
My study seeks to understand the factors that contribute to the rejection of solar panels in the U.S., analyze how spatial proximity and socioeconomic factors influence the spread of these bans and explore possible solutions to mitigate opposition to solar energy projects. The findings will contribute to ongoing discussions about fostering public acceptance of renewable energy and inform policymakers about strategies to facilitate the smooth deployment of solar projects across the U.S.
Sustaining Food Waste Education in Maine through Collaborative Student-led Research
William Brenneman, MA student, Anthropology & Environmental Policy
Kathryn Busko, BA student, Ecology & Environmental Sciences and Journalism
In the US, 30-40% of food produced is never eaten, and according to the 2024 WRAP consumer research study, young people (18-24) are the highest food wasting segment. Since food waste has major economic, social, and environmental costs, educating the next generation about food waste is vitally important to the future of our food system and our planet.
As part of the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, Food Rescue MAINE is a multidisciplinary team of students and faculty working together with community stakeholders to develop, test, and expand proven solutions to end food loss and waste in Maine. To address the need for youth food waste education, we will work with four Maine elementary school nutrition directors on a Maine School Cafeteria Food Waste Study to develop and test solutions for reducing food waste in schools. A major concern shared by our team is how to expand the learning to more schools and into the future. In other words, how do we ensure continuous food waste education after the study is over? This lightning talk highlights the work of two researchers using their very different academic backgrounds (anthropology and journalism) to effectively collaborate on developing this sustainable Maine school food waste solution. In it we present 1) the planned methodology for the upcoming school study, 2) the tools our team has compiled and developed for teachers and students to provide continuous food waste education, and 3) the exciting potential of this approach to be expanded beyond the school context.
Call the Midwife: A Sustainable Solution to Centralizing Maternity Care
Gianna DeJoy, PhD student, Anthropology & Environmental Policy
Rural maternity care is in decline across North America. Following centuries of effort to eradicate traditional midwives and foster dependence on obstetricians and hospital birth, millions of women in the U.S. now live in counties with no midwifery or obstetric services. In parts of Canada, people are waiting until their ninth month of pregnancy to see a maternity provider, while some remote Indigenous communities face policies of forced evacuation to birth in distant hospital settings. This crisis in access to care is costly socially and environmentally. Living far from care and/or in a community that loses local maternity services is associated with a range of adverse outcomes for both parent and infant. For some, being unable to birth in familiar and culturally appropriate settings can be traumatizing and dangerous. Hundreds of thousands of pregnant people annually travelling long distances for prenatal care and/or birth also have implications for greenhouse gas emissions – new obstetric closures may lead to the equivalent of hundreds additional gas-powered vehicles on the road. Of course, hospital obstetrics itself has a significant and well-studied ecological footprint. The solution to all these issues may be supporting the proliferation of those whose work was demonized and nearly eliminated by the biomedical system that is now neglecting rural areas: community-based midwives. Midwife-led birth center and home birth is demonstrably safe for low-risk pregnancies even in rural and under resourced settings. Further, the low-intervention midwifery model of care is inherently more environmentally friendly than hospital obstetrics. There are even trickle-down effects; parents choosing home birth or attended by a midwife in any setting are more likely to breastfeed, which leads to better outcomes for parent and child and has a smaller ecological footprint than human milk substitutes. Interested in sustainability and birth equity? Call the midwife.
How is PFAS Impacting Maine Anglers?
Carissa Furtado, BS student, Ecology & Environmental Sciences and Economics
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of synthetic fluorinated chemicals also referred to as “forever chemicals.” PFAS are contaminants that have become a focus point for Mainers due to their persistence in the environment and their potential to disrupt numerous economic sectors, including fishing. PFAS has been found to bioaccumulate in organisms such as fish and could transfer to humans through consumption (Death et al., 2021). Exposure to PFAS in humans has been found to contribute to reproductive issues, immunotoxicity, and is designated as a possible carcinogen (Sands et al., 2024). As a response to the concern for PFAS, Maine has been implementing consumption advisories for anglers. This project’s purpose is to assess if Maine’s anglers’ behavior has changed because of PFAS contamination. We distributed a survey to a random sample of Maine fishing license holders and asked questions about their fishing habits. The preliminary results are forthcoming as we prepare a technical report for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. This research will allow us to grasp Mainers’ understanding of PFAS and its effects on fishing. We can use this information to see if locals think that PFAS is a prominent issue which would determine how it could be effectively regulated or treated.
