S3:E4 - 53 MILES IN MAINE, Part 1 of 5
Animalia28 Mai 2022

S3:E4 - 53 MILES IN MAINE, Part 1 of 5

Welcome to Part 1 of our 5-part series covering a very controversial renewable energy project that got shut down in a public referendum in Maine despite previously getting approval from state and federal regulators.

While this energy was being purchased by the state of Massachusetts and generated by a hydropower company in Canada, it would require transmitting the energy through the state of Maine and thus in order to build out that transmission it needed Maine’s approval to move forward.

Supporters of this project call it the New England Clean Energy Connect. Opposition groups call it the CMP Corridor. Just the difference in naming alone tells you a lot about their respective viewpoints.

You’re going to hear throughout this series from folks on both sides of this particular initiative. But the reason we are covering it here at Animalia is not because we are taking our own stance on whether or not this project should move forward - we purposely leave that a bit open ended and we shall see how it plays out in the courts - but rather to use it as a lens into 3 larger issues playing out across the country as we grabble with figuring out how to shift from fossil fuel power generation to renewable generation.

In Episodes 2-4, we will cover each of those in detail.

  • In Episode 2, we will dive into the battle brewing between Environmental Activists & Clean Energy Advocates. All forms of energy, including renewables, have environmental trade-offs. Evaluating where and when they are worth taking is increasingly becoming complex and divisive, creating tension between environmental activists and clean energy advocates, despite both camps wanting to get off fossil fuels and save this planet.
  • In Episode 3, we will explore why the most critical decisions ahead in our transition off of fossil fuels are very much happening at the local level because of the land use and infrastructure needed for scaling renewable power generation. We can no longer just rely on regulatory approval, and need to increasingly engage the public and get their buy in sooner than later.
  • In Episode 4, we will look at how big energy companies around the country are using social media, marketing, and propaganda to stall clean energy projects. In all cases this is to protect their own business interests, be it fossil fuels or their own renewables. In the case of this project in Maine, there were big energy companies on both sides with renewable and fossil fuels interests when you roll things up to parent company levels. How and why did 3 big energy companies seemingly not involved get involved and support the opposition to help build the public pushback?

Then in Episode 5 we will do a recap with key takeaways.

Here are some reference materials to read up further on this story. Feel free to reach out with any quesitons!

  • Documentation of the State level regulatory hearing
  • Documentation of the Federal level regulatory hearing
  • Article questioning claims of those behind the project
  • Live radio debate between the NRCM and the NECEC
  • Some info on Northern Pass project that preceded this one

Episoder(88)

Dog's Mental Health | With Paul Mundell - Head of Animal Behavior at Companion Labs

Dog's Mental Health | With Paul Mundell - Head of Animal Behavior at Companion Labs

The stigma surrounding mental health is starting to wane, but humans are not the only ones whose mental health can be afflicted. Like humans, dogs who suffer from conditions like anxiety or depression can self-harm and severely damage their overall health by not eating or exercising. We're joined by Paul Mundell the Head of Animal Behavior at Companion Labs, a technology firm that uses AI to develop, test and apply protocols to shape and build a wide variety of behavioral responses. Tune in to learn how you can help your furry friend avoid issues such as separation anxiety and live a longer, healthier life.

21 Jul 202053min

What You Didn't Know About Sloths! | Chatting Community Based Conservation With Katra Laidlaw

What You Didn't Know About Sloths! | Chatting Community Based Conservation With Katra Laidlaw

Katra Laidlaw (she/they) has always been inspired by animals living parallel yet distinct lives and seeks to foster symbiosis between wildlife and humans wherever possible. Having studied the environment and theater in college, Katra is always seeking ways to combine the disciplines of art and science. As Coordinator of the Sloth Crossings Project for The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo), this takes the form of installing bridges so that sloths and other wildlife can safely navigate our shared habitat. Keep up with SloCo's amazing work at @SlothConservation and at SlothConservation.com!

