http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/for-safe-climate-act---letter-to-the-editor As America observes the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/for-safe-climate-act---letter-to-the-editor Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:19:02 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/bangor-bat-bus-credited-with-reducing-emissions http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/bangor-bat-bus-credited-with-reducing-emissions Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:01:49 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-calls-for-l-a-passenger-rail-lines http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-calls-for-l-a-passenger-rail-lines Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:57:53 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/coal-plant-would-set-maine-back The proposed coal-fired power and fuel manufacturing plant in Wiscasset would throw Maine's energy policy into reverse. It would careen our state back down the unsustainable energy road that our policy makers have recently rightly steered us off of. Quite simply, building a coal-fired power plant would be disastrous for Maine. We cannot afford to increase our global warming emissions nor invest in more fossil fuel-based energy, when solutions to global warming and our energy needs are available today to be tapped, in the form of clean renewable energy and energy efficiency. Further, the environmental degradation caused by coal extraction and overall financial risk of coal plants make this plant even worse. Science is clear that Maine faces dramatic consequences — of which rainy winters, more scorching summer days and rising sea levels are only a foretaste — if we fail to rein in our emissions of global warming pollutants like the carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels. But science is also clear that what we do now to reduce emissions can make a difference — not in stopping global warming entirely, but in avoiding the worst consequences of a warming world. That's why Maine has set a path to a new energy future: the entire Northeast has agreed to cut emissions from electricity production, and Maine leaders have sought to boost energy efficiency programs, capture efficiency before adding more power plants, and set a goal of getting 10 percent new renewable energy by 2018. Building a coal power and fuel manufacturing plant would be the complete opposite of the course to a new energy future. There is no viable technology to capture and store carbon dioxide, which the proposal's backers fail to mention. Coal gasification is no more efficient than the natural gas plants we already have in the state. Those plants pump an average of 900 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution into the air per MWh of electricity produced. If the new plant were to remain idle half the time over the course of the year, it would still produce at least 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution, increasing the state's power plant sector emissions by nearly 30 percent. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/coal-plant-would-set-maine-back Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:41:54 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-lawmakers-applaud-energy-bill-in-addition-to-increasing-fleet-mileage-requirements-the-bill-earmarks-money-for-umaine-research Maine's Republican U.S. senators praised the massive energy bill adopted by the Senate just before midnight Thursday as a historic step toward ending America's dependence on foreign oil and addressing climate change. Both Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins championed parts of the bill, which was widely seen as a triumph for the Senate's Democratic majority. Snowe had worked for six years to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, and negotiated with fellow lawmakers this week to help gather enough votes to overcome a threatened filibuster. "It is really a remarkable accomplishment," Snowe said. "It's been an uphill battle for so long." Collins, who also supported the fuel efficiency increases, added an amendment to the bill to provide $275 million over five years to support research into alternative fuels, such as biofuel that University of Maine researchers are extracting from wood. Collins also added an amendment -- and Snowe co-sponsored it -- to provide $60 million over six years to study abrupt climate change. The University of Maine also is involved in that research. "UMaine will no doubt continue to play a pivotal role in the future of these crucial environmental and energy issues," Collins said in a news release. The Senate voted 65-27 for the measure, which Snowe said Friday represents a major shift in energy policy toward conservation, efficiency and alternative fuels. "There is finally an awakening," she said. The nation's first new across-the-board fuel efficiency standards since 1975 would require automakers to raise the fleet efficiency standard by 10 mpg, to 35 mpg, by 2020. