Working Waterfront

Federal flood insurance evolved, but not for the best

[caption id="attachment_24986" align="alignleft" width="300"] The King Tide in Camden.[/caption] In the February/March issue of The Working Waterfront, Peter Neill of the World Ocean Observatory suggested using flood insurance premiums to reduce risk instead of repeatedly rebuilding damaged structures (“Rethinking insurance as investment, not pay-out”). The concept of diverting insurance premiums… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Our waterfronts deliver the perfect superfood

Over the past year there has been renewed focus on the value of infrastructure. Transportation, health, information, electrical, and even the food system’s infrastructures have all been stressed, tested, and failed as we collectively experienced the fallout from years of undervaluing and underfunding the foundational elements that keep our society… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Fight climate change, but not with CMP corridor

The December/January issue of The Working Waterfront featured a guest column by Orlando Delogu (“Maine must see bigger picture on utility project”) in which he questioned my motives on why I am against the New England Clean Energy Connect Corridor. I want to explain why I am against it. First,… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Letters to the editor: seafood and carbon

A market-based fix To the editor In a recent Bangor Daily News op-ed, “A litmus test for the climate,” James Boyce articulates the case for the most effective way to address the climate emergency: “Clamping a hard ceiling on the total fossil carbon we let into the nation’s economy and… SEE MORE

Opinion

Working Waterfront

Healthcare access challenges older island, rural Mainers

The difficulties that Maine island and rural residents face in accessing healthcare is even more challenging for older residents. While many choose to “age in place” in their homes and communities, their need for health and supportive services often increases with age and the barriers can be overwhelming. A few… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A science-based reality check

The past year has been tumultuous to say the least. Typically, as I begin to write this month’s column, I am at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in a large conference room sitting shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others who care about Maine’s fisheries and their future. That can’t happen… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Making the case for ‘reverse take-out’

One of the first things I do in January is to pull out the new “Maine Tide and Every Day Calendar” and mark the dates for anniversaries and birthdays from the past year. When I get to July and August of the previous year, it’s sometimes hard to find the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From virus to vaccine, island-specific works best

As a resident of Vinalhaven, I have had family and friends from across the country and world reach out during the last nine months to ask about my island’s experience with COVID-19. People were curious: What is the “island experience”? When is an island the best place to be? Can… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Because Maine can’t wait to confront climate change

In the fall of 1970, 11-year-old Suzanne Clune wrote a letter to her U.S. senator. She lived on the banks of the Little Androscoggin River, a once-pristine tributary where deer could see their reflection when drinking from the water and where spring pine and chokeberry blossoms “filled the air with… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

We’re ready for pandemic 2.0

Surely by now we have figured out that 2021 isn’t going to be all that different from 2020. On New Year’s Eve, lots of us bid a joyous farewell to 2020, hopefully cheering at the prospect of a new year. Six days later, we learned we were breaking nearly daily… SEE MORE