6 Jul 202059min

The 2020 Australia Bushfires: What We Learned

The 2020 Australia Bushfires: What We Learned

The 2019-2020 Australian Wildfires were some of the worst in the country's history. Over 18 million hectares where burned - nearly the size of New Jersey - , over 400 million tonnes of carbon were released in the atmosphere, and an estimated 3 billion animals were killed. So what did we learn from all of this? What caused it? And what is happening in Australia 6 months after this disaster? We discuss these questions and more with Dr. Paul Ramos, a Nat Geo Wild Vet who was there on the ground providing vet services at the height of the fires. Don't forget, you can support Australian Wildlife with every purchase of our Australia Wildlife Tee, with proceeds shared to WIRES, a conservation who worked diligently on providing aid during the fires. And be sure to check out Paul Ramos' TikTok channel to learn more about his work as well!

3 Jul 20201h 3min

Birding While Black | With Professor & Poet Dr. J. Drew Lanham

Birding While Black | With Professor & Poet Dr. J. Drew Lanham

We're joined by Clemson University Distinguished Professor and Author Dr. J. Drew Lanham for an insightful conversation on scales of economy, ecology, and communication, as well as the importance of representation in the Earth Studies field, #BlackBirdersWeek and a foreshadowed commitment of inclusion in conservation. Follow him on Twitter at @1blackbirder. Check out his recommendations A Sand County Almanac and Cultivating the Wild.

19 Jun 20201h 18min

Part 1: The #BLM Movement And Environmental Intersectionality

Part 1: The #BLM Movement And Environmental Intersectionality

We share our personal connections to the Black Lives Matter movement and how inextricably linked social justice and environmental justice are. Check out this resource to deepen your anti-racism work: bit.ly/anti-racism-work

9 Jun 202054min

Social Media's Impact On Conservation With TikTok Star Jake Colvin

Social Media's Impact On Conservation With TikTok Star Jake Colvin

We're joined by YouTuber and Tik Toker Jake Colvin, whose ocean conservation and shrimp parasite removal videos have earned him almost 7 million followers! James and Nare weigh out the pro and cons of wildlife content on social media and how merging entertainment with a cause based mission can lead to real awareness. Join Jake's ocean adventures at @Jake.pnw on Tik Tok and YouTube.

4 Jun 202040min

Adaptability & Addressing The Environmental Crisis With Autodidact Gaya Roshan

Adaptability & Addressing The Environmental Crisis With Autodidact Gaya Roshan

For 20 years Gaya Roshan, has explored deep ecology through film and advisory work in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. With only two years of formal education, she's an autodidact who has developed a cross-disciplinary, holistic approach to addressing our environmental crisis. Roshan has advised to foundations such as the Fetzer institute, corporations such as Interface and Ikea as well as government bodies like NASA. Her film work spans 15 years, 20 countries and 4 continents and explores the mass extinction of species, deep ecology, sustianability and other important environmental issues.

25 Mai 202041min

Filmmakers' Role In Wildlife Conservation | With Sanctuary Director Ezra Gentle

Filmmakers' Role In Wildlife Conservation | With Sanctuary Director Ezra Gentle

Ezra Gentle's new short Sanctuary highlights the story of a family of women in Namibia running Co'Lu'Bi Wildlife Sanctuary, rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing baboons back into the wild. James and Annalie chat with Ezra on the challenges faced by filmmakers in the conservation space and how storytelling can help people see the parallels between nature's animals and themselves. Check out the short Sanctuary here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CADsBg3BUNY/ Keep up with Ezra's latest here: https://www.instagram.com/ezragentle/

19 Mai 202051min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
tingenes-tilstand
rekommandert
jss
sinnsyn
villmarksliv
rss-rekommandert
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
forskningno
rss-paradigmepodden
fremtid-pa-frys
dekodet-2
fjellsportpodden
abels-tarn
doktor-fives-podcast
diagnose
rss-overskuddsliv
vett-og-vitenskap-med-gaute-einevoll
pod-britannia