Wednesday, May 7: Getting around 🚲
Nearly 50% of the state's carbon emissions come from the transportation sector, according to the Maine Climate Council. And studies show that while encouraging more EV use can help, it’s not going to make a big enough dent to address the problem alone.
In a large, rural state like Maine, driving is often a daily necessity. But according to a new report from the Moving Maine network, two in five Mainers are "transportation insecure," meaning they lack reliable ways to get around.
“This can include missing healthcare appointments or access to food; experiencing stress and uncertainty about how one will get places; taking a long time to plan out every day trips; and limiting social outings because of not wanting to ask friends and family for additional rides,” said Zoe Miller, executive director of the Moving Maine Network.
Public transportation advocates are currently pushing a slew of bills in the 2025 state legislative session aimed at streamlining and expanding transit options in Maine.
I met Miller at a transportation awareness day in Augusta recently, where a dozen or so groups gathered to educate legislators, and the public, about Maine transit needs and options. Given the state’s transportation emissions problem, and the lack of public transit options, she said, increasing access to transportation should be a priority for the state moving forward.
“It's true that we have a smaller population with a large geography, and that is challenging. But if you look at what Vermont, for instance, has done, and some of the other large, cold states like Minnesota, they show you can build a public transportation system that works well for people,” said Miller.
In Maine, advocates say, it’s all about local context: for a more rural municipality, maybe an on-demand shuttle is the right fit; whereas somewhere like Portland or Lewiston could have more buses, train stops and bike paths.
Public transit has historically faced challenges in Maine, from low ridership to lack of funding to barriers to access, like unreliable or hard-to-read scheduling and staffing troubles.
But advocates think popular support for public transportation will rise in the coming years, with the rising cost of cars, Miller said.
“Just in the last three years, the price has gone up about 30%. You know, everybody right now is really worried about what tariffs will mean for vehicle costs,” she said. “So I think we'll see more people that are looking for a way to not buy a new vehicle, or to be a one car household.”
As far as trains go, Maine Rail Group and Train Riders Northeast are seeking funding through a bill this session to get “shovel ready” for a continuous train connecting Portland and Orono, with stops in Lewiston/Auburn and Bangor, that involves completing environmental and economic feasibility studies for the route.
Josh Caldwell of the Natural Resources Council of Maine said it will ultimately be an “also, and” that gets Maine where it wants to be — EVs, buses, trains, shuttles and new bike paths — but it's going to take large-scale coordination and buy-in at the state level.
"We just need to keep investing in those things to ensure and expand those options, to ensure that Mainers have reliable and safe ways to get around, but are not simply a car," Caldwell said.
Federal oil and gas leasing plan could include Maine coast
The Trump administration is developing an offshore oil and gas leasing plan that could include waters in the Gulf of Maine. The Natural Resources Council of Maine warns there are no economically recoverable fossil fuels in the region and that drilling risks environmental and economic harm.
South Portland residents, representatives call for air quality warnings with new bill
After the Environmental Protection Agency fined two oil terminal companies in 2019 for violating the Clean Air Act, there have been attempts to curb, and to measure, how much air pollution happens in South Portland. Now, a new bill would help warn residents when air quality may be low. Listen here
How will lichen adapt to climate change?
This mysterious indicator species plays an important role at the bottom of the food chain. As the climate changes, scientists are still discovering new things about lichens, and how they might survive.
The search for Maine's missing wild mussels
What if the mussels didn't disappear entirely? What if they retreated to deeper, cooler water? Listen here.
Trump administration pulls funding from UMaine wind project
The Trump administration has suspended a $12.5 million award for University of Maine’s floating offshore wind program. The funding interruption leaves a partially constructed test array docked on the coast in limbo.
What centuries of ice-out records can tell us about climate change on Maine's lakes
Anticipation builds each spring as the lake ice melts. Contests are held at local businesses, and people call her with the same question: When is the ice out? But what would it mean for water quality if ice began melting earlier?
Fewer right whales born this year, scientists say
The critically endangered species faces threats from human-caused activities. Entanglements in fishing gear and boat strikes are the leading causes of death and injury to the population.
It’s spring, which means those who grow have begun seeding, germinating and generally sprucing up their gardens (and those of us on more of the J.V.-level might be picking up a new houseplant or two).
Spring is a time when folks typically look to enrich their soil. If you’re heading to the garden center, there’s one thing you can phase out: peat moss. Buying peat-free soil mix is a simple, easy thing to do that will go a long way!
🌿 Why Go Peat-Free?
Peat moss, harvested from carbon-rich bogs, is a nonrenewable resource that takes centuries to form. It’s sometimes referred to as an early-stage fossil fuel, and in places like Ireland, has historically been burned for fuel.
It’s thought that about 44% of carbon stored in soil is stored in peatlands, despite them covering just 3% of the Earth’s surface. And peatlands store twice as much carbon as all of the world’s forests combined! That’s including the rainforest.
Here’s how it works: these bogs are so wet, and contain so little oxygen, that when plants die and fall into the bog, they’re unable to decompose. That means that all the carbon is kept in the wetland, rather than being released as the organic matter breaks down.
But when drained or mined, peat bogs go from being a carbon sink to a carbon source, releasing centuries of carbon into the atmosphere. Peat is typically strip-mined from bogs.
About 30% of extracted peat is used for horticultural purposes. People like it because it can add antimicrobial properties to soil, make it more acidic, and it’s great with water distribution — for both drainage and retention. It’s a great gardening tool — but most people don’t actually need it!
So what can we use instead?
🌿 The easiest: when buying a soil mixture, be sure to look for peat-free mix
🌿 Local compost may be less exciting, but it’s going to add tons of vital nutrients — this is the best bet
🌿 Aged pine bark, a forestry byproduct, is easy to source here in Maine
🌿Sheep wool byproduct has some similar properties to peat — ask a local farmer if they have any extra
🌿 ‘Coconut coir’ — the hairy bits on the outside of a coconut — serves a similar function and can be the lesser of two evils: While it’s not nearly as carbon-intensive as peat, it can take a lot of water to create, and isn’t local to New England, but can be used in a pinch
As we know, individual action isn’t going to be a silver bullet for climate change. But since peat bogs began drawing international attention for their role as carbon sinks, many countries have started protecting the wetlands in new ways. And since gardeners have started asking for alternative options, more and more are appearing in garden stores.
As always, I hope phase in/phase out is informative, empowering, and helpful. It’s never meant to make anyone feel bad or stressed about making the “right” climate decisions. I currently have a bag of succulent mix containing peat in my house that I bought months ago before I knew about this issue — now, the best thing I can do is make sure that it doesn’t go to waste and use the whole bag. The more you know!
See you next time,
Molly
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