Author: DeAnne Curran
Biomaterials as Growth Engine for Pulp & Paper? Why not in Maine?
According to the recent Bloomberg article, “Biomaterials May Be Next Growth Engine for Paper Industry,” pulp and paper companies world-wide are becoming more profitable by going biobased. Instead of traditional writing papers and newsprint, companies are finding new, high-value uses for wood. There is a global shift from traditional pulp and paper products to biomaterials… Read more »
$3.5 Million for Forest Products Research
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, recently announced a $3.5 million provision in the 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill for forest products research. A portion of this funding will support University of Maine research to improve innovation and maintain a sustainable and globally competitive domestic forest products industry. According to… Read more »
LEGO to Invest in Sustainable Materials
The LEGO Group is investing approximately $148 million for a new LEGO Sustainable Materials Center to be established between 2015 and 2016 with a goal of replacing current materials with sustainable alternatives by 2030. LEGO pieces (they’re called “elements”) are currently made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin. LEGO makes 6,000 tons of ABS plastic each year for its products.… Read more »
All in a rainy day’s work in Blue Hill
On a rainy July afternoon, while many stayed indoors, three determined individuals set out on the streets of Blue Hill to educate citizens of the dangers of arsenic and other toxic chemicals that are common in private drinking water wells. Equipped with donated water test kits, discount test coupons, and factsheets, EHSC’s Emily Postman and… Read more »
Governor LePage to Poor Families in Rural Maine: “Let Them Drink Arsenic”
You can’t taste it, smell it or see it, but what you don’t know can hurt you. An estimated 150,000 rural Mainers are slowly being poisoned by arsenic in their drinking water drawn from private wells. This silent public health crisis robs our youth of intelligence and causes skin, bladder and lung cancer. Yet only… Read more »
Green Chemistry Awards Dominated by Biobased
Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized this year’s winners of the Presidential Green Chemistry Award. Green chemistry (also known as sustainable chemistry) means designing processes and research in a way that minimizes the use and generation of hazardous substances. In other words, is there a way to make this without using hazardous chemicals and… Read more »
U.S. Senate: Follow the House Path to Chemical Reform, Healthy Homes
Guess who approved the safety of all those chemicals that make up the latest stuff you just brought home from that big box retailer? Nobody. That’s right! Nearly 40 years ago, Congress first passed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). But the law proved toothless. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) couldn’t even ban asbestos,… Read more »
Independence Day for Toxic Chemicals?
As we celebrate the 4th of July, I don’t have to reach very far to connect today’s debate on chemical safety reform with the themes of freedom and independence. That’s because right now, a bill before the US Senate would strip away an important right from state governments: the right to protect their own citizens… Read more »
“Biobased products seen as vital for Maine’s growth?” YES.
We agree with the Portland Press Herald’s recent article, “Biobased products seen as vital for Maine’s growth,” (6/21/15) which reported that Maine has the third-highest concentration of jobs in the “biobased products” industry, according to a recent USDA Report. The report is part of USDA’s campaign to promote the biobased products industry, which as the article… Read more »
GREENBIZ.COM Article: “Biobased Chemicals: When Green is Toxic”
At Environmental Health Strategy Center, we work for healthy products in a healthy economy. By replacing everyday products made from oil and natural gas with products made primarily from plants, we can cut our carbon footprint and ensure better environmental health. But is “biobased” always better? Not necessarily. In this greenbiz.com article, Executive Director Mike… Read more »