#savetheforest — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #savetheforest, aggregated by home.social.
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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Oh, and of course, I knew once #AmazonCorp announced plans to build a warehouse in #GorhamME, the #GorhamConnector would rear its ugly head again... And even though #JanetMills' brother #PeterMills is no longer in charge of #MDOT doesn't mean the new director won't be pushing this... Instead of a light rail system or rapid bus transit on the existing roads (and / or safer bike lanes. I knew friends who used to bike from Gorham to Portland, but it got too dangerous because of a lack of dedicated bike lanes and speeders).
#MDOT will launch new examination of traffic issues west of Portland
The state study will focus on Gorham, #ScarboroughME, #SouthPortlandME and #WestbrookME.
Robert Lowell, April 22, 2026
Excerpt: "The announcement of the new study comes just days before Amazon goes to the Gorham Planning Board on May 4, seeking approval for a warehouse and distribution center on Main Street (Route 25). Traffic will likely be one issue fueling concerns about the Amazon project.
"The study also comes in the aftermath of plans the Maine Turnpike Authority shelved last year for a four-lane toll road connector to Gorham. The connector was aimed at reducing commuter rush-hour traffic in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor [which the #Maine Legislature failed to make go away!]
"A connector would have linked the roundabout at South Street (Route 114) and the southerly end of Gorham’s Bernard Rines Bypass with the turnpike’s Exit 45 in South Portland. The connector proposal was met with a public outcry because it called for cutting a swath through #SmilingHillFarm in #WestbrookME."
Archived version:
https://archive.md/Rh3bH#MainePol #InducedSprawl #Maine #RuralLife #SaveTheFarms #SaveRedBrook #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit
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So, this is a timely topic! From the latest issue of #InTheseTimes! The connection between Amazon Deforestation and CEO land grabs in the Western United States -- bought with blood money!
Fortress Yellowstone
The #UltraRich are fortifying themselves inside one of America’s last intact #ecosystems—with money plundered from ecological #SacrificeZones around the world
by Joseph Bullington, April 6, 2026
Excerpt: "Some of these ultra-rich ranch owners celebrate the natural beauty of their land and are ardent conservationists when it comes to the Yellowstone ecosystem. In digging into their business dealings, however, I found that most of these landowners accumulated their wealth through industries that help drive the destruction of nature elsewhere. Their ranks include private equity investors, oil and gas billionaires and real estate developers. "[...]
"Now, instead of forests full of fruits and animals and mandioca clearings, industrial soy plantations press in on #Açaizal like a closing fist. There is no escape from the onslaught of #monoculture. Manoel shows me where rows of broken cornstalks run right up against the edge of the community’s soccer field, which the soy farmers also want to plow. The soybeans and corn, like those in the United States, are genetically engineered to withstand the #herbicides and #pesticides the farmers dump on them to beat back weeds and pests, but the chemicals drift, says Manoel, making it impossible to grow fruits and vegetables and #mandioca nearby. The streams run low and full of poison."
Read more:
https://inthesetimes.com/article/yellowstone-billionaires-conservation-montana-deforest-amazon#Billionaires #UberRich #CEOs #AmazonDeforestation #BigAg #SoybeanProduction #IndustralSoybeans #PoisoningTheAmazon #GMOs #Monoculture #Deforestation #Cargill #HomeDepot #SoyPlantations #SaveTheForest #SaveTheRainforest #Earth4All #DSA #DemocraticSocialism #ReadItBeforeItsBanned #TaxTheRich #NoTaxHavens #EatTheRich #YeetTheRich #BigCorporations
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The moment when you learn something cool about a friend that you didn't know before. I was hanging out with a friend before today's Pride Parade and saw that he had a special issue of the "#EarthFirst Journal" on his coffee table. Having been in an EF affiliate group in the northeast, I asked if I could thumb through it. When I got to a certain page, my friend pointed to photograph of some people at an action. "Recognize that nerd?" he asked. "OMGs! That's you!" He then proceeded to tell me what it was like being at the tree sittings in Eugene, Oregon when they were trying to save a forest from being cut down. The cops went crazy with pepper spray, attacking the protestors in ways I won't detail (but very #ACAB). Un-armed protestors. In trees. My friend tells me that this incident radicalized a LOT of folks -- as did some of the subsequent ones that soon followed...
From Wikipedia: Eugene Oregon - 1990s: #Anarchist activity
"Attempts by the city to remove a forest grove at downtown Broadway and Charnelton were met with protests on June 1, 1997. Forty trees in downtown Eugene were cut down to make way for a housing, retail, and parking project and were met with community resistance.
"The Eugene [#policeforce] was accused of overreaction and excessive use of force for their flagrant use of pepper spray, which was defended by Republican mayor Jim Torrey. In the Whitaker District, citizens were further radicalized by the incident and helped spur the activist community, which was already burgeoning due to a lack of affordable housing and growing income inequality in the area."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_activism_in_Eugene,_Oregon
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YES! VICTORY! Public pushback makes a difference!