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., had fought to instead pass a more auto industry-friendly fuel economy measure and said one reason for his effort's failure was growing public concern about global warming. He called the auto industry "a juicy target." Snowe said she is confident the auto industry has the technology to meet the fuel efficiency standards. "Unfortunately, the foreign automakers are capturing the market because they have the fuel-efficient vehicles," she said. The House is expected to move its version of the bill forward as soon as next week. -- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at: jrichardson@pressherald.com Copyright © 2007 Blethen Maine Newspapers http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-lawmakers-applaud-energy-bill-in-addition-to-increasing-fleet-mileage-requirements-the-bill-earmarks-money-for-umaine-research Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:08:22 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-law-caps-carbon-dioxide-emissions BOSTON, June 18 — Gov. John Baldacci of Maine signed a bill on Monday establishing how the state will reduce pollution and cap power plant emissions in a regional effort to reduce carbon dioxide output. Maine is one of 10 Eastern states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or R.G.G.I. (pronounced “Reggie”), which is intended to lower carbon dioxide output from power plants. Maine is the third state to enact a law outlining a plan to reduce emissions and use the money, known as allowances, paid to the state by companies that emit carbon dioxide. Under the regional initiative, other states, including Maryland, can put into effect their rules through their environmental protection departments rather than their legislatures. “Maine is leading by example, and R.G.G.I. is a crucial step,” Mr. Baldacci, who committed Maine to the pact in 2005, said in a statement. “These investments will improve the competitiveness of Maine’s businesses and lower electricity rates for consumers, individuals and businesses.” Maine accounts for 3 percent of United States carbon emissions. It will cap its emissions at 5.9 million tons in 2009, and reduce them 10 percent by 2019. Under the new law, six power plants will start paying allowances to the state in 2009 that let them emit carbon dioxide. One allowance will pay for one ton of carbon dioxide emitted, with the price of each allowance dictated by a market in which companies can buy and sell the allowances. The first $5 of each allowance will be put in an energy efficiency trust, said Stephen Ward, a state policy analyst. If the rates go above $5 an allowance, all additional money will be reimbursed to utility customers. The bill, which passed the House 130 to 7 and the Senate unanimously, also allows utilities to charge customers for energy efficiency programs, said Michael Stoddard, deputy director of Environment Northeast, an environmental research and advocacy group. “Maine is telling the marketplace there is a price we pay for emitting carbon into the atmosphere,” Mr. Stoddard said. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-law-caps-carbon-dioxide-emissions Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:05:56 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/survey-fires-up-debate-on-climate---editorial It's been a hot week for global warming. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/survey-fires-up-debate-on-climate---editorial Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:10:26 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-among-10-states-suing-over-light-truck-fuel-economy-rules WASHINGTON http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-among-10-states-suing-over-light-truck-fuel-economy-rules Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:18:27 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/controlling-greenhouse-gases-from-the-ground-up---editorial The hemlock woolly adelgid is a tiny foreign pest with a big appetite for one of the principal conifers in New England forests. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/controlling-greenhouse-gases-from-the-ground-up---editorial Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:11:50 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/yes-we-can-beat-our-gas-addiction---editorial Experts say the price of a gallon of gas will have to hit $5 before it has an impact on consumers. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/yes-we-can-beat-our-gas-addiction---editorial Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:12:59 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-drivers-not-covering-environmental-costs PORTLAND http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-drivers-not-covering-environmental-costs Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:14:16 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/good-idea-ganging-up-on-climate-change Maine is on track as a leader in tackling climate change, as lawmakers were receptive to comments favoring the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative at a public hearing in Augusta this week. That's a good thing, because bold initiative is exactly what's needed in a battle with high stakes. RGGI -- get used to hearing it as "Reggie" -- is aimed at reducing the output of carbon dioxide by power plants. It is a coalition of 10 Northeast states -- the first of its kind in the United States -- that will agree to limit those greenhouse-gas emissions with an eventual goal of reducing that output by 10 percent by 2019. One reason to support the RGGI initiative is that it was created by negotiations among power plants, large-volume electricity users and environmental advocates. It isn't often that business interests and environmental advocates tend to agree, but in this case the consensus is that Maine, and the region, will benefit. Another reason to support RGGI is that it is a motivator for power plants to increase efficiency. Under so-called cap-and-trade agreements, power plants purchase pollution "credits" based on their current emission levels. In other words, those credits allow a plant to emit a set level of carbon dioxide. If a