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Joel Clement is a 10th generation Mainer and an award-winning former federal whistleblower with a background in climate change, science, and the environment.
As reported last week by the Bangor Daily News, Maine’s ongoing struggles with toxic chemicals in the ground continue to grow worse. For a state that takes pride in — and reaps substantial economic benefit from — the natural environment here, these revelations are significant blows to our reputation and, more importantly, to the health and wellbeing of the folks who live here and come to stay.
At a time when America’s public health care is poorly funded and the for-profit health care system is difficult to access, it is essential that we know what we are up against so we can keep our loved ones and neighbors safe. More information, while upsetting, is essential to acting in the public interest. Ignorance is not bliss in this case, it’s dangerous for families and bad for our environment.
The question we face is: Now that we know, what next?
This was the question that Americans faced in 1970 when Maine’s eminent senator, Edmund Muskie, looked out over a filthy, stinking Androscoggin River as it ran through his hometown of Rumford. His tireless efforts to clean up the Androscoggin, then one of America’s most polluted rivers, led to 1972’s Clean...
From misinformation around Indian Air Force aircraft crash in Rajasthan’s Churu to false claims of the UAE offering lifetime residency through a Golden Visa for just Dh100,000 for Indian citizens,...