#MaineTurnpikeAuthority drops controversial #GorhamConnector project
by WGME Staff Thu, March 6th 2025 at 7:56 PM
GORHAM (WGME) – "The Maine Turnpike Authority is now dropping its controversial Gorham connector project.
"The project would have built a new highway from South Portland to Gorham, with the goal of easing heavy road congestion.
"The MTA paused the project last year after receiving backlash from local residents.
"The project would have required the demolition of nearly a dozen homes and confiscation of #farmland."
"'There was a lot of concern, and people wondered if it's the right-sized tool for the job, a lot of people have concerns that, building another highway, there's concerns that it will just fill up,' MTA Director of Communications Erin Courtney said.
The MTA says it's heading back to the drawing board to re-examine traffic conditions and review past mobility studies to find better ways to ease congestion in the area." [Like #LightRail, #RapidTransitBusLines and more #BikeLanes!]
https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-turnpike-authority-drops-controversial-gorham-connector-project-south-portland
#Maine #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SmilingHillFarm #InducedSprawl #GorhamConnector #MainersForSmarterTransportation #Maine #MaineNews #GorhamBypass #GorhamSpur #Maine #RapidTransit #SaveTheFarms #ProtectTheForest #InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #ProtectTheWetlands #BrookTrout #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit -
[Short film] #Tayal #Forest Club
"Ancestors! We’ve gotten stuck here. Can you help us find the way home?” pleads Yukan, an Atayal teenager lost in the forests of his forefathers.
"Bullied at school and weighed down at home by his dad’s drinking, Yukan is eager to escape it all. When his best friend, Watan, invites him on a hike, a physically and emotionally bruised Yukan grabs his machete and the two boys head into the woods. But this isn’t just any hike, or just any woods — as Yukan and Watan’s youthful overconfidence runs them up against the realities of nightfall in the dense and mountainous Atayal homelands, other forces begin to reveal themselves. Before they can find a way home, these two young Tayal men must first humble themselves enough to learn the lessons that the land itself has to offer.
"In TAYAL FOREST CLUB, Taiwan’s first Indigenous female film director, Laha Mebow, shares a coming-of-age tale that interweaves Tayal characters, settings, and symbols with the complexities arising from her community’s interactions with contemporary society."
Watch:
https://www.reciprocity.org/films/tayal-forest-club#SolarPunkSunday #SaveTheForest #ForestProtectors #Nature #ProtectNature #Atayal #IndigenousTaiwanese #Taiwan #DCEFF #IndigenousStorytellers
#IndigenousFilms #LandDefenders #ReciprocityProject #Reciprocity #IndigenousFilmMakers #WomenDirectedFilms
#IndigenousWisdom #IndigenousKnowledge #Reciprocity -
Workshop in #ScarboroughMaine Wednesday, September 18th
Community group opposing #GorhamConnector discusses alternatives
A coalition run by volunteers, #MainersForSmarterTransportation , held a community forum about the Gorham Connector, with all present opposing it.
"Offering alternatives to the connector, Gorham resident Tina Ruel talked about traveling this summer in Switzerland and France and riding aboard electric trams on tracks and buses. 'Building more roads and widening roads is no longer the answer,' Ruel said in a printed statement to the American Journal."
by Robert Lowell, September 12, 2024
"Opponents of the proposed #MaineTurnpike toll connector to Gorham spoke out last week in a community forum held in Westbrook.
"A grassroots coalition, Mainers for Smarter Transportation, organized the meeting. It has more than 11,000 signatures on a petition to halt the connector, according to its website m4st.org.
"#SmarterTransportation volunteer Myles Smith of Portland said the connector could cost upward of $400 to $500 million and quality of life suffers when new roads are constructed. '#Highways often lead to #sprawl, Smith said."Two ways to solve transportation problems, Paul Drinan, who is a member of Westbrook Recreation and #Conservation Commission, said, are #RapidTransit and active transportation such as #bicycling and #ElectricScooters.
The proposed 4.8-mile connector would link the Bernard Rines Bypass in Gorham to Turnpike Exit 45 in South Portland. It is aimed at easing bumper-to-bumper, rush-hour congestion in the routes 22 and 114 commuter corridor through #GorhamMaine, #ScarboroughMaine and #WestbrookMaine. The connector alignment would cut a 50-acre swath through historic #SmilingHillFarm.
"Retired Gorham tax assessor Mike D’Arcangelo said Maine is a tourist mecca and the state’s beauty needs protection. 'Are we going to put in a forever, four-lane highway?' he said.
"The Scarborough Town Council will discuss the Gorham connector in a workshop scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Scarborough Municipal Building, 259 Route 1."