plant increases its efficiency, thus producing less carbon dioxide, it no longer needs those credits and can sell them to a plant that may have increased its output but not its efficiency. As legislators in Augusta have noted, this is a market-driven concept. It has promise because it poses real financial incentives. RGGI is also a good plan for Maine because the money paid by power plants for its carbon credits goes into a conservation pool, the Maine Energy and Carbon Savings Trust Fund. That pot of money is to be used for grants to energy-efficiency projects and other conservation programs. Any assists to conservation and efficiency are worthwhile because those factors reduce demand, cost and emissions. It will, however, be a balancing act for the state to calculate how much of its RGGI revenue it wants to plow into conservation initiatives and how much it wants to turn back to keep rates lower. Yes, funding for efficiency research and conservation projects will provide long-term benefit, but it should be noted that ratepayers in Maine can only be expected to do so much, especially at a time when power costs are increasing. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/good-idea-ganging-up-on-climate-change Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:04:01 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/bills-impact-on-utility-rates-eyed AUGUSTA - Lawmakers began delving into the complex details of a plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions on Tuesday with a key focus on how Maine’s involvement in a multistate program could affect consumers’ utility bills. The vast majority of people who spoke during a nearly five-hour public hearing Tuesday voiced strong support for a bill, LD 1851, that lays out the terms for Maine’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Known as RGGI, or "Reggie" for short, the initiative calls on member states to cap and then reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-burning power plants by 2019. The program creates a regional "carbon market" where power plants that reduce emissions beyond their goal can sell their excess carbon "credits" to other plants. Ten Northeastern states, including all of New England, have signed onto RGGI, the nation’s first multistate effort to curb power plants’ emissions of the heat-trapping gas linked to climate change. "If we’re going to tackle this problem globally, we have to start with our own state," George Jacobson, a professor with the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, told members of the Legislature’s Utilities Committee and Natural Resources Committee. "And we have such a great history in the state of leadership" on environmental issues. During the hours of testimony, the lawmakers heard from environmental groups, businesses and health organizations supporting the compromise bill, which was negotiated by stakeholder groups over several months. The committees also heard conflicting and sometimes inconclusive information on how Maine ratepayers’ electric bills will be affected by RGGI. State officials have estimated that the average household’s annual utility bill could rise between $3 and $22 as a result of regulated power plants passing along the costs of purchasing their carbon emissions credits. But Kurt Adams, chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, said he doesn’t believe anyone can predict how implementation of RGGI will affect electric rates. What is clear, Adams said, is that rates will likely rise even if the state does not join RGGI because Maine is part of the ISO New England power grid. Adams also predicted that the state could "blunt" or even offset those rate increases by investing the windfall generated by selling the carbon credits in energy efficiency programs, as proposed in the bill. The bill also contains a provision to pay consumers rebates if rates rise too high. The PUC is not taking a stand on the bill but has worked with state environmental officials to address technical issues in the measure. On the other hand, David Allen, a representative of Central Maine Power, suggested that the costs could be much higher than predicted. Those costs will eventually be passed along to consumers, he said. Keith Van Scotter, president and chief executive officer of Lincoln Paper and Tissue, said his company supports the bill because of its emphasis on investing in energy efficiency and conservation. Lincoln Paper and Tissue’s electricity rates have risen by approximately 60 percent during the past three years and now account for nearly as much expenditures as payroll. "The high cost of power here [in Maine] is a definite burden," Van Scotter said. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/bills-impact-on-utility-rates-eyed Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:57:00 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/greenhouse-gass-bill-draws-a-crowd AUGUSTA - Environmentalists, attorneys and business owners - about 100 in total - attended a hearing on a bill aimed at reducing pollution and greenhouse gases, which was heard by the Legislature's Natural Resources and Utilities and Energy committees Tuesday. Under the bill, advanced by Gov. John Baldacci, Maine would join nine other Eastern states to help reduce greenhouse gases using a European-style cap-and-trade system to cut carbon dioxide emissions. The proposal seeks to limit pollution from large power plants and create financial incentives for energy producers to cut emissions. Generators that burn fossil fuels would pay for the right to release heat-trapping carbon dioxide. The money they pay the state would