Sustainability Solutions and Technologies

WMTW cites UMaine study about state bee populations

In an article about Maine beekeepers helping newcomers start hives, WMTW (Channel 8 in Portland) cited a study from the University of Maine that the state’s bee population has decreased by more than 40% since the 1980s. WABI (Channel 5 in Bangor) shared the WMTW report. 

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BDN interviews Rubin about electric vehicles

The Bangor Daily News spoke with Jonathan Rubin, director of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and professor of economics, about electric vehicles and Maine’s climate policy goals. Rubin said that Maine generally has an old housing stock, with many homes not equipped for rapid charging. He added that improving access to electric vehicles for […]

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Forstadt and Noblet speak to BDN about anxiety around the PFAS crisis

Leslie Forstadt, human development specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Caroline Noblet, associate professor of economics at the University of Maine and a team member of the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions PFAS Research Initiative, were interviewed for the Bangor Daily News about the anxiety surrounding Maine’s PFAS crisis. […]

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Berry and Isenhour write for BDN about the sustainability of thrifting

Brie Berry, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Anthropology, and Cindy Isenhour, associate professor of anthropology and climate change at the University of Maine, wrote an opinion column for the Bangor Daily News about how second-hand shopping could help mitigate climate change. “For example, through a five-year research project on reuse economies in Maine, […]

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Shaler interviewed by Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal interviewed Stephen Shaler, professor of sustainable materials and technology in the School of Forest Resources, in an article about the rising popularity of wooden skyscrapers. “If you look at the carbon impact of harvesting trees and turning them into buildings, it gives you a much better number than you get from […]

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UMaine Extension greenhouse plastic recycling program opens April 19

University of Maine Cooperative Extension expects to open its Greenhouse Plastic Recycling (GPR) program April 19 with drop-off sites available statewide through Nov. 21.  Plastic eligible for recycling is clear, low-density polyethylene #4 (LDPE #4) used to cover greenhouses, high tunnels, hoop houses and other agricultural structures. The program will also accept white overwintering plastic […]

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Maine Monitor interviews MacRae about PFAS and composting

Jean MacRae, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Maine, was interviewed by the Maine Monitor in an article about the importance of quality compost for Maine’s soil health, especially in light of the PFAS crisis. MacRae said that given the difficulty determining which paper and cardboard materials contain PFAS, it’s best to […]

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A photo of Oak Hall in spring

UMaine names 2022 valedictorian and salutatorian

Political science major Dominique DiSpirito of Woonsocket, Rhode Island is the 2022 University of Maine valedictorian and Maxwell Burtis of Brunswick, Maine, a mechanical engineering major, is this year’s salutatorian. Both are students in the UMaine Honors College. “Dominique and Maxwell are truly outstanding members of our community and their UMaine student experiences are what […]

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