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/09/12/community-group-opposing-gorham-connector-discusses-alternatives/Archive:
https://archive.md/CrtWs#InducedDemand #Sprawl #SaveRedBrook #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #LightRail #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit #BikeLanes #MainersForSmarterTransportation #MaineTurnpikeAuthority -
Grassroots group’s report sharply criticizes #GorhamConnector proposal
#MainersForSmarterTransportation recommends alternatives to the project as #ScarboroughMaine town councilors consider calling for changes to address growing public concerns.
September 5, 2024
by Kelley Bouchard“Tyson and others say the connector proposal is based on stale #commuter data and obsolete #highway design goals in an attempt to shave an average of 4 minutes off morning and evening drive times. They question the design, cost, safety and need for the project, as well as its impact on the #environment, regional economy and overall quality of life in #SouthPortland, Scarborough, #WestbrookMaine, #GorhamMaine and beyond.
"#M4ST is a coalition of individuals, nonprofits and other groups seeking alternatives to highway expansion in #GreaterPortland. So far, over 12,000 Mainers have signed the group’s petition calling for a halt to planning the Gorham Connector.
"Coalition members include #GrowSmartMaine, #TroutUnlimited, #SierraClubMaine Chapter, #SmilingHillFarm, #MovingMaineNetwork, #PortlandBikePed Advisory Committee and Westbrook #SafeMobility and Access Committee.“
Original article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/09/05/gorham-connector-target-of-grassroots-groups-report/Archive:
https://archive.md/axABu#SaveRedBrook #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #LightRail #HuskyLine #RapidBusTransit #BikeLanes #MainersForSmarterTransportation #MaineTurnpikeAuthority -
Coalition proposes alternatives to controversial #GorhamConnector project
Maine Public | By Nicole Ogrysko
Published September 6, 2024"A coalition of #environmental, planning and #transportation groups is advocating for alternatives to the controversial Gorham Connector project.
"The #MaineTurnpikeAuthority has proposed a toll road that would run from Exit 45 in South Portland through Westbrook and and Scarborough to the #GorhamBypass at Route 114. Turnpike authorities have said the 4.8-mile, four-lane highway would significantly reduce traffic congestion [by a whole 10 minutes, according to MTA's own study!!!].
"But the coalition, known as #MainersForSmarterTransportation (#M4ST), is out with a report this week that details a long list of recommendations for reducing congestion in the region.
"'Simply replacing some of the existing traffic lights with #roundabouts would reduce congestion and reduce #GreenhouseGas emissions,' said #PaulDrinan, active transportation director for the #BicycleCoalitionOfMaine, which is part of Mainers for Smarter Transportation. 'We could also convert some of the old traffic lights with what they call smart lights.'
"Other recommendations include improving the shoulders along nearby roads and adding #BikeLanes. Drinan said the group is also urging the Turnpike Authority to delay the Connector project for at least two years, so that a #RapidBusTransit plan developed by the Greater Portland Council of Governments can take shape.
"The group also believes outdated and flawed traffic data are being used make the case for the project."
[Plus contracts and kickbacks from #PikeIndustries and other vendors]
#SaveRedBrook #SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #GorhamBypass
#Maine #RapidTransit #LightRail #SaveTheFarms #SaveTheForest #Wildlife #LightRail -
Devastating Community Health Study on #Drax #WoodPellet Plant
Written by Naya Black, August 7th, 2024
"#GlosterMississippi is a small, rural, mostly Black community in Amite County, Mississippi. It spans 1.8 square miles with around 900 residents. Residents are facing the harsh reality of a median income below $15,000 in 2021.
Introduction of the #AmiteBioEnergy Pellet Plant"In 2015, Amite BioEnergy, a part of the UK’s #DraxGroup, started making #WoodPellets pellets in Gloster. Industry markets wood pellets as #ecofriendly . They get big subsidies from the #EU to supposedly fight climate change. Drax has a permit to emit up to 25 tons of harmful #AirPollutants and 249 tons of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) per year. But since 2016, Drax has consistently gone over these limits. Drax even paid a $2.5 million fine for it.
What Types of Pollutants Do Wood Pellet Plants Produce?
"#WoodPelletPlants emit many #AirPollutants , including:
nitrogen oxides (#NOx)
#GreenhouseGas like carbon dioxide, methane, and sulfur dioxide
volatile organic compounds (#VOCs)
particulate matter (#PM) 2.5"Sleep is critical to health, so 24/7 #NoisePollution is also a concern.
What Are the Short-term Effects of This Air Pollution?"These air pollutants are harmful to residents breathing them in. They can cause:
coughing
trouble breathing
skin rashes
severe allergic reactionsWhat Are the Long-term Effects of This Air Pollution?
