Penelope Overton writes about the lobster and marijuana industries in Maine, a mix of the iconic and the emerging, the economic powerhouse and the mysterious darkhorse. Just the right mix of old and new for a Maine transplant. Penny joined the Press Herald in 2016. She has covered politics and government, the environment and Indian Country in Florida, Connecticut, Arizona and Washington, D.C. Her favorite stories are when she gets to dive into a world where readers seldom venture. When she’s not newspapering, Penny and her young daughter like to hike, body surf, travel and explore new books, places, poems and people. She is plovertonpph on both Instagram and Snapchat.
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PublishedJanuary 3, 2024
PFAS found in almost 1,000 Maine products, so far
From shampoo to school supplies, dog treats to dishware, the brand names that admit to using forever chemicals are ubiquitous.
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PublishedJanuary 3, 2024
Human evolution may prevent us from solving climate change, UMaine study finds
A new study by an international team led by evolutionary biologist Tim Waring says that humans are good at extracting resources from the Earth but struggle to cooperate on a scale necessary to fight worldwide environmental threats.
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PublishedDecember 22, 2023
White Christmas is becoming more of a dream than a reality in Maine
The state’s winters are getting warmer and wetter, and there’ll be no white Christmas this year, again.
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PublishedDecember 19, 2023
Monday’s powerful storm latest example of bad weather made worse by climate change
The unseasonably warm weather that Maine is experiencing due to an increase in heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere gave the wet winter storm its powerful punch, scientists say.
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PublishedDecember 4, 2023
Proposed rules would allow any commercial farm contaminated by PFAS to apply for financial assistance
Maine so far has focused on farms that were contaminated through the spreading of wastewater sludge.
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PublishedDecember 3, 2023
As Casco Bay warms, climate change alters its chemistry in unexpected ways
Casco Bay remains healthy overall, but the near-shore waters face a plethora of threats, especially stormwater pollution.
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PublishedDecember 3, 2023
Climate change has brought more extreme rain, snow to Maine
Sea level rise remains a top concern as the climate warms, but the increasing frequency of outsized precipitation is already having statewide impacts.
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PublishedDecember 1, 2023
Maine Climate Council reports progress in fight against climate change
Efforts to reduce fossil fuel use are mostly on track, although the shift to electric vehicles has been slower than hoped.
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PublishedNovember 14, 2023
New England’s wetter, warmer future is already here
The fifth National Climate Assessment includes data showing the region is seeing extreme heat on land and at sea, especially in the Gulf of Maine, and more frequent heavy rainstorms than any other region of the country.
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PublishedNovember 12, 2023
Lewiston joins growing list of U.S. communities living with gun trauma
Experts acknowledge that every mass shooting is different but say the Maine city is likely to feel lingering effects of anguish for years.
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