Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Kaiser Health News interviewed Mitchell Center faculty fellow Dianne Kopec for an article about toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, found in freshwater fish. Kopec said eating fish with high concentrations of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” may be more harmful than mercury. “They’re both really nasty,” she said. The Messenger, The Citizen, […]

See below a link to a November 22, 2023 article published in the Working Waterfront by Robin Alden. The article reflects on changes in the fisheries industry in the years since Robin founded Commercial Fisheries News in 1973. Robin is a valued member of the Mitchell Center’s Advisory Board and is a former fisheries editor, […]

University of Maine researchers are seeking to gain more insight into river herring recovery in the Penobscot River using a novel surveying tool: environmental DNA (eDNA). eDNA is the genetic material shed by all organisms in the environment, which can be collected and sequenced. By testing its viability as a survey tool, UMaine researchers and […]

Caroline Noblet, associate professor of economics and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, delivered a talk during an annual symposium hosted by the Michigan State University Center for PFAS Research Oct. 22-24. Noblet’s talk, “Case Study 2: Consumer Reaction to PFAS in Agriculture,” was given on Oct. 24. The University of Maine, particularly Noblet and Pauline Kamath, […]

Food Rescue MAINE student Kate Flynn and team leader Susanne Lee worked with Sodexo Dining Services and other key partners to introduce a UMaine community fridge initiative that offers free, surplus cafeteria food to anyone in the UMaine campus community. The new Black Bear Community Fridge, located in Memorial Union, officially opened at 2 p.m. […]

Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow Susanne Lee will give a talk about Maine’s efforts to reduce food waste at this year’s VegFest. The event will take place at East End Community School in Portland on October 28. About one third of our food is wasted. It’s the same as going to the grocery store, buying three […]

By Sarah Delmonte On October 22-24, the Michigan State University Center for PFAS Research will hold their second annual symposium. The title of this symposium is PFAS: Current Knowledge and Applications for Food Production. Attendees from multiple backgrounds plan to participate, including farmers, students, scientists, and public and private industry professionals. The conference will provide […]

In 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that each year, U.S. households trashed 26.5 million tons of food, or 338 pounds per household. That’s enough to feed 26.5 million people in a year or about 350,000 U.S. residents over their lifetimes. According to the USDA, 30–40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted. Reducing this […]

This week, the National Science Foundation announced that they would provide $30 million in funding to a collaborative center based at UMass Amherst. The new center, named the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science (CBIKS) aims to focus on issues currently facing indigenous populations in Maine. The Northeast hub of CBIKS will operate on […]

We wanted to share with you the exciting news that Governor Mills has issued an official Proclamation designating September 25-29, 2023 as Maine Food Waste Awareness Week! In particular, we’d like to thank the Maine Dept. of Education and the teachers, staff, and students who participated in our 2023 Maine School Cafeteria Food Waste Study. Their […]