"The long-term effects of air pollution are #chronic. They’re also much worse than the short-term effects. Some are even life-threatening. Added to the short-term effects, the long-term effects can be:
shortness of breath
nausea
headaches
cardiovascular disease
lung disease
heart attack
stroke"Read more:
https://dogwoodalliance.org/2024/08/devastating-community-health-study-on-drax-wood-pellet-plant/#EnvironmentalRacism #AirPollution #ProfitOverPeople
#CorporateColonialism
#SaveCanadianForests #SaveUKForests #SaveCaliforniaForests #SaveTheForest
#OldGrowthForests #Greenwashing #EnvironmentalActivism
#BigForest #DraxPowerStation -
Holding #Drax accountable
via @Freedom_Press
Aug 12thDespite raid on #CimateCamp, #activists link up with #Mississippi fence-line community
"Climate campaigners this weekend Saturday (August 10) held an online conversation with community activists in #GlosterMississippi, who shared their experiences of resisting a polluting #WoodPellet factory owned by UK multinational Drax. The UK climate camp, planned to take place last weekend near Drax power station, was cancelled after a pre-emptive raid by police.
"The 22 arrestees have since been released, but the police impounded essential infrastructure, effectively shtting down the event. Nevertheless, the event went ahead after moving indoors.
"Gloster is a low-income, mostly Black community in Amite County, #Mississippi. In 2015, #AmiteBioEnergy, a part of the #DraxGroup, started making wood pellets in Gloster. #Biomass wood pellets are compressed dried wood chips and sawdust, compressed into pellets at high pressure. The Drax factory received a permit to emit up to 25 tons of harmful #AirPollutants and 249 tons of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) per year.
"But since 2016, Drax has consistently gone over these limits, in one instance being fined $2.5 million. This was the largest in a much longer series of fines for environmental violations by various companies operating wood pellet factories in the US.
"In the online event, the campaigners from Mississippi discussed the physical and mental health effects of persistent #AirPollution, including the highest rate of mortaility from heart disease in the state of Mississippi. The community has no local medical doctors, and residents have to spend hours commuting to access medical.
"According to local resident Jimmy Brown, 'our legislators aren’t doing us any justice because they didn’t inform any citizens about what going on, so that’s up to us'.
"Activists on both sides of the Atlantic vowed to hold Drax accountable. 'We cannot let them continue to put profit over the planet and over our people', said Gloster organiser Krystal Nicole Martin, 'they need to leave tour community'.
~ Jane Alison
https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/08/12/holding-drax-accountable/
#ProfitOverPeople #CorporateColonialism #SaveCanadianForests #SaveUKForests #SaveCaliforniaForests #SaveTheForest #OldGrowthForsts #Greenwashing #EnvironmentalActivism #BigForest #DraxPowerStation #SilencingDissent
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[#Maine] State Lawmakers consider new mining rules that could open door to #LithiumMining
"Some #environmental groups say the rules that would allow for open pit mineral mining provide ample safeguards, but others demand more preliminary testing, smaller pit size limits, stronger reclamation standards and #DarkSkies protections.
"But Eliza Townsend, the [the Appalachian Mountain Club's] conservation policy director, argued that an open pit mine is never going to be anything more than a glorified 'hole in the ground.' Allowing a pit to grow in size would tarnish the unspoiled natural beauty that draws hikers to Maine, especially when the pit is dug into a mountaintop.
"Environmental critics asked lawmakers to require an open-pit mining applicant to use so-called dark sky lighting to minimize the impact on wildlife, neighbors and hikers camping near the #Newry lithium site, including those that use the #GraftonNotch loop trail.
"Some Republicans wanted the committee to approve the rules Monday, arguing the state Legislature had already voted for a mineral mining exemption last year when it voted to amend the mining law and order the drafting of new rules.
"Democrats, however, appeared stung by criticism from environmental advocates who said the committee was considering rules that would open the door to #OpenPit #mining at the same time the legislative calendar had said it would be working on another bill to strengthen the state’s mining law."
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/03/25/state-lawmakers-consider-new-mining-rules/
Archived version:
https://archive.md/wJ2Sg#PlumbagoMountain #NewryMaine #LithiumMine #OpenPitMining #WesternMaine #SaveTheForest #WaterIsLife #AndroscogginRiver #Watershed
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@breadandcircuses Yeah, they are trying to build a 4-lane highway through a 300-year old farmstead -- through woods, disrupting the wildlife and farm animals, and more than likely causing the extinction of Brook Trout, which used to be abundant in Southern Maine.
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #GorhamSpur #MaineTurnpikeAuthority -
How #NoisePollution from humans is wreaking havoc on U.S. #wildlife
Nation Jul 18, 2017 2:20 PM EDT
"As transportation networks expand and urban areas grow, noise from sources such as vehicle engines is spreading into remote places. Human-caused noise has consequences for wildlife, entire #ecosystems and people. It reduces the ability to hear natural sounds, which can mean the difference between life and death for many animals, and degrade the calming effect that we feel when we spend time in wild places."
