Sydney Cromwell
@sydneycromwell.bsky.social
Environmental and freelance reporter, mostly reporting in Maine.
“People out in areas like this are like, ‘What do we do? Where do we even start?’”
insideclimatenews.org/news/2412202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2412202...
Nonprofit Center Works with Rural Maine Towns to Prepare for and Protect Against Extreme Weather - Inside Climate News
Weather disasters are shared experiences in the Maine foothills and communities are preparing for a wetter, warmer future.
insideclimatenews.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:33 PM
“People out in areas like this are like, ‘What do we do? Where do we even start?’”
insideclimatenews.org/news/2412202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2412202...
In Waterville, Maine, a restaurant called Only Pans was, resolutely, open. The owners, Jay Coelho and Desiree Sirois, decided closing early for weather was not for them. “We’re open every day,” Mr. Coelho said
. “We’re like the post office.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/w...
. “We’re like the post office.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/w...
Winter Storm Rolls Into Northeast, Leaving a Mess of Snow and Ice
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:32 PM
In Waterville, Maine, a restaurant called Only Pans was, resolutely, open. The owners, Jay Coelho and Desiree Sirois, decided closing early for weather was not for them. “We’re open every day,” Mr. Coelho said
. “We’re like the post office.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/w...
. “We’re like the post office.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/w...
Three years ago, Maine was the first state in the nation to recognize the risks of PFAS by outlawing the use of sewage sludge on farmland. But PFAS, testing showed, had already seeped into drinking-water wells and crop roots, tainting vegetables, beef and milk.
insideclimatenews.org/news/2411202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2411202...
Maine Was First To Ban Spreading PFAS-Contaminated Sludge on Farmland. Now Sludge Is Filling up Landfills. - Inside Climate News
Well before the ban took effect, the “forever chemicals” linked to cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems had tainted drinking-water wells, vegetable roots, beef and milk in Maine.
insideclimatenews.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Three years ago, Maine was the first state in the nation to recognize the risks of PFAS by outlawing the use of sewage sludge on farmland. But PFAS, testing showed, had already seeped into drinking-water wells and crop roots, tainting vegetables, beef and milk.
insideclimatenews.org/news/2411202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/2411202...
A group of volunteers from the Passamaquoddy tribe have created a community clam garden in an attempt to bring the species—and its historical role as a major tribal food source—back.
Part 3 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
Part 3 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
Can Clams Make a Comeback on a Tribal Reservation in Maine? - Inside Climate News
Softshell clams flourished for centuries on the Passamaquoddy’s Pleasant Point Reservation, before overfishing and climate change. Now, more than a million are maturing in a garden created three years...
insideclimatenews.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:29 PM
A group of volunteers from the Passamaquoddy tribe have created a community clam garden in an attempt to bring the species—and its historical role as a major tribal food source—back.
Part 3 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
Part 3 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
For this tribe living at the eastern edge of Maine, climate change is playing havoc with their tap water, creating even more hurdles between the Passamaquoddy and reliable clean water.
Part 2 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3108202...
Part 2 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3108202...
Climate Change Worsens Half-Century of Drinking Water Problems for Maine Native Reservation - Inside Climate News
The tap water in Sipayik has smelled and tasted bad for years. A new, deep well in town has been helping, but now the Trump administration has clawed back grant funds for water testing and filtration.
insideclimatenews.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:28 PM
For this tribe living at the eastern edge of Maine, climate change is playing havoc with their tap water, creating even more hurdles between the Passamaquoddy and reliable clean water.
Part 2 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3108202...
Part 2 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3108202...
On the Sipayik peninsula in Maine, Passamaquoddy tribe members are surrounded on three sides by water, and on all sides by reminders of their vulnerability to a changing climate.
Part 1 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
Part 1 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
In Far Northeastern Maine, a Native Community Fights to Adapt to Climate Change - Inside Climate News
Sea level rise, dwindling fisheries and Trump budget cuts make the Passamaquoddy tribe’s resiliency quest a test of smart planning and stubborn will.
insideclimatenews.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:27 PM
On the Sipayik peninsula in Maine, Passamaquoddy tribe members are surrounded on three sides by water, and on all sides by reminders of their vulnerability to a changing climate.
Part 1 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
Part 1 of 3 on the Sipayik community's quest for a more resilient future.
insideclimatenews.org/news/3008202...
As climate change accelerates sea level rise and increases the intensity of tropical storms, insurance companies are beginning to re-evaluate whether they can afford to insure buildings that are expected to be damaged over and over again.
insideclimatenews.org/news/1007202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/1007202...
Can Shoreline Restoration Rein in Rising Flood Insurance Prices? - Inside Climate News
A pilot program on Dauphin Island, Alabama, aims to find out.
insideclimatenews.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:25 PM
As climate change accelerates sea level rise and increases the intensity of tropical storms, insurance companies are beginning to re-evaluate whether they can afford to insure buildings that are expected to be damaged over and over again.
insideclimatenews.org/news/1007202...
insideclimatenews.org/news/1007202...
