Estimates for forest carbon sequestration cited in the Sept. 17 Portland Press Herald article by Staff Writer Tux Turkel highlight the dilemma of harvesting trees versus carbon storage for small woodlot owners. Maine forests sequester carbon, but how much is not well known. The demise of pulp and paper mills has resulted in a superabundance […]

I’d like to ask some questions of and offer advice to the conscientious students who chose to skip school to attend an environmental protest. Do you: • Turn lights out when leaving a room? • Get takeout coffee/beverages in your own reusable cup, which you personally clean? • Turn the radio or TV off when […]

Observing the City Council over the past few years brings to mind a dysfunctional family, showing an inability to listen, or sometimes even to speak, to each other, and allowing petty grievances to dictate votes on policy. I suggest that the conflict that has been displayed before voters is more a result of a new […]

Mayor Ethan Strimling knocked on my door Thursday evening, seeking my vote. “No,” I said. “Why?” “Potholes.” His face registered confusion, flummoxed that anyone would care about potholed streets. I continued: “Didn’t you read my letter to the editor last month (Aug. 12) about needing the skills of Neil Armstrong to navigate Portland’s streets?” “No.” […]

With affordable housing one of the most critical issues facing Portland, why is the city siding with the new ownership of Bayside Village? This is one of the few affordable housing options left. To convert the complex to market-rate apartments and eliminate the shared quad setup currently in place would have a devastating effect on […]

I don’t blame teenagers across the country being concerned about their lives as a result of climate change (“Most American teens are frightened by climate change, poll shows,” Sept. 16). I worry for all of us as well. We are all in trouble if the climate crisis is not brought under control immediately, requiring emergency […]

The new law prohibiting touching a phone while driving will cause a lot of accidents, as people who depend on receiving calls while driving (cab drivers, delivery drivers, etc.) suddenly pull over and lurch to a stop (to take the call), forcing others behind them to slam on the brakes. Obviously, it’s not holding the […]