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/noise-pollution-humans-wreaking-havoc-u-s-wildlife
#biodiversity #GorhamConnector #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #InducedDevelopment #GorhamSpur #Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact
#SaveTheWoods #Maine #GorhamMaine #ScarboroughMaine #WestbrookMaine #AnthropogenicNoise -
Wildlife struggle in an increasingly noisy world
by William F. Laurance
September 21, 2015"We live on an ever more-populous planet, pulsating with human-generated noises of every description. The most ubiquitous noise-making structures we produce are #traffic-laden roads (Fig. 1), which already criss-cross much of the Earth and are projected to increase in length by some 25 million km by midcentury: enough to encircle the planet more than 600 times. For wildlife, the challenges of living in a world increasingly swamped by such infrastructures are only going to worsen.
[...] "The notion that road noises can disrupt the foraging behavior of birds was bolstered by a laboratory experiment on white-crowned sparrows, one of the more common migrators that suffered lower body condition near the phantom road. In the laboratory, birds exposed to increasingly intense road noises (55 and 61 dB) spent progressively more time being vigilant (raising their heads and looking around) and less time feeding than did birds without road noise (32 dB). Moreover, the authors (9) found no evidence that the sparrows habituated to simulated road noises, suggesting that learning to ignore certain noises is too risky a strategy when one is migrating through a potentially predator-rich environment. Other conceivable explanations for the authors’ findings (such as a possible reduction in insect prey in noisy places) seem less compelling, given that they found that both fruit- and insect-eating birds were negatively affected by road noise.
"The phantom-road study by Ware et al. (9) suggests that the rapidly expanding footprint of roads and other infrastructure across the planet might be invisibly degrading habitat quality for #NoiseSensitive species. Notably, there is no reason to presume that these findings would be confined only to conventional road systems. For example, might sensitive marine species, such as #echolocating cetaceans and migratory fish, avoid noisy regions, such as high-volume #ShippingLanes or areas where #NavalVessels regularly pierce the oceans with high-intensity sonar? Could #echolocating bats be distressed by roaring #airplanes or even by the steady whine of #WindFarms or other infrastructure? For that matter, might even hiking trails frequented by quiet ecotourists or researchers reduce local wildlife activity, as has been observed in protected areas in California and Sumatra, Indonesia?
"Another intriguing possibility is that species that use #lowfrequency #infrasound for long-distance communication—such as #elephants and #cassowaries —might be especially vulnerable to road noises. Low-frequency sounds travel further than do those at higher frequencies and are less likely to be blocked by vegetation and other obstacles.
"For species that use infrasound, the halo effects around roads could potentially be enormous in extent. This seems broadly consistent with the observation that bird species that produce low-frequency calls show stronger avoidance of roads than do those that call at higher frequencies.
"Despite the intriguing implications of the Ware et al. study, it is apparent that vehicle noise is not the only thing that can induce wildlife to avoid roads. In the Amazon rainforest, for example, even narrow dirt roads with very little traffic (<five vehicle passes per day) can markedly reduce the local abundance (17) and road-crossing movements (18) of some understory bird species. Even more dramatically, wider clearings (∼200 m), such as those typical of major #highways, can completely halt the movements of strongly #forest-dependent species, preventing experimentally translocated birds from returning to their territories and lifelong mates."
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1516050112
#NoisePollution #Highways #GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #SaveTheForest #Maine #AnthropogenicNoise
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Understanding Wildlife Behavioral Responses to Traffic Noise and Light to Improve Mitigation Planning
Product Type: Policy Brief
Publication Date: June 09, 2020"As roads and other developed land uses proliferate, the resulting habitat fragmentation and loss of wildlife connectivity hinder animals’ ability to forage, establish new territories, and maintain genetic diversity. Wildlife crossing structures such as culverts and bridges theoretically can reduce these impacts by allowing species to effectively cross highways. However, previous research has shown that traffic presence and density can disrupt wildlife use of highway crossing structures, and that noise and light from human activities can affect animal behavior. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, Road Ecology Center measured traffic noise and light levels and placed motion- and heat-triggered cameras at 26 bridges and culverts along four interstate highways, 11 state highways and one major county road across California. The presence and behavior of animals at these highway crossing structures were compared to those detected at sites unaffected by roads to understand the effects of noise and light from a highway on wildlife behavior. This policy brief summarizes findings from that research and provides policy implications.
"Traffic moving on transportation corridors affects wildlife connectivity. Many wildlife species move across road surfaces, or through culverts and bridges, with varying levels of success depending on species, infrastructure and traffic levels. As roads and other developed land uses proliferate, the resulting habitat fragmentation and loss of wildlife connectivity hinder animals’ ability to forage, establish new territories, and maintain genetic diversity. Wildlife crossing structures such as culverts and bridges theoretically can reduce these impacts by allowing species to effectively cross highways. However, the physical roadway barrier may not be the only deterrent. Previous research has shown that traffic presence and density can disrupt wildlife use of highway crossing structures, and that noise and light from human activities can affect animal behavior."
