In The News

The future of fisheries and the changing ocean in the Gulf of Maine and elsewhere are explored in four short films to be screened at College of the Atlantic’s Gates Community Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. The free screening of the films, produced by The Island Institute, will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Island Institute marine scientist Susie Arnold and University of Maine doctoral student Sam Belknap.

Do you have one of those leaky homes? If so, the Rockland Energy Committee’s Weatherize Rockland initiative can help you. Weatherize Rockland is helping local residents sign up for energy assessments, air sealing, insulation, and other energy services at discounts of up to 95%. Here are five reasons to sign up, or partner with home performance agencies in your area, to save money and make your home more energy efficient year round.  

The waters off Chebeague Island will be even greener than usual this winter. Shearwater Ventures is moving in, joining another company, Portland-based Ocean Approved, in growing and harvesting seaweed in Casco Bay. Nathan Johnson, who started Shearwater last year, just signed a state lease on nearly 4 acres of seabed. Johnson intends to grow sugar kelp, his foray into the $5 billion worldwide kelp industry.

On Friday, December 9th, the Island Institute co-hosted GrowSmart Maine's December Smart Growth Forum, “Sea Level Rise: Practical Tools and Community Implementation,” at our Rockland offices. In this community contributed piece, Phil Crossman, a Vinalhaven resident and selectmen, offers a recap of the event. For more information, including speaker presentations, visit the GrowSmart Maine event page.  

Most island communities do not have economies of scale or local fossil fuel resources, two key factors contributing to significant increases in energy costs relative to mainland peers. A case in point is two islands located off the coast of Maine—Isle au Haut and Monhegan, both of which are currently weighing their energy futures. The Energy Department and EERE are helping to address those challenges through the Energy Transition Initiative (ETI), which provides technical assistance and resources to support communities that want to achieve clean energy goals and in the transition to a clean energy economy.

The Island Institute has published its 2016 annual report, which showcases its community-building initiatives in 15-year-round island communities and 105 coastal communities.  The Rockland-based nonprofit reported operating revenue of $5.47 million and almost $5.4 million in operating expenses, which included $883,179 being spent on community development and $1 million on economic development.  Read more about the highlights included in the 20-page report.

What is one small thing Mainers can do in their everyday lives to help combat climate change? We asked our panelists that question. They overwhelmed us with good ideas, small and large. Try some. Or all. An edited list follows.

Mainers who have dedicated their careers to science and environmental advocacy offer their thoughts, and a call to action.

Mussels are one of Maine's most coveted seafoods. But the bivalve molluscs that used to be readily available and ripe for the picking aren't quite so easy to come by these days. Marine biologist Jon Lewis said mussel settlement on mudflats and rocks has become a problem. “The decline in wild mussels may be related to warming waters, predators such as green crabs, ice scouring or ocean acidification.”

A Casco Bay company that bills itself as the country’s first open-water commercial kelp farm got state approval Friday to convert a temporary seaweed plot off Chebeague Island into a 10-year lease, giving it the financial and regulatory certainty it needs to support the expansion of its Saco processing operation.