A fish passage project on the Alabama River is navigating some roadblocks, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and The Nature Conservancy try to create a partnership that works for both organizations.
Fish passage project ‘dammed up’ in approval process
Project would reconnect 230 miles of migratory routes
southern-science.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
A fish passage project on the Alabama River is navigating some roadblocks, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and The Nature Conservancy try to create a partnership that works for both organizations.
"It’s really a win-win. It’s a win for climate, it’s a win for the environment, it’s a huge win for farmers."
Read more about the Soil & Climate Initiative's work to make agriculture more sustainable in Alabama and throughout the country.
Read more about the Soil & Climate Initiative's work to make agriculture more sustainable in Alabama and throughout the country.
A new farming (re)generation
Mississippi Delta program encourages healthier soil, sustainable farms
southern-science.com
August 1, 2025 at 9:23 AM
"It’s really a win-win. It’s a win for climate, it’s a win for the environment, it’s a huge win for farmers."
Read more about the Soil & Climate Initiative's work to make agriculture more sustainable in Alabama and throughout the country.
Read more about the Soil & Climate Initiative's work to make agriculture more sustainable in Alabama and throughout the country.
A marsh restoration on Dauphin Island is creating new habitat and slowing down flooding. Now, a researcher with The Water Institute is asking whether it can make flood insurance cheaper for nearby homeowners.
southern-science.com/2025/06/05/m...
southern-science.com/2025/06/05/m...
Marsh insurance
Can shoreline restoration rein in rising flood insurance prices?
southern-science.com
June 6, 2025 at 3:07 PM
A marsh restoration on Dauphin Island is creating new habitat and slowing down flooding. Now, a researcher with The Water Institute is asking whether it can make flood insurance cheaper for nearby homeowners.
southern-science.com/2025/06/05/m...
southern-science.com/2025/06/05/m...
Native plants are the foundation of healthy habitats across Alabama. This year, endangered plant species will be included in the state's official conservation plan for the first time.
southern-science.com/2025/05/01/s...
southern-science.com/2025/05/01/s...
State prepares conservation plan for next decade
Plants, habitat “corridors” added for first time
southern-science.com
May 6, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Native plants are the foundation of healthy habitats across Alabama. This year, endangered plant species will be included in the state's official conservation plan for the first time.
southern-science.com/2025/05/01/s...
southern-science.com/2025/05/01/s...
Reposted by Sydney Cromwell
When a Trump cabinet official visited two Alabama mines last week, he didn’t mention their checkered safety record, including the 2023 death of a miner that federal officials concluded was the fault of the mine.
Trump Official Visits, Touts Alabama Coal Mine With Thousands of Federal Safety Violations - Inside Climate News
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited two Warrior Met mines to emphasize the administration’s commitment to lifting regulations on the extraction of ‘clean beautiful coal.’ He did not mention ...
insideclimatenews.org
April 15, 2025 at 8:03 PM
When a Trump cabinet official visited two Alabama mines last week, he didn’t mention their checkered safety record, including the 2023 death of a miner that federal officials concluded was the fault of the mine.
Reposted by Sydney Cromwell
Despite all that's known about the threats facing freshwater mussels, the cause of a decades-long die-off in the Southeastern U.S. remains a mystery.
As Mussel Species Blink Out, Scientists Scramble for Answers
One of the most endangered animals in the world, freshwater mussels are threatened by pollution, climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species. But in the epicenter of their diversity — the South...
e360.yale.edu
April 8, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Despite all that's known about the threats facing freshwater mussels, the cause of a decades-long die-off in the Southeastern U.S. remains a mystery.
As the EPA moves its focus away from regulating and enforcing pollution standards, what does that mean for coal ash sites in Alabama?
southern-science.com/2025/04/03/c...
southern-science.com/2025/04/03/c...
Changes at EPA mean uncertainty for dealing with Alabama coal ash
Coal ash pollution looks likely to lose priority status for federal agency
southern-science.com
April 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
As the EPA moves its focus away from regulating and enforcing pollution standards, what does that mean for coal ash sites in Alabama?
southern-science.com/2025/04/03/c...
southern-science.com/2025/04/03/c...
Why are some religious faiths less likely to trust the science of topics like climate change, while other faiths embrace environmental stewardship as an act of devotion? A Samford University professor is exploring the ways that religion influences people's views on science.
The evidence of things not seen
Samford professor explores how religious faith shapes trust in science
southern-science.com
March 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Why are some religious faiths less likely to trust the science of topics like climate change, while other faiths embrace environmental stewardship as an act of devotion? A Samford University professor is exploring the ways that religion influences people's views on science.
"I don’t think that you could probably find an organism that is more adapted and protected from climate change.”
Learn more about why dismalites, Alabama's own glowworms, are likely to survive as our planet warms.