#GorhamConnector #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #InducedDevelopment #GorhamSpur #Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact
#SaveTheWoods #Maine #GorhamMaine #ScarboroughMaine #WestbrookMaine #RapidTransit -
I'm planning on submitting a summary of these studies as part of my arguments against the #GorhamConnector. I grew up near a 4-lane highway, and the vibrations and noise pollution were constant -- I hadn't realized how bad it was until I went back home a few years ago and camped in my old backyard -- and felt every speeding tractor trailer truck going by.
Evidence of the impact of noise pollution on biodiversity: a systematic map
By Romain Sordello, Ophélie Ratel, Frédérique Flamerie De Lachapelle, Clément Leger, Alexis Dambry & Sylvie Vanpeene
Environmental Evidence volume 9, Article number: 20 (2020)
"Ecological research now deals increasingly with the effects of #NoisePollution on #biodiversity. Indeed, many studies have shown the impacts of #AnthropogenicNoise and concluded that it is potentially a threat to the persistence of many species. The present work is a systematic map of the evidence of the impacts of all anthropogenic noises (industrial, urban, transportation, etc.) on biodiversity. This report describes the mapping process and the evidence base with summary figures and tables presenting the characteristics of the selected articles."
https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-020-00202-y
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveRedBrook #SaveTheForest #WorkingFarms #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #Sprawl #InducedDevelopment #GorhamSpur
#Wetlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact
#SaveTheWoods #Maine #GorhamMaine #ScarboroughMaine #WestbrookMaine #RapidTransit -
#Maine Voices: Nobody would benefit from the building of the #GorhamConnector
Transit-oriented urban design boosts economies, reduces emissions and provides public space; the only long-term result of the Gorham Connector will be #sprawl.
Posted September 29, 2023
By Jasper Curtis"If the Gorham Connector is constructed and put to use, everyone in the state will lose out in more ways than one.
First, there is the cost, up to $237 million. That’s a lot of money, and it’s on top of the $140 million already being spent on lane widening on Interstate 95. Spoiler alert, none of that money will relieve congestion. In fact, it will likely do the opposite, as proven time and time again in countless U.S. cities. On top of the $340 million total, there is the price of owning a car, which costs the average American $11,000 per year. New car prices are nearing $50,000. None of this is affordable to everyday Mainers. It’s time the state takes these costs seriously, instead of burdening taxpayers with more."Increased road capacity simply leads to more cars on the roads and does not reduce the time spent in traffic. It is a case of #InducedDemand, where wider roads encourage more driving, more vehicles then fill the roads and the public is asked to fund another road- widening project. The cycle repeats itself to extremes, such as the 26-lane #KatyFreeway outside Houston, Texas, which did not solve traffic. St. Louis, Missouri, home to the most highway square mileage per capita in the country, has yet to cease traffic. Here we are again, however, being asked to fork over our tax dollars to an inefficient, ineffective solution to a problem that the state created with poor #UrbanPlanning and shortsighted #infrastructure projects.
"Light #PassengerRail from #WestbrookMaine to #PortlandMaine would cost an estimated $75 million. That’s about $19 million per mile. If a similar cost-per-mile ratio were to be applied to the #GorhamConnector, the project would total $115 million. (Even if the cost-per-mile ratio were double the estimated cost of the Westbrook-to-Portland connection, building rail along the proposed Gorham Connector route would still save $7 million.) From Gorham to Portland, the cost of rail would be almost $30 million cheaper than the Gorham Connector, which reaches only to the Maine Mall in South Portland.
"Rail helps not only commuters and students, but also those who require vehicles for work, because, unlike road widening, public transit reduces the number of vehicles on the road. Driving a work truck on public roads can be infuriating during peak traffic; I know because I have done so. The same goes for driving in an emergency. Rail would help these alleviate these problems; the Gorham Connector would not.
While less quantitative than the previous points, #Maine must still be conscious of its #environmental and social goals. The Maine Department of Transportation (#MDOT) should keep these in mind before it decides its best solution to traffic is to encourage more internal combustion engines. Part of what makes Maine so special to residents is the nature around us. Let’s not wreck it for the sake of one more lane. Maine’s population is the oldest in the nation, and seniors deserve to have safe travel options."Transit-oriented urban design boosts economies, reduces emissions and provides public space. There will be no long-term benefit from the Gorham Connector, only sprawl. It’s that simple. Honest Maine people work hard for their paychecks – they deserve infrastructure that uses their tax dollars with vision and purpose, not another wasteful, #pollution-filled project."
https://www.pressherald.com/2023/09/29/maine-voices-the-gorham-connector-is-a-bad-idea-in-more-ways- than-one
#GorhamSpur #SaveSmilingHillFarm
#SaveTheForest #Woodlands #Meadows #EnvironmentalImpact #GorhamConnector #SaveRedBrook #GreaterPortlandMaine #LightRail #BikeLanes #BusService #MTA #ProtectFarmland #LessCars #WorkingFarms #RapidTransit -
Until #RapidTransit is established, at least the #GorhamPortlandMetro will keep running....
