By Cam Anderson, Intern
I’ve been working as an intern for Sierra Club Maine for the past two months and I’ll be starting my sophomore year at Bates College this fall. I hope to major in politics (with a minor in history), and I’m part of the college’s debate team and environmental action group.
My main assignment this summer, and the one that occupied nearly all of my time working for the chapter, was to write a policy paper about Maine’s plans regarding offshore wind turbines. These plans were hatched in 2008 under Governor Baldacci, and have progressed with the help of turbine research from UMaine, the changing political calculus in our state, and federal and corporate investment. These plans are near-complete, and although it seems now that offshore turbines will be constructed in a few years, conflicting interests and political turbulence makes this conclusion far from certain.
After my two months of research, I’ve written about several reasons offshore wind should be brought to Maine: among these are that it is a powerful way to combat climate change (it will save emissions itself and pioneer offshore wind in the US) and that it will bring massive economic benefits to our state.
I also want to thank the staff of our chapter: they have suggested ways that I could write different sections, helped with post-writing paper edits, and generally, been fantastic people to work with and talk to. I hope to be in touch with all of you—staff, members, and others—as we work towards a more sustainable world.