Category: WERU News Report

WERU News Report 6/4/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: An update on the East-West corridor issue from Chris Buchanan, Statewide Coordinator of “Stop the E/W Corridor”, as the group marks it’s 2nd anniversary

Segment 2: It was announced Monday that the EPA is proposing new carbon-reduction rules that would bring the rest of the country in line with standards already in place in Maine, and help address climate change.
Emily Figdor, the Director of Environment Maine, called the announcement “historic” on a conference call Monday, organized by Environment Maine and the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
Dr. Mark Green, Environment Sciences Professor, St. Joseph’s College, weighed in on the impact climate change has already had on the ocean. Special thanks to Judy Berk of NRCM for making a recording of that call available to us.

WERU News Report 6/3/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: Maine People’s Alliance and the Natural Resources Defense Council went back to court today in their years-long battle to force the corporations responsible for the mercury contamination in the Penobscot River to clean it up, using the best methods available. We join them at a press conference outside the courthouse

Segment 2: Attorney Kim Tucker has sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, outlining new information that she says warrants putting the Searsport dredge and dump plan on hold and re-opening the public comment period. She explains why.

WERU News Report 5/21/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Part 2 of 2

With Memorial Day weekend approaching, with all the accompanying flag waving and honoring of veterans, today we hear about a dark side of the military, and what one veteran is doing to change things.

Terry Moore is a retired Air Force officer, who now serves as a veteran advocate and as an activist for military organizational reform. In March she spoke at UMaine as part of the Marxist and Socialist Studies lecture series and the Women’s History Celebration on campus. Her talk, entitled “Sexual Assault in the Military, Victim/Survivor Access to Criminal Justice… or Not”, was recorded by John Greenman.

WERU News Report 5/20/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Part 1 of 2

With Memorial Day weekend approaching, with all the accompanying flag waving and honoring of veterans, today we hear about a dark side of the military, and what one veteran is doing to change things.

Terry Moore is a retired Air Force officer, who now serves as a veteran advocate and as an activist for military organizational reform. In March she spoke at UMaine as part of the Marxist and Socialist Studies lecture series and the Women’s History Celebration on campus. Her talk, entitled “Sexual Assault in the Military, Victim/Survivor Access to Criminal Justice… or Not”, was recorded by John Greenman. She was introduced by Professor Doug Allen

WERU News Report 5/14/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: The Natural Resources Council of Maine announced yesterday that they have developed a series of maps that depict the effects of rising sea levels on the Maine coast, as well as a list of the top 20 Maine towns affected by sea level rise due to climate change. We get the details from Dylan Voorhees, NRCM’s Clean Energy and Global Warming Project Director.

Segment 2: For our Penobscot river and bay report this week, we’re checking in with Ron Huber, director of “Friends of Penobscot Bay”. We reported last week that NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has announced that the Penobscot River is one of two sites in the North Atlantic region that they are designating as Habitat Focus Areas, which will direct more resources to restoration of the river. NOAA has been involved in the removal of 2 major dams on the river, and is looking at removing some of the smaller ones. Huber see this as positive news for the river and bay:

Segment 3: We meet the new Executive Director of the ACLU of Maine, Alison Beyea

WERU News Report 5/13/14

Host: Amy Browne
Producers: John Greenman and Amy Browne

For many – perhaps most – of our listeners, Helen Nearing needs no introduction. She and her husband Scott became part of the fabric of this community when they moved to Harborside in the 1950s. With them they brought two decades of experience with homesteading and simple living. They authored several books and articles, including the well-known “Living the Good Life”. In Maine they built their last home, “Forest Farm”, now known as “The Good Life Center”, with the mission of “perpetuat[ing] the philosophies and lifeways of Helen and Scott Nearing, two of America’s most inspirational practitioners of simple, frugal and purposeful living.”

Scott Nearing died in 1983, and Helen continued their mission until her death in 1995. In 1987 WERU volunteer John Greenman, who was working for MPBN at the time, interviewed Helen Nearing at Forest Farm.

7 minutes of this interview were used on a TV program produced by MPBN in 1988, but the full 20 minute interview has never aired before now:

WERU News Report 5/7/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: What happens when you cross Governor LePage with the Koch Brothers? Child safety advocates say that question was answered yesterday as Maine’s Department of Environmental Protect (DEP) blocked plans to add formaldehyde to the priority list under the Kid-Safe Products Act. Mike Belliveau of “Prevent Harm” explains

Segment 2: The Maine-based Hurricane Island Outward Bound Program is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year. And while you’ve most likely heard of the program, you might be surprised to hear how it started. Executive Director, Eric Denny joined us to talk about the program, their history, and how they plan to celebrate this year

Segment 3: NOAA – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, announced this week that the Penobscot River is one of two sites in the North Atlantic region that they are designating as Habitat Focus Areas. We spoke with NOAA spokesperson Maggie Mooney-Seus to find out what that means

Segment 3:

WERU News Report 5/6/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Continuing with our on-going coverage of the Searsport dredge and dump controversy, today we hear the impressions of Penobscot bay lobstermen and people who work in the shell fish industry, following a private presentation by state and federal officials, organized by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association