then be given out in grants to promote energy efficiency and conservation. The bill's proponents said it was unusual that environmental leaders and commercial leaders could come to agreement on the bipartisan effort. "It will prepare Maine for participation in a likely national program within the decade," testified Ted Koffman, D-Bar Harbor and lead sponsor of the bill. "In the process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we will reduce other pollutants that impact health and the environment, and we will become less reliant on imported fuel." Global warming has had a negative effect on the winter sports industries. Bill Brown of Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski resorts testified on behalf of the bill as well, although the bill could increase electrical costs. "We are dependent on a healthy environment for the long-term viability of the ski industry and support legislation that has the goal of reducing global warming," Brown testified. David Allen of Central Maine Power testified in opposition to parts of the bill, although the company is supportive of the overall goals, he said. "There is no doubt that the cost of the carbon credits will be passed on to customers," Allen said. "Not only will the direct costs to these particular plants get passed on, but, because of how the New England bid stack works, if these plants get their costs covered, every single other plant selling energy at that time, including hydropower and wind plants - will also receive a price that reflects the cost of these carbon credits." There were several other opponents with similar testimonies. Bill Cohen of Verso Paper, based in Jay and Bucksport, was one of many who showed up representing Maine industry. "Our reasons are much more than the fact that two of the six power plants included in this legislation are ours. Our two mills have combined cycle collocated gas generation plants. This means our two mills have, what some have described, as the two more efficient facilities in the United States." He later added that the legislation "supports manufacturing and at the same time encourages power plants that are among the most efficient and environmentally friendly known today." The Natural Resources Council of Maine was one of the environmentalist organizations supporting the bill. Dylan Voorhees, energy director, said passing the measure is one of the most important steps in combating global warming. "(Federal) government regulations are coming ... therefore better to prepare now," Voorhees told the committees. "If Maine joins this trend today, instead of being forced to by the federal government in four to five years, we will be positioning ourselves to compete in the new, emerging global economy." The Associated Press contributed to this report. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/greenhouse-gass-bill-draws-a-crowd Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:59:03 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/lawmakers-urged-to-pass-pollution-cuts AUGUSTA - The debate about how to fight global climate change moved to the Legislature on Tuesday as lawmakers took up a proposal for Maine to join the nation's first multi-state effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Environmentalists and academic experts, as well as power generators and manufacturers, urged lawmakers to support the plan, which would create a pollution trading market in Maine and nine other Eastern states. "If we are going to tackle the problem globally, we have to start with our own state," said George Jacobson, a professor at the University of Maine's Climate Change Institute, at a public hearing held by the Natural Resources and Utilities and Energy committees. A few opponents also weighed in, saying the plan would do little, if anything, to keep the planet from warming. Some warned that the plan could add to the cost of electricity in Maine. The plan, negotiated by power generators, environmentalists and others, would require the owners of Maine's six largest power plants to pay for the right to release carbon dioxide -- a heat-trapping byproduct of fossil fuel combustion. The money they paid to the state would be given out in grants to promote energy efficiency and conservation. Gov. John Baldacci has pledged to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It is up to the Legislature to approve details of the state's plan. Power plants in the region would trade pollution allowances, giving them an incentive to cut pollution and sell the allowances to plants that need them. "It unleashes the power of the business community to cut costs to innovate and lead us into the future," said Thomas Tietenberg, a professor at Colby College. Participating states would freeze power plant emissions from 2009 to 2015, then reduce them 10 percent by 2019. Emissions would otherwise increase about 25 percent over that period, officials said. "It's the dawning of a new day in our economy," said Rep. Ted Koffman, D-Bar Harbor, a sponsor of the bill. Koffman and others said creating a national model would give Maine and the other states an economic advantage. "We exist in a new generation now and I believe we're ready for this bill," said Sen. