Tag: Climate Change

Common Health 10/16/13

Host: Jim Fisher
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Access to Health Care: Barriers to Health Care

Program Topic: Access to Health Care: Barriers to Health Care

a) What are the major barriers to obtaining health care in Maine?
b) Is the challenge of transportation likely to get more difficult in the future?
d) How do we overcome cultural barriers to health care access?
c) What resources are available to help people gain access to care?

Guests:
A) Elsie Fleming
Community Relations & Development Director
Healthy Acadia
PO Box 962, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
(o) 207-288-5331 ext 10 / (c) 207-669-2073
elsie@healthyacadia.org

B) Jim Lysen
FQHC Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer
Community Clinical Services, Inc.
B Street Community Center – Suite 201 – 57 Birch Street, Lewiston, Maine
JLysen@stmarysmaine.com

WERU News Report 9/4/13

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Today the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the National Wildlife Federation announced the release of a new report called “Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World” . According to the report, “[b]y the end of this century, habitat that meets the climate requirements of cold-water species is projected to decline by 50 percent across the United States… [N]ative cutthroat trout are expected to lose an additional 58 percent of their current habitat. As a result, the number of days anglers participate in cold-water fishing is projected to decline by more than 1 million days by 2030 and by more than 6 million days by the end of the century. Associated with the decline in fishing days for cold-water fish is a projected annual national economic loss of as much as $6.4 billion annually by the end of the century, if carbon pollution is not curbed.”

The report, and the specific impacts on Maine and New Hampshire, were presented on a conference call press conference earlier this afternoon:

FMI:
You can read the report “Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World” which details the ways in which climate change is impacting the freshwater fish population, and outlines some steps for action at www.NWF.org/FishAndClimate or www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=5637

Common Health 8/21/13

Host: Jim Fisher
Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Climate Change and Public Health

Key Discussion Points:
What is climate and how is it changing?
What are some of the causes of climate change?
What are some environmental consequences of climate change?
What are some health consequences of climate change?

Guests:
Alexander Gray, Sustainability Research Coordinator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension / Maine Sea Grant
Alexander_Gray@umit.maine.edu
Abraham Miller-Rushing, Ph.D. Science Coordinator Schoodic Education and Research Center Acadia National Park
abe_miller-rushing@nps.gov

WERU News Report 8/13/13

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

A bus that’s traveling around the country calling attention to climate change and urging support for President Obama’s plan to deal with the issue, made stops in Bangor and Portland yesterday. The “I Will Act on Climate” bus is supported by a coalition of groups, including the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and while critics say Obama’s plan doesn’t go far enough to address the crisis of climate change- those on the bus said it is a step in the right direction:

More information about the “I Will Act on Climate Change” bus tour and campaign is available at www.iwillact.us

Talk of the Towns 6/28/13

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: The role of sustainability science in helping us weather the storms

Key Discussion Points:
a) What do we know about the effect of increased numbers and intensity of rain storms on Maine cities and towns and their businesses and residents? What is the scope of the problem, overall and specifically in Ellsworth?
b) In general, how do towns handle stormwater? (civil engineering exercise: water runs downhill, towns channel stormwater in ditches and through culverts, trying to prevent erosion, damage to roads and the problems of flooding)
c) How does Ellsworth budget for repairs to roads, culverts, etc… how many years are you looking ahead to try to plan for managing storm water… how do City Council members and voters respond to your plans to invest in “infrastructure” in hopes of preventing future damage due to storm water?
d) We suspect that these sorts of storms are part of a trend related to climate change… in simple terms, what is happening in the climate that would result in greater numbers of storms and storms of greater intensity?
e) Science has always had two kind of results: advancing basic knowledge and solving problems… the University’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative helps focus science on the latter… give an overview of this effort and what inspired you to link research and municipalities to better adapt to increases in storm water.
f) How is the project working out in Ellsworth… who is involved, what are the various components of the project, what are you learning, what have you tried so far, what shows promise for the future?
g) What are messages for other towns and municipalities? How do listeners learn more?

Guests:
Esperanza Stancioff, Extension Professor, UM Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant
Michelle Gagnon, Planner, City of Ellsworth
Michelle Beal, City Manager, City of Ellsworth (by phone??)
Shaleen Jain Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Cooperating Associate Professor, Climate Change Institute

WERU News Report 5/21/13

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Audio recorded by John Greenman

Professor Paul Mayewsky, Director of UMaine’s Institute for Climate Change and co-author of “The Ice Chronicles” and “Journey Into Climate – Adventure, Exploration and the Unmasking of Human Innocence”, speaking at the University of Maine on March 21, 2013. His talk was part of the university’s Socialist and Marxist Studies lecture series. The website that was mentioned is: www.10green.org/

RadioActive 12/6/12

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Ocean Acidification

Key Discussion Points:
a) As the United Nations climate talks conclude this week, we look at another serious consequence of carbon dioxide emissions : ocean acidification. The world’s oceans absorb 25-30% of the global CO2 outputs, resulting in lowering pH. This acidification is corrosive to shellfish and other calicifiers.
b) This week, Washington state became the first state to adopt a policy to address ocean acidification and its effect on shellfish fisheries.
c) This weekend, an event organized by community organizations and the University of Maine at Machais will look at ocean acidification and its effect on Down East fisheries.

Guests:
A) Bill Rucelshaus, co-chair of Washington State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/water/marine/oceanacidification.html
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/water/marine/oa/2012report_summary.pdf
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/1201015.pdf
B) Sven Huseby, producer of film “A Sea Change”. www.aseachange.net
C) Andy Burt, environmental justice consultant for the Maine Council of Churches, adburt@gwi.net or 380-5387