Artwork by Ed Nolde, Artist & Sierra Club Maine Volunteer
August 2024
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Last Chance:
Recruiting Maine Executive Committee Members
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Do you want to make a meaningful difference by helping Sierra Club Maine advocate for a clean and just economy, elect pro-environment candidates, and protect Maine’s woods and waters for generations to come? Consider serving as a member of Sierra Club Maine’s Executive Committee. The committee sets the Chapter’s priorities, goals, and strategies which directly impact our state.
Committee positions are available to all Sierra Club members. Committee members are elected on two year terms. If you’re a member (or know a member) with an interest in supporting Sierra Club’s work in Maine, please complete this form no later than 5:00pm EST on August 9th, 2024.
The Sierra Club is committed to seeking a diverse pool of candidates and encourages members from any geographical region in Maine, background, race, gender, age, or identity to apply. Questions? Please contact maine.chapter@sierraclub.org.
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You're Invited:
Annual Celebration September 19! |
Sierra Club Maine will hold its annual celebration for social and environmental justice on September 19th, 6:30-8pm at Maine Beer Company in Freeport. The public is invited to join us as we celebrate our impact in 2024 and discuss our collective goals for the future. Doors open at 5:30pm. |
The evening will include a live auction, a presentation of annual awards, and a special address from Sierra Club Maine’s Chapter Director, Pete Nichols. “We are really excited to bring our amazing members and supporters together to celebrate our collective work over the past year and showcase inspiring things on the horizon for the chapter,” Pete shared. Please register here and stay tuned for updates on
our website
and social media: Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.
Sierra Club Maine would like to thank its sponsors: Atlantic Sea Farms, David Gibson, Ecology School, Evergreen Home Performance,
Garbage to Garden, Glidden Point Oyster Farms, GoGo Refill,
Gorham Savings Bank,
Inn by the Sea, Kennebec Savings Bank, Lamey Wellehan,
Landform Law,
Maine Audubon, Maine Beer Company, Maine Climate Action NOW!,
Maine Solar Solutions,
Midcoast Conservancy, Nebo Lodge, Pape Chevrolet,
Piper Shores,
Sea Bags, Tandem Coffee, Toad&Co,
Union of Concerned Scientists,
Wild Oats, and its host committee: Becky Bartovics, Jonathan Fulford, Beverly Roxby, and Dinah Minot—thank you! Interested in sponsoring this event? Please contact maine.chapter@sierraclub.org.
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Make Your Voice Heard for the Next Climate Action Plan!
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Recently, the Maine Climate Council received recommendations from all of its working groups on how to meet our mandated emissions-reduction targets for the next four years.
Aspects of the working groups’ recommendations are a good start, as is the focus on the intersections of the groups. Sierra Club Maine enjoyed participating formally in the 30x30 subcommittee of the Natural & Working Lands Group and the Buildings, Infrastructure, and Housing Working Group. You can read our full press release here. Still, the groups must do more equity work before the Climate Council votes on the next four-year Climate Action Plan, per the Equity Report.
“ Instead of prioritizing the industries that dominate these processes, policymakers need to make an effort to create an accessible process,” said Nyalat Biliew, Grassroots Organizer. “ This process must include useful resources such as the commission on race and tribal relations to ensure the participation of underserved communities.”
Sierra Club Maine is particularly concerned that:
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Contrary to the Climate Law, the Transportation Working Group’s recommendations essentially give up on reducing emissions from that sector and try to have other sectors make up the difference.
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The process to ensure equitable access and participation from all Mainers was changed, restructured, and kept under wraps for some time.
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Using "climate-friendly" practices while still expanding roads is contradictory. Maine should stop highway expansion, including the Gorham Highway, and try other transit methods and land use planning before adding more roads.
“ Overall, these recommendations ‘consider’ and ‘explore’ too much,” said Matt Cannon, State Conservation & Energy Director. “Maine needs more than studies and incremental progress. To improve our health, reduce consumer costs, and cut emissions, we must set, meet, and surpass bold climate goals. Maine must create the economic reality needed to ensure all recommendations are adopted and more. Thankfully, the federal government has supplied additional funds to do just that. This is a monumental shift to a clean energy economy, one with all life at stake, one we can surely accomplish together.”
As the Climate Council reviews these recommendations, you have an opportunity to make your voice heard! Please fill out this survey regarding the working group strategies.
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Our Older Forests Need Your Help!
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Did you know that old-growth forests on our federal lands, such as the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in Western Maine, are still not protected from logging? Our National Forests—managed by the Department of Agriculture—are too often treated like crops to be harvested rather than the valuable climate resources that they are. This is wrong on so many levels, especially considering all of the benefits that old-growth forests provide:
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Absorbing and storing carbon better than any other ecosystem
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Providing irreplaceable habitat, safeguarding biodiversity
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Reducing flood and erosion risk
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Boosting wildfire resistance
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Supplying clean drinking water to millions of people
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Creating outdoor recreation opportunities
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Improving mental and spiritual health
The Maine portion of the WMNF is over 47,000 acres and has over 25 miles of hiking trails! We must protect this vital and cherished land. The good news is that the U.S. Forest Service is taking comments on a proposal that could protect old-growth forests, including precious land in Maine, from logging. Help us demand stronger protections for forests by submitting a comment today!