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro. A key factor for lawmakers will be the plan's impact on electricity customers here. Power costs are expected to rise 1 percent to 2 percent in the short term. The increase is likely to occur whether or not Maine participates, because prices here are set in neighboring states that produce more power. Over time, advocates say, prices will fall because of efficiency improvements and lower peak demands. "This bill improves Maine's ability to manage and reduce our costs," said Michael Stoddard, a lawyer for Energy Northeast, a nonprofit environmental advocate. It also "will change and clean up the kind of power plants we use to make electricity." A representative of Central Maine Power Co. said the company supports the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions but opposes the Maine plan because it could raise costs for Maine customers. "Nobody here can yet predict exactly what it's going to cost customers," said David Allen. Allen opposed parts of the plan that would use revenue from increased energy costs to pay for energy-efficiency programs. "It doesn't save all customers money. It may save some customers some money," he said. Other opponents simply said the plan won't stop climate change on the global scale. "Tell us how much global warming -- this apocalyptic problem -- we are preventing," said Jon Reisman, an associate professor at the University of Maine at Machias. "It's not good for Maine citizens to suggest we're going to do something about global warming when we're not." Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at: jrichardson@pressherald.com http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/lawmakers-urged-to-pass-pollution-cuts Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:02:21 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/global-warming-convert-says-its-time-has-come LEWISTON - Ray Sirois didn't always take the threat of global warming http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/global-warming-convert-says-its-time-has-come Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:00:23 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/earth-day-08 Earth http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/earth-day-08 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:58:16 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/-region-lags-on-warming-goals Region lags on warming goals http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/-region-lags-on-warming-goals Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:13:21 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-must-step-up-global-warming-fight http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/maine-must-step-up-global-warming-fight Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:05 -0600 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/turning-up-the-heat Maine's unusually warm winter may not be an anomaly, but part of a http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/turning-up-the-heat Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:31:56 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/driving-global-warming PORTLAND, http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/driving-global-warming Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:37:20 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-cites-maine-commuters-role-in-global-warming The spread of homes and workers into the Maine countryside is helping to heat up the planet, according to a new report. A study of Maine commuting patterns, released Thursday in Portland, shows that residents of some outlying rural towns are putting many miles on their cars and trucks. Those extra miles translate into increased emissions of carbon dioxide, a primary contributor to global warming. Environmental advocates and regional planners circulated the report, "Driving Global Warming," to urge commuters to carpool, use mass transit or simply drive less. They also supported state efforts to improve fuel efficiency standards and to encourage Mainers to live nearer to the places where they work and shop. "The farther away from work you live, the more you contribute to global warming," said Matthew Davis of Environment Maine, one of the report's authors. "We hope this report lets people connect the dots." Evidence that sprawl is contributing to air pollution, along with other problems, is no surprise. The state's spreading population and development is considered a top threat to its environment and economy. The report issued Thursday uses U.S. Census data to identify specific commuting trends that its authors hope will influence Mainers' decisions and help policymakers find solutions. Maine motorists put more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year, about 20 percent of the state's overall contribution to global warming pollution, the report says. Getting to and from work is the primary reason for travel. And most Maine commuters - 78 percent - do it alone. Commuter travel, and the pollution it causes, has been growing faster than the population as more people live farther from their jobs, the report says. Miles traveled in Maine grew 56 percent from 1985 to 2002. The study found that commuters living 30 miles or more from their jobs are creating a disproportionate share of emissions. The average worker living in Naples, for example, produces more than four times as much carbon dioxide pollution - 7,629 pounds - as the average worker living in South Portland - 1,838 pounds, according to the study. The average Maine worker has a 9-mile commute and puts about 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air a year. Mainers have become overly reliant on their cars because of inexpensive gasoline and land use and tax policies, said Steven Linnell, senior transportation planner for the Greater Portland Council of Governments. "It's not sustainable," he said. Aside from the long-term threats posed by global climate change, pollution from vehicles contributes