WERU News Report 2/9/11

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Contributor: Meaghan LaSala

Headlines: Maine’s Congressional Delegation votes on the renewal of key sections of the US PATRIOT Act; Violence against anti-mining activists in El Salvador escalates

Segment 1: Here in Maine, a statewide coalition of groups who oppose industrial wind power projects are preparing to gather this weekend to join efforts. We speak with Jonathan Carter of the Forest Ecology Network, one of the organizers of the event.

Segment 2: Like wind projects, biomass incinerators are being promoted by industry as a viable alternative energy source. Last week a panel discussion was held at the University of Maine, called “Living Downstream: The Old Town Dump and University of Maine”. Panelists were Darren Ranco, Associate Prof. of Anthropology and Coorcinator of Native American Research, panel chair; John Banks, member of the Juniper Ridge Landfill Advisory Committee and Director of the Natural Resources Dept., Penobscot Nation; Paul Schroeder, Orono resident and member of Trash Trackers Network; Ed Spencer, Old Town resident, original opponent of 2003 dump expansion. Today we have an excerpt from Paul Schroeder’s presentation. We’ll have more audio from the panel on a WERU Special on Monday, February 21st at 10am