For far too long, profit-driven corporations have seen our oldest forests only for the value of their timber. But the value of old-growth and mature forests is much more significant. Mature forests—or "future old-growth"—represent the majority of the national forest system and, overall, hold the majority of the forests' stored carbon. Conserving these trees and allowing them to develop into old-growth will protect our clean water and clean air, safeguard wildlife habitats, and offer a much-needed buffer against the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
The biodiversity and climate crises are closely intertwined, and we know the magnitude of the solution must match the magnitude of the challenge. To fully address these twin crises we need lasting protective measures for forests that safeguard both mature and old-growth trees. Submit your comment now asking the U.S. Forest Service to strengthen their proposal to protect old-growth and mature forests! Keep and eye out for our September newsletter where we will share information about an event to help folks write comments.
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PCAT helped develop the 1.2 MW solar landfarm on the old city landfill.
Invitation to Join Portland's Climate Action Team
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If you are a Portland resident and suffer from climate anxiety, even a little bit, you may want to take steps to support climate action at a local level. Portland’s climate action plan, One Climate Future, was jointly developed with the City of South Portland in 2020. It includes 68 different strategies to address climate change in our local community. Sierra Club Maine's local climate action team, Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT), is working to implement the many strategies in the plan as early as practical.
One main project we're currently working on is establishing a Climate Action Fund using some of the revenue generated from the city-developed solar farms around the state. The money in the trust fund will be used to catalyze some of the 68 different strategies in One Climate Future. The other major initiative is electrifying our port.
Carbon emissions from marine transport is a big problem in Portland and PCAT is working with industry and the city to install shore power at the cruise ship berths. PCAT is also working with the city Sustainability Office on many other projects related to reducing the carbon footprint of the city and reduce the energy burden among the disadvantaged communities in Portland.
Email us at portlandclimateaction@gmail.com to let us know how you would like to address climate anxiety in the city where you live and work. Stay updated on our efforts by following us on Facebook, checking out our monthly newsletter, or viewing our
team page.
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Photo by Bruno Kelzer
Green Tip of the Month:
Think Twice Before Clicking Buy Now
By Michael Trombley, Sierra Club Maine Volunteer
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This summer, it feels like there’s always a major sale at one online retailer or another, and the holiday shopping season hasn’t even started! Here are some tips to help you resist the temptation to order just one more thing:
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Turn off “One-click” buying in your store account settings on sites like Amazon. This way, you can put items in your cart and wait a day or two to decide if you really need it.
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If you’re about to buy something, consider its total lifespan. Where is the item going to go when you don’t need it anymore? Can you resell it or give it away? Or is it destined for a landfill?
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Check thrift stores, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace for pre-loved items before you buy new.
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If you need to replace an item because it's broken, ask around if anyone knows how to fix it, or check YouTube for repair tutorials.
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Here are some of the meetings and events we have coming up. We hope to see you soon!
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August 1 at 7pm: Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior From a Social Psychological Perspective
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Join Massachusetts Chapter’s Plant-based Planet Team for a virtual presentation with Joel Ginn, a postdoc researcher at Boston College. Joel will give a virtual presentation on changing human behavior to mitigate climate change. He will discuss how to encourage people towards more environmentally-friendly choices, with a focus on sustainable diets. Joel received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has primarily focused on environmental action and meat reduction/veganism, examining how social identity and beliefs about the efficacy of individual and systemic actions affect support for and reactions to social movements. You are cordially invited to attend!
Register here.
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Legislative Team Meetings: Mondays at 4:30pm
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Help us organize events to educate and engage Mainers across the state.
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Events Team Meetings: Every other Thursday at 12pm
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Help us organize events to educate and engage Mainers across the state.
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September 7, 2:30pm: Protecting Maine Jobs and Ecosystems
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Join featured speaker Senator Troy Jackson, President of the Maine Senate, as he discusses the critical and timely topic of protecting jobs and ecosystems in Maine after the 2024 election. Tina Riley, an IBEW electrician and former State Rep. from Jay, as well as our own Jonathan Fulford, co-chair of Sierra Club’s Legislative Team, will also be on the panel. This event will be live at the University of Maine in Orono, and also on Zoom. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions about Maine's future in these challenging times. Registration link to come. Sponsored by Sierra Club Maine, the Maine Labor Climate Council and the Bureau of Labor Education at UMaine.
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September 19, 6:30-8pm: Annual Celebration!
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Join us at Maine Beer Company in Freeport as we celebrate our impact in 2024 and discuss our collective goals for the future. The evening will include a live auction, a presentation of annual awards, and a special address from Sierra Club Maine’s Chapter Director, Pete Nichols.
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Political Team Meetings
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Join us bi-weekly on Tuesdays to discuss the upcoming November election and endorsements! Email ania.wright@sierraclub.org for more information.
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Volunteer With Sierra Club Maine
Interested in helping to protect Maine’s environment? We invite you to join us at our next volunteer orientation— view our events calendar here! No matter your background, we have a role for you—no experience necessary.
We are always looks for photos from across the state to feature in our marketing materials. Professionals and amateurs alike are encouraged to submit images of Maine landscapes, nature, and wildlife. Please submit your photo here.
Questions? Email us at maine.chapter@sierraclub.org.
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