to asthma and other public health problems where commuters live and work, he said. "Everybody should drive less," he said. Linnell said that more resources should go toward public transit, and that survey results show Mainers would use it. A more immediate solution is carpooling, said Carey Kish, manager of Go Maine, which offers a free commuter connection service at www.gomaine.org. Go Maine participants reduced their travel by millions of miles last year, he said. The more complex long-term solution, the report's authors agreed, is fighting sprawl and encouraging Mainers to return to urban centers, closer to jobs, stores and mass transit. Derek Goodwin would love to drive less. He commutes 45 minutes from Sebago to Portland each day in an SUV that gets 18 miles per gallon. The reason is simple economics, he said. "Basically, it was the cost of housing that sent us out there," he said. Because of their schedules, he can't carpool with his wife, who commutes to Westbrook, Goodwin said. Carpooling with someone else would be a problem on days when he has to get home to pick up one of his school-age children. Goodwin said he'd commute by train if the Portland region had the economy and population to support a regular network like Boston's. But he knows that is not a realistic solution. The cost of housing is the reason Katrina Ritthaler doesn't live in Portland, where she works. But Ritthaler moved only as far out as South Portland, where she and her son live in a rented townhouse. "The commute for me is so easy." Still, she said, "I'd like to not use a car at all." Adding Up The Miles ACCORDING TO THE STUDY "Driving Global Warming": MAINE MOTORISTS put more than one million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. THE AVERAGE Maine worker has a 9-mile commute and puts about 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air each year. STATEWIDE, 78 percent of all commuters drive alone to work. COMMUTER TRAVEL has grown faster than Maine's population. Vehicle miles traveled in Maine increased 56 percent from 1985 to 2002. CARBON DIOXIDE POLLUTION from cars and light trucks in Maine could increase by about 41 percent over 1990 levels by 2020 unless action is taken to reduce emissions. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-cites-maine-commuters-role-in-global-warming Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:38:46 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/sprawl-long-commutes-seen-as-driving-global-warming PORTLAND, http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/sprawl-long-commutes-seen-as-driving-global-warming Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:39:44 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/sprawl-longer-commutes-drive-global-warming PORTLAND, http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/sprawl-longer-commutes-drive-global-warming Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:40:37 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-burbs-longer-commutes-drive-global-warming PORTLAND, http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/report-burbs-longer-commutes-drive-global-warming Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:41:26 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/group-blames-warming-for-maine-storm-severity http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/group-blames-warming-for-maine-storm-severity Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:48:50 -0600 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/the-politics-of-climate-change-to-visit-augusta-this-year Push comes to shove this year for a groundbreaking effort to establish the first U.S. carbon trading market. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/the-politics-of-climate-change-to-visit-augusta-this-year Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:06:30 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/cleaner-cars---letter-to-the-editor The http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/cleaner-cars---letter-to-the-editor Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:09:14 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/let-states-adopt-stricter-tailpipe-rules About the Author Jennifer Andersen is an advocate with Environment Maine, an environmental lobbying group, in Portland. http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/let-states-adopt-stricter-tailpipe-rules Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:11:28 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/building-a-carbon-market-from-coast-to-coast---editorial California http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/building-a-carbon-market-from-coast-to-coast---editorial Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:12:45 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/step-out-of-the-way---letter-to-the-editor To the editor: http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/step-out-of-the-way---letter-to-the-editor Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:03:02 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/driving-misinformation It is not surprising that automakers have sued to negate Maine's new http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/driving-misinformation Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:21:37 -0500 http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/think-globally-act-locally---letter-to-the-editor I http://www.environmentmaine.org/in-the-news/global-warming/global-warming/think-globally-act-locally---letter-to-the-editor Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:07:01 -0500