Learn more about why dismalites, Alabama's own glowworms, are likely to survive as our planet warms.
‘Starlight’ survivalists
Amid climate change, ‘dismalites’ keep on glowing
southern-science.com
February 10, 2025 at 9:59 PM
"I don’t think that you could probably find an organism that is more adapted and protected from climate change.”
Learn more about why dismalites, Alabama's own glowworms, are likely to survive as our planet warms.
Learn more about why dismalites, Alabama's own glowworms, are likely to survive as our planet warms.
Most of the Alabama coast's oyster population is gone. What will it take to save them?
Pearls of wisdom
From gardens to genomes, state and conservation groups continue trying new approaches to oyster restoration
southern-science.com
January 21, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Most of the Alabama coast's oyster population is gone. What will it take to save them?
At the University of Alabama’s CONSERVE group, researchers are combining traditional academia with Native knowledge to create a digital seed bank, preserving information about the plant species that have been significant in Choctaw culture.
More value than gold
UA digital seed bank helps preserve Choctaw heritage
southern-science.com
December 13, 2024 at 3:59 PM
At the University of Alabama’s CONSERVE group, researchers are combining traditional academia with Native knowledge to create a digital seed bank, preserving information about the plant species that have been significant in Choctaw culture.
In communities across Alabama, scientists, engineers and residents are partnering to solve environmental injustices. Read more about the projects happening under the Capacity Collaborative's volunteer science hub.
‘Fight for it to be better’
Volunteer science ‘hub’ helps communities tackle environmental injustices
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:48 PM
In communities across Alabama, scientists, engineers and residents are partnering to solve environmental injustices. Read more about the projects happening under the Capacity Collaborative's volunteer science hub.
Check out how researchers at The University of Alabama and The University of South Alabama are trying to find innovative ways to solve microplastic pollution.
Engineering microplastic solutions
With NOAA grants, two Alabama research teams take aim at microplastic pollution
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Check out how researchers at The University of Alabama and The University of South Alabama are trying to find innovative ways to solve microplastic pollution.
Alabama lags behind many other states in its management of water use. As extreme heat, changing weather patterns, industry and population continue to influence the available freshwater, advocates say the state needs to do more to understand and protect its water resources.
Drop by drop
Despite plentiful resources, Alabama may need more water management
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:46 PM
Alabama lags behind many other states in its management of water use. As extreme heat, changing weather patterns, industry and population continue to influence the available freshwater, advocates say the state needs to do more to understand and protect its water resources.
Renewable energy advocacy groups like Energy Alabama and the Southern Renewable Energy Association (SREA) are opposed to Alabama Power’s integration fee for solar and wind energy producers, which was approved this past spring.
Power dynamic
New Alabama Power fee will deter renewable energy investment, solar advocates say
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:46 PM
Renewable energy advocacy groups like Energy Alabama and the Southern Renewable Energy Association (SREA) are opposed to Alabama Power’s integration fee for solar and wind energy producers, which was approved this past spring.
The fight between Alabama, Georgia and Florida over water resources has been a "very touchy subject" for more than three decades. While Alabama and Georgia's governors proposed a new agreement earlier this year, it still has hurdles to clear before it can bring peace to the ACF river basin.
Good rivers make good neighbors
Months after Ala., Ga. governors’ agreement, questions remain on whether it will end ‘water wars’
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:45 PM
The fight between Alabama, Georgia and Florida over water resources has been a "very touchy subject" for more than three decades. While Alabama and Georgia's governors proposed a new agreement earlier this year, it still has hurdles to clear before it can bring peace to the ACF river basin.
“In our whole watershed, this is the only dam we have. And for nature and for the critters, free-flowing water is best.”
Learn more about the plans to remove this former hydroelectric dam from the Pea River in Elba, Alabama, and how this could impact both migrating fish and the nearby town.
Learn more about the plans to remove this former hydroelectric dam from the Pea River in Elba, Alabama, and how this could impact both migrating fish and the nearby town.
Elba dam removal offers possibilities for fish migration, community-building
Two federal grants will fund next stages of dam removal project
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:44 PM
“In our whole watershed, this is the only dam we have. And for nature and for the critters, free-flowing water is best.”
Learn more about the plans to remove this former hydroelectric dam from the Pea River in Elba, Alabama, and how this could impact both migrating fish and the nearby town.
Learn more about the plans to remove this former hydroelectric dam from the Pea River in Elba, Alabama, and how this could impact both migrating fish and the nearby town.
When a coal mine is abandoned, it leaves safety and environmental hazards behind. See how Alabama's mine reclamation program is solving those problems and reclaiming abandoned mines for new purposes.
Dig deep
New funding to turn former mines into ecological, development opportunities
southern-science.com
December 2, 2024 at 2:43 PM
When a coal mine is abandoned, it leaves safety and environmental hazards behind. See how Alabama's mine reclamation program is solving those problems and reclaiming abandoned mines for new purposes.