We Mainers are proud, and protective, of our coastline and forests, our clear waters and crisp air. They're a big part of what separates us from the other guys.

But we don't often think of our night sky that way. And we probably should.

Most Mainers can look up on a clear night and see a dark sky full of stars, including the band of stars and light at the edge of our own galaxy. Most other Americans can't see the Milky Way from where they live. Some can see only a few bright stars.

"It distinguishes us from more polluted areas. Just like cleaner waters, darker skies are an attribute," said Robert Burgess, a bank executive from Brunswick by day and amateur stargazer by night.

Light pollution # artificial light that is reflected or shined upward # creates a glow over cities and washes out the night sky in most of the U.S. and other developed countries. It's drawing increasing attention worldwide as a problem, and not just for astronomers.

The absence of darkness and stars can interfere with the behavior of all kinds of animals, from birds to sea turtles. And recent research has linked nighttime brightness to higher rates of breast cancer in women, suggesting that humans need darkness, too.

Maine is relatively unpolluted, light-wise. In nighttime satellite images, the Down East coast and North Woods stand out as the largest, darkest spots in the United States east of the Mississippi River.

This week, the state unveiled some new technology that could help keep it that way.

Roger Doiron dug up his front lawn in Scarborough last spring, in part to expand his vegetable garden and in part to set an example for our next president.

Dorion is behind an Internet-based petition calling for the next "Eater-in-chief" to restore Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden and replace some of the expansive sod at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with vegetables. His "Eat the View" campaign and a companion video called "This Lawn is Your Lawn" have been getting lots of support, especially as high food and fuel prices and concern about global warming led to a victory garden revival in back yards -- and some front yards -- across the country.

Today, Doiron's video was named a third-place winner in a national contest called Climate Matters. The winning videos, which are meant to inspire the next president and congress to take action on climate change, will be shown on national television and distributed to all presidential nominees and each member of Congress, according to the organizers.

The contest was sponsored by Brighter Planet and 1Sky, in partnership with Vimeo.com.

Look here for the full story and to see the winning videos.

And here's a quick look at the Doiron's effort:

While scientists around the world are focused on what increasing carbon emissions are doing to the earth's atmosphere, some also have been quietly looking in the ocean.

Oceans absorb about a third of the carbon that's discharged into the air by power plants, motor vehicles and other sources. That's a lucky break as far as keeping the gas out of the atmosphere and slowing global warming is concerned. But it's not so good for the oceans, which researchers say are rapidly becoming more acidic.

Warnings about the changing chemistry of the oceans -- and the potential damage to marine life and fisheries -- are now attracting a lot of attention. Studies have suggested the acidity will interfere with marine animals' ability to spawn or build strong shells, among other things.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation announced today that they are commissioning an 18-month comprehensive study -- the nation's first -- of how carbon dioxide emissions absorbed into the oceans may be altering fisheries, marine mammals, coral reefs, and other natural resources.

"These emissions are being absorbed into the oceans with potentially catastrophic effects on life in our oceans. Some of the most vulnerable species -- clams, crabs, lobsters, mussels, shrimp, and scallops -- are also some of the most important economically to the United States, representing half of the $4 billion annual value of all fish harvested in U.S. waters," said Dr. Steven A. Murawski, director of scientific programs and chief science advisor for NOAA's Fisheries Service.

Look here for the news release. And, here is a troubling report on the issue from an international scientific panel that met this month in France.