WERU News Report 2/11/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

In Augusta yesterday, the legislature’s committee on Agriculture Conservation & Forestry heard nearly 2 hours of public comments in support of legalizing growing hemp in Maine – and not one argument in opposition. In the 1st half of today’s program we take you to that public hearing. Then we’re joined by Karen Marysdaughter of “Climate Solutions” and 350Maine; WERU General Manager Matt Murphy and Board Member John Greenman for a discussion of the station’s upcoming vote on divesting from fossil fuels. Meredith DeFrancesco also joins us with a preview of tomorrow’s episode of “RadioActive” which will be focusing on the latest developments in the controversial re-write of Maine’s mining regulations

WERU News Report 2/4/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

Interactive news report covering issues with a local connection and taking calls. Today: When you’re wading through it, the forest of “rockweed” seaweed on Maine’s coast can seem endless, but marine scientists fear that unless commercial harvesting is done responsibly, this vital part of the ecosystem could be in serious danger. Why is it being harvested? Won’t it just grow back? What animal species rely on rockweed for food or habitat? And what is the state of Maine doing to protect it? These are timely issues as the Department of Marine Resources is holding meetings to gather information and determine what steps should be taken.
Guests: Dr. Robin Hadlock Seeley, a 7th generation Mainer, marine ecologist based at Cornell University. She’s a resident of Pembroke, co-founder of the Rockweed Coalition, and has been documenting and reviewing the impacts of rockweed harvests in Maine and elsewhere. She is also researching the impacts of climate change on invasive crab species, and Beth Goettel, is the Manager for Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuges with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

WERU News Report 1/28/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

Interactive news report covering issues with a local connection and taking calls. Today: Many Searsport veterans of the successful fight against a massive LPG tank in that town had just started a process of coming together with other residents to look at what kinds of economic development they DO want in town, when suddenly they found themselves faced with another proposed development that is raising alarms. We’ll be getting all the latest on that with our guests in the studio (Peter Taber and Harlan McLaughlin) and taking your calls as well. Before we start on that topic though, we want to take you to the University of Maine Trustee’s meeting on Monday where they made history by becoming the first land grant university system to vote to divest from coal.

WERU News Report 1/21/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

Interactive news report covering issues with a local connection and taking calls. Today: Marking the 5th anniversary of “Citizens United” by talking with Jan Carpenter of “We The People Maine” and State Representative Ralph Chapman, about the progress of efforts to overturn that Supreme Court decision —which equated money with free speech and corporations with people. And the latest potential threat to Searsport Harbor may come from a company that’s run into a lot of trouble with their operations in New Hampshire. We’ve got Searsport resident Peter Taber with us to talk about that. John Greenman has news from last night’s wind power moratorium vote in Orland. Also a call Oamshri Amarasingham of the ACLU Maine, about the Coalition for Maine Women the Maine Choice Coalition announcement of their legislative priorities at a State House press conference today. AND we’re going to be opening the phone lines for your calls because this is INTERACTIVE news.

WERU News Report 1/14/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

Interactive news report covering issues with a local connection and taking calls. Today: Laurie Sproul, Fern Stearns, Glen Koehler and John Newlin of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby talk about that group’s carbon “fee and dividend” proposal, which is geared toward bipartisan appeal.

Also:
-Town officials in Bucksport Saturday held the first of what will be a series of forums for public input on the future direction of the town. There are still many uncertainties with the sale of the mill being challenged in federal court this week on anti-trust grounds. The tone was very positive and optimistic. It wasn’t set up well for recording the event – John Greenman and I both gave it a shot – but here’s a brief clip:
-Members of 350.org, the Maine Chapter of the Sierra Club and other environmental groups braved single digit temperatures yesterday in Bangor, joining others across the country in a day of rallies in opposition to Keystone XL. We talked to Karen Marysdaughter at the rally:
-The Alliance for Common Good rallied at the Statehouse last week, in what has become an annual event kicking off the legislative session. The Rally of Unity drew people working on a variety of interconnected issues. Meredith DeFrancesco is planning to have full coverage on “RadioActive” tomorrow at 4:30, but here’s a clip, recorded by Eric Tuttle:
-A special vote will be held in Orland next Tuesday on a proposed 6 month moratorium on wind power developments.
-Updates on the current power outages in the Blue Hill area

WERU News Report 1/7/15

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer/Reporter: John Greenman

Interactive news report covering issues with a local connection and taking calls. Today: Headlines and issues that will be represented at tomorrow’s “Rally for Unity” at the Statehouse

Guests in studio: Jim Freeman (Organizer of “Rally for Unity”), Nikki Fox (Orland resident working on wind power issues)

WERU News Report 12/31/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Audio recorded by: Matt Murphy

Part 2 of 2

A recording from earlier this month when author & physician Alice Rothchild toured Maine, meeting with Angus King’s staff and with groups interested in her experiences in Israel and Palestine. Her visit coincided with the unveiling of her portrait, the latest in Rob Shetterly’s series, “Americans Who Tell the Truth”.

FMI: www.alicerothchild.com , www.americanswhotellthetruth.org

WERU News Report 12/30/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Audio recorded by: Matt Murphy

Part 1 of 2

A recording from earlier this month when author & physician Alice Rothchild toured Maine, meeting with Angus King’s staff and with groups interested in her experiences in Israel and Palestine. Her visit coincided with the unveiling of her portrait, the latest in Rob Shetterly’s series, “Americans Who Tell the Truth”.

FMI: www.alicerothchild.com , www.americanswhotellthetruth.org