Supporting Sustainable Energy Initiatives within Wabanaki Tribal Nations
Jasmine Lamb, PhD student, Ecology & Environmental Sciences
The University of Maine is conducting research with the five Wabanaki Tribal Nations in Maine to identify barriers, opportunities, and decision drivers for renewable energy and energy efficiency technology adoption within Wabanaki Nations. The State of Maine uses the most heating oil per capita and by volume out of the entire United States, increasing the proportion of income spent on energy, or the household energy burden. Tribal citizens of Wabanaki Nations are particularly impacted by this, with each nation experiencing energy burdens in the 90th percentiles for the United States. Many tribal members lack the opportunity to engage with the sustainability transition spreading across the world due to high rates of poverty, caused in part by the State of Maine’s repression of tribal sovereignty.
The key objective of this research is to support and advance energy justice initiatives that increase access to renewable energy and energy efficiency technology for Wabanaki tribal citizens. We will discuss how our research has supported capacity building, educational workshops, and intertribal grants related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. The methods of our study include educational workshops, REE options that include local ownership, capacity building, annual energy and emissions tracking from Community Resilience Partnership Grant activity, and community surveys and interviews to track the awareness, engagement, and adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies over time. We will specifically discuss the efforts of the Sipayik Resilience Committee for the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point.
Impacts of Climate Language on Rural Maine Community Resilience Initiatives
Sonia Leone, BS student, Anthropology and Sustainability
My sustainability research will culminate in an undergraduate Honors Thesis that analyzes the impacts of climate language in underserved Maine communities. Language about climate change often creates barriers for communities seeking to engage in resilience initiatives. Underserved Maine populations experience the effects of climate change, from severe winter storms and power outages to high energy costs. However, Maine’s culture of political polarization, rugged individualism, and distrust of institutions contribute to a frequently negative perception of climate action within rural communities. Language like ‘climate change’ and ‘government funding’ can bring local resilience projects to a halt, especially when communities are not involved in research processes. Resilience initiatives are additionally influenced by language of risk certainty, which often determines the ability of a community to justify capacity expenditures. My study aims to analyze how climate language is a barrier in underserved Maine communities and how climate language can be tailored to facilitate local resilience planning. Furthermore, I touch upon how iterative co-production of research and equitable relationships can empower successful community climate initiatives.
Building Capacity for Underserved Communities through Local Energy Action Networks
Faizan Saif, MS student, Resource Economics and Policy
Underserved communities in Maine face significant challenges in accessing resources that support renewable energy equity (REE) and climate resilience. In response to these challenges, our research team is building the Maine Community-led Energy and Climate Action Network (MAINECAN), a local energy action network (LEAN) designed to connect, build capacity, and provide educational opportunities across its member community groups. This initiative is in the early stage of surveying communities and organizations to engage them in the network and identify their specific needs. Going forward, MAINECAN aims to strengthen community resilience across the state by supporting collaboration, peer-to-peer learning, and resource sharing.
A key objective of this project is to enhance awareness of the various tools and resources available to underserved communities, facilitating their participation in renewable energy initiatives. Additionally, we will learn from LEANs in other states how to incorporate effective tools and strategies into MAINECAN. This talk will highlight the benefits and challenges of creating a network-based approach to REE, with the ultimate goal of building a more connected and resilient Maine through increased community capacity.
Lobster shell composite materials for temporary structural applications
Greg Simms, PhD student, Materials Science and Engineering
The Neivandt Research Group, within University of Maine’s Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, has developed a novel lobster shell composite. The material is currently being investigated for temporary structural applications in collaboration with the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Alliance for Research Technology (SM2ART) Program – a partnership between the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The lobster shell composite is comprised of water, lobster shells and a binder produced as a waste product of the agricultural industry. This composite is easily manufactured with processes used to make plastic components. The lobster shell composite’s flexural strength exceeds construction lumber, and its compression strength exceeds concrete. The material can be glued with traditional construction adhesives but forms a stronger bond when glued with only water. The lobster shell composite retains screws and nails better than wood, yet unlike wood it is flame resistant. The lobster shell composite is recyclable, compostable or dissolvable in water within two weeks. There are many potential terrestrial and marine applications for this composite. Our current focus is temporary relief shelters for refugees and dissolvable support materials for large format additive manufacturing. Commercial adoption of this material would elevate the value of waste materials generating sources of revenue in rural communities. Further, wood currently wasted in temporary applications could be diverted to increase the supply for longer term building applications or left in the forest for higher purposes – habitat, biodiversity, sequestering and storing carbon dioxide.
The presentation will cover the purpose of the research, the manufacturer of the lobster shell composite, the material properties characterization with comparison to traditional materials and will close with a description of planned future research.
