The city’s average temperature from December through February is 6.5 degrees higher than it was in 1970, marking one of the biggest shifts in the country.
Penelope Overton
Staff Writer
Penny Overton is excited to be the Portland Press Herald’s first climate reporter. Since joining the paper in 2016, she has written about Maine’s lobster and cannabis industries, covered state politics and spent a fellowship year exploring the impact of climate change on the lobster fishery with the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team. Before moving to Maine, she has covered politics, environment, casino gambling and tribal issues in Florida, Connecticut, and Arizona. Her favorite assignments allow her to introduce readers to unusual people, cultures, or subjects. When off the clock, Penny is usually getting lost in a new book at a local coffeehouse, watching foreign crime shows or planning her family’s next adventure.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Drought wilts Maine’s apple and blueberry yields
This year’s extreme weather led to a 50% drop in production among Maine’s biggest apple growers and a 30% decline among wild blueberry farmers.
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Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Schools and Education
UNE launches buoy off Camp Ellis to collect local storm and climate data
The data will help a coastal Saco neighborhood prone to flooding prepare for a wetter, stormier future.
Posted inBusiness, Maine Crime, News
Maine’s lobster population is declining. Is the industry at risk?
A new report says Gulf of Maine lobsters are healthy but are being caught faster than they can be replaced in a warming environment.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Mainers are switching to biodegradable boat wrap. But is it too good to be true?
The manufacturer of BioWrap, a pale green, single-use shrink wrap, claims the material breaks down in less than 5 years.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Is Maine’s drought making seasonal allergies worse?
During extended dry periods, pollen and mold spores picked up by the wind stay airborne longer and travel farther, experts say. But data is limited.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Endangered North Atlantic right whale numbers up slightly
For the fourth year in a row, estimated annual births outnumbered deaths for the critically endangered species.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Maine offers free medical tests for residents exposed to PFAS
Covering the cost of blood tests for more than 600 households in areas where farms used sludge to fertilize their fields represents a turning point in the state’s response to the crisis, from tracking to direct medical intervention.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Is the drought draining your well? What Mainers can do.
Maine state geologist Ryan Gordon answers well water questions as the statewide drought deepens and the number of dry wells increases.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Persistent drought takes toll on Maine farmers
After a wet spring, farmers hoped for blue summer skies, but also got a drought that caused crop losses and may last through winter.