Artwork by Ed Nolde, Artist & Sierra Club Maine Volunteer
November 2024
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Sierra Club Members:
VOTE for Open Executive Committee Positions
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Sierra Club Maine’s Executive Committee, composed of up to 11 volunteers, sets the long-term goals and strategies for the Chapter’s critical climate justice work here in Maine. There are currently six open positions for two-year terms starting in 2025. Voting for Executive Committee positions is open until December 12th and can be done at myaccount.sierraclub.org. You must be a Sierra Club member in order to vote.
Prefer to receive a paper ballot, or have questions about online voting? Please contact Sierra Club Maine at 207-761-5616, or maine.chapter@sierraclub.org.
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Matt Cannon, State Conservation & Energy Dir.; Dave Rogers, Deputy Dir., Beyond Coal Campaign; Andrew Blunt, Coastal Advocate
Out on the Water: Maine Chapter Staff
Ship out to See Offshore Wind in Action
By Andrew Blunt, Sierra Club Maine’s Coastal Advocate
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On September 30th, Matt Cannon, our State Conservation and Energy Director, and I boarded a ship in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. We were among nearly 100 environmental advocates, policymakers, government staff, and Ørsted employees making our way the sixteen miles offshore to see South Fork Wind.
South Fork Wind is America’s first commercial offshore wind farm. Just off the coast of Newport, RI, the project's 12 turbines generate 132 MW of power for New York State. That's over 72,000 homes per year powered by clean, renewable energy.
We could not have asked for a more beautiful day: the sun was shining, the seas were calm, and the company was great as we motored out to the array aboard the Martha’s Vineyard Rapid Ferry. From shore, South Fork was barely visible, measuring maybe half an inch on the horizon. As South Fork grew larger on the horizon, we started to see signs of a new development nearby–Ørsted’s Revolution project, a 704 MW array that will send power to Rhode Island and Connecticut. Pylons without their windmills could be seen poking above the surface of the water.
Before we knew it, we were among South Fork’s turbines, and it suddenly became clear just how offshore wind generates the amount of electricity that it does. These turbines are huge–their towers are 460 feet tall, and when their blades stand straight up, they reach 780 feet above sea level. What was most awe striking, however, was the peacefulness of the operation–it was quiet, the blades silently spinning, each one mile from the next. Overall, the large turbines appeared to be in harmony with our coastal environment. Continue reading here.
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From left: Andrew Blunt, Corrine Adamowicz, Marena Bach, Ania Wright, Jane Brekke, Nyalat Biliew, Matt Cannon
Chapter Bids Farewell to Grassroots Organizer
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It's with the deepest appreciation that we announce that Nyalat Biliew has decided to pursue a new opportunity with our partner, the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, where she will serve as their Grassroots Advocacy and Community Engagement Partner.
Nyalat joined the Sierra Club Maine Chapter in 2022 as our Grassroots Organizer, supporting Community and Climate Action Teams across the state. She also strengthened the Chapter's relationships with Black and Brown communities through community interviews, helping identify meaningful partnership opportunities. Nyalat played a key role in launching the Chapter's Rural Organizing Fellowship with JustME for JustUS and led a comprehensive needs assessment with the Maine Environmental Education Association. This assessment provided valuable insights into how we can better support Black and Brown communities in their climate justice work.
Additionally, Nyalat's impactful grassroots efforts led to her appointment to the Maine Climate Council’s 30 by 30 Subgroup Committee. This opportunity emerged from her work organizing and producing Sierra Club Maine’s first podcast, Redefining Conservation, which explores the 30 by 30 campaign’s mission to protect 30% of Maine's natural resources by 2030, as well as its intersections with broader social justice issues.
If you worked with Nyalat, you experienced her incredible passion for environmental justice and her humor. We thank Nyalat for all her dedication and look forward to working with her in her new role.
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Photo by Melissa Ferretti
Sierra Club Maine Webinar Series
Rivers, Dams and Climate Change:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
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New England Canadian Provinces Alliance (NECAPA), Sierra Club Maine’s Grassroots Network Team, is hosting their final webinar in a three-part series, Rivers, Dams and Climate Change: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, we invite you to take part on November 21st:
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Illustration by Annandistock/iStock
Green Tip of the Month: How to Green Your Pregnant or Postpartum Loved One
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If you know someone who’s pregnant or just gave birth, you might be wondering what would make the best gift for your loved one. If they’re pregnant, they could need soothing pain-relief products, body pillows, and pregnancy clothes. If they just gave birth, nursing bras, heat and cold packs, or other lactation care might be in order. No matter what stage they’re in, ask them what they want first. You can honor your loved one and the planet by choosing less-toxic, plastic-free products that were made with human health, and sustainability, in mind.
Clothes: The textile industry is awash in chemicals, so when it comes to giving clothes as a gift, choose wisely. The good news is you can size up with locally grown, plant-dyed, plastic-free brands of clothes. Sustain by Kat is one of my favorites.
Nursing bras: The Very Good Nursing Bra is the only one I could find made with no toxic bleach or dyes. It’s also plastic-free, including the elastic, so it has no Spandex, Lycra, or elastane, and comes with plastic-free thread. If the straps need repair, you can buy their replacement bra straps. They claim that all materials (except metal) are home-compostable.
Continue reading here.
Do you have a green tip that you would like to have included in a future newsletter? Please share it with us here!
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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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November 3, 10am-12pm: Pisgah Hill Preserve Hike
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Enjoy a fall hike at Pisgah Hill Preserve with Outings Leader Erick Hagmann. Easy hike at slow pace, 1.3 miles total and 249 feet elevation gain. The preserve includes old quarries, distinct and varied ledges, mixed forests, and beautiful ground cover of lichen and mosses. Hunting season, so wear orange. Participants may want to eat lunch at nearby Pineland Farms afterwards.
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November 8-11, 10am-6pm: Toad&Co Warehouse Sale
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Stop by Toad&Co’s Portland Store (31 Diamond Street) for their warehouse sale. A portion of the proceeds will go to Sierra Club Maine, and we will be tabling there all four days–we’d love to see you!
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Events Team Meetings:
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Help us organize events to educate and engage Mainers across the state.
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November 15, 6-8pm: Outings Team Potluck
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Wrap up the 2024 hiking season with a potluck at the home of David von Seggern, Outings Leader, in Westbrook. It's a chance to talk about our Chapter's outings program, get ideas for future outings, and discuss any issues related to outings. Did you visit a really exciting and memorable place in 2024? Bring a few photos on a memory stick and share your story. We will be scheduling a person from a local land trust or outdoor group to fill us in on their organization's work and how it may relate to our activities.
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November 19 at 12pm: Clean Energy Team Meeting
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Join our team and ensure a clean and just energy future for Maine, specifically focused on renewable energy development!
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November 21 at 6:30pm: Webinar: How Dams Contribute to Climate Change
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Please join us for this important discussion with our guest speaker, Roger Wheeler, President of Friends of Segabo Lake (Maine), citizen scientist and Sierra Club Grassroots Network NECAPA Team. Roger will discuss how Canadian and Russian mega-dams create unchecked heat pollution and contribute to climate change.
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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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