Gorham joins Metro, keeps #HuskyLine public bus stops open
The Town Council votes to become a member of Greater Portland Metro at a cost of $170,000 this year.
Posted March 13 Updated March 13
Robert Lowell"The bus line runs from the USM Gorham campus through Westbrook into Portland to the campus there and to the Old Port area. USM students and staff ride with passes and Gorham passengers paying fares can board at a stop on Main Street in the village, Libby Avenue at Main Street and campus. The public fare is $2 and $1 for the disabled, veterans and riders over age 65. All Husky Line passengers can transfer to other Metro routes."
#GorhamConnector #GorhamSpur #SaveSmilingHillFarm
#Sprawl #SaveTheForest
#Woodlands #Meadows
#InducedDemand #EnvironmentalImpact
#GorhamConnector #SaveRedBrook #GreaterPortlandMaine
#LightRail #BikeLanes #BusService #MTA #ProtectFarmland #LessCars #WorkingFarms -
Rapid transit plan calls for 10-20 minute service through #PortlandMaine, #WestbrookMaine and #GorhamMaine
Maine Public | By Nicole Ogrysko
Published July 28, 2023
"Local officials in #GreaterPortland are considering a system of #RapidTransit bus routes for the region.
"Under a draft proposal from the Greater Portland Council of Governments, dedicated bus lanes would provide express service through Portland, Westbrook and Gorham more quickly than traditional bus service, with stops along the way.
"The preferred route would start at the University of Southern Maine campus in Gorham, travel through downtown Westbrook and stop at the USM campus in Portland before heading down Congress Street and ending near the Eastern Promenade.
"The proposal envisions service every 10 minutes between Portland and Westbrook, and 20 minutes between Westbrook and Gorham.
"'That's frequent enough that you're not relying on a schedule anymore,' said Andrew Clark, transit program manager for #GPCOG. 'You're no longer planning your day around the bus schedule. You just know you can go out to the station, and the bus will be there in 10 minutes or something like that.'
"Clark said service every 10-20 minutes should also lure riders who wouldn't normally consider taking #PublicTransit.
"'I think people understand the role that transit can play in making our cities better, its role in reducing congestion, its role in better climate outcomes, better social equity outcomes,' he said.
"Greater Portland Metro would operate the proposed route, but the vehicles and stops would have a different look than the service's existing buses, Clark added.
"The proposed routes are still a long way away, Clark said. The cities of Portland, Westbrook and Gorham will need to decide how much road space can be freed up for dedicated bus lanes. The project will also need to secure federal funds for the new bus lanes and some new battery-powered vehicles.
"Local officials also eventually envision rapid transit routes to South Portland, Biddeford and Saco, Brunswick and Windham."
#GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHillFarm #Sprawl
#SaveTheForest #Woodlands
#Meadows #InducedDemand
#EnvironmentalImpact
#GorhamConnector
#SaveRedBrook #RedBrook
#GreaterPortlandMaine
#BusService #MTA
#ProtectFarmland #LessCars #WorkingFarms #PeterMills #JanetMills #CommuterRail #RapidTransit #GreaterPortland #Maine -
There are alternatives to the #GorhamBypass... This is one of them! A much better use for the #Infrastructure funds #Maine received!!!
Gorham-Westbrook-Portland #RapidTransit Study
The Gorham-Westbrook-Portland Rapid Transit Study examined the need for and benefits of a rapid transit line connecting Gorham, Westbrook, and Portland. Based on estimated ridership, travel times, operating costs, and social equity, the study concluded that the most direct and fastest route alignment is via Main Street, Brighton Ave, and Congress Street. From west to east, this alignment connects USM Gorham, Gorham Village, downtown Westbrook, Rock Row, USM Portland, Maine Medical Center, downtown Portland, and the Eastern Waterfront. See project document below:
"The Bigger Picture. The purpose of this project is to provide fast, reliable, and frequent transit service that connects Gorham, Westbrook, and Portland's major transportation and/or activity centers. This project stems from our region's long-range transit plan Transit Tomorrow. That plan identifies five corridors where rapid transit is feasible. The Gorham-Westbrook-Portland corridor is the first corridor we studied. The bigger goal is to create a rapid transit network that allows us to meet the growing demand placed on our transportation network without building new roads or inducing more vehicle travel. "
https://www.gpcog.org/557/Gorham-Westbrook-Portland-Rapid-Transit-
#GorhamBypass #SaveSmilingHillFarm #Sprawl
#SaveTheForest #Woodlands
#Meadows #InducedDemand
#EnvironmentalImpact
#GorhamConnector
#SaveRedBrook #RedBrook
#GreaterPortlandMaine
#LightRail #BikeLanes
#BusService #MTA
#ProtectFarmland #LessCars #WorkingFarms #PeterMills #JanetMills #CommuterRail #RapidTransit #GreaterPortland #Maine -
Have thoughts about the proposed #GorhamBypass? How you can make your voice heard
A public meeting is scheduled for March 25
GORHAM, Maine —"The #MaineTurnpikeAuthority wants to build a new toll road connecting the Turnpike to Gorham. The plan has sparked strong opinions both for and against since the route was announced in February.
"The first public meeting about the Gorham connector is scheduled for March 25 in the Shaw Gym at the Gorham Municipal Center on South Street. An open house is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., where people can look at displays and ask questions about the project. It will be hosted by area municipalities in partnership with the Maine Turnpike Authority and the Maine Department of Transportation.
"At 6 p.m., a brief presentation will provide an overview of the project, after which attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and make comments. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can watch online starting at 6 p.m."
https://www.youtube.com/embed/aTKSuVJ1iAg?autoplay=1
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #Sprawl #SaveTheForest #Woodlands #Meadows #InducedDemand #EnvironmentalImpact #GorhamConnector #SaveRedBrook #RedBrook #GreaterPortlandMaine #LightRail #BikeLanes #BusService #MTA #ProtectFarmland #LessCars #WorkingFarms #PeterMills #JanetMills
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Some folks a lot older than myself are planning on #DirectAction to protect #SmilingHillFarm! One woman said she would chain herself to the bulldozers. I'll be right there with them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHeYiD2rnsg
#SaveSmilingHillFarm #GorhamConnector #Sprawl #LessCars #MoreLightRail #BikeLanes #BusService #MaineTurnpikeAuthority #ProtectFarmland #SaveTheForest #Maine #WorkingFarms
#MaineTurnpikeAuthority
#InducedDemand
#GorhamSpur
#GorhamConnector
#Wetlands
#Meadows
#EnvironmentalImpact -
#SmilingHillFarm could be a roadblock for preferred #GorhamConnector route
The 500-acre, 13th-generation family operation in Westbrook wants to preserve the farmland and forest it has cultivated and harvested since 1720, but some of its woodland lies in the path of the #MaineTurnpikeAuthority's proposed 4-lane highway.
#Maine #Sprawl #WorkingFarms #Woods #SaveTheForest #SaveTheFarms #LightRail
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A pattern of government and corporate abuse! Who are they looking out for? Why profit! Don't believe the spin! #Greenwashing is just a PR gimmick!
Power Grab: #Quebec vs. the #Innu Nation
Behind the scenes, Quebec has fought for years to weaken Indigenous authority over their own land. Now that battle is spilling out into the public.
by Christopher Curtis, Mar 13, 2023
"The Innu territory is a sprawling landmass home to a rapidly declining herd of #caribou, some of the best #salmon fishing in North America and a people who’ve thrived there since time immemorial. It also happens to have vast deposits of rare metals and rivers wide enough to power our cities for generations."
#IndigenousNews #IndigenousRights #CulturalGenocide #Hydropower #NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine #NRCM #Avangrid #CMP #CleanEnergy #Forests #SaveTheForest #SaveMaineForests #Canada #FirstNations #Maine #QuebecHydro
Read more: https://rover.substack.com/p/power-grab-quebec-vs-the-innu-nation
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Maine energy: Much delayed US-Canada hydro project gets go-ahead
By Robin Levinson-King, BBC, April 20, 2023
"#Environmental groups also challenged the permits over concerns about the project's impact on #Maine's #NorthWoods.
"In November 2021, the state held a referendum on whether the project should be cancelled. More than 400,000 people showed up to vote - a huge turnout for a state with a population of 1.3 million.
"Last August, the state's Supreme Court weighed in on the case, ruling that the referendum could not be retroactively applied if CMP had vested rights, kicking it back to a lower court to determine the extent of those rights.
"Thursday's ruling sided with #CMP, who had already spent $450m on construction before the project was halted."
#Hydropower #NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine #NRCM #Avangrid #CMP #CleanEnergy #Forests #SaveTheForest #SaveMaineForests
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Who cares what the voters want -- it's all about what BIG CORPORATIONS want! Destroy #Maine forests to provide energy for #Massachusetts? Why not build the damn line through the #Berkshires? Oh, because rich New Yorkers live there!
Voters said no, but developers have right to finish $1B Maine power line, jury says
The decision could be appealed to the state Supreme Judicial Court for the final say
by David Sharpe, AP, April 21, 2023
"The Natural Resources Council of Maine, which opposes the power line, said in a statement on Thursday that it was disappointed in the outcome and remains , 'sharply focused on achieving a just and equitable clean energy future that works for all Mainers.'
"'We’re pursuing home-grown clean energy sources, like utility-scale #solar, #OffshoreWind, and the #KingPine wind project in #Aroostook County that will deliver new and verifiable reductions in #pollution rather than a shell game that shifts existing energy for maximum #corporate profit,' the council said."
#Hydropower #NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine #NRCM #Avangrid #CMP #CleanEnergy #Forests #SaveTheForest #SaveMaineForests
https://www.concordmonitor.com/Developers-have-right-to-finish-$1B-power-line-jury-says-50710261