Dear John,

Today, the second meeting of the governor's Climate Council took place at the Augusta Civic Center. The ballroom was full of people -- Climate Council members, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, members of the Climate Council Working Groups, elected officials, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and an impressive number of young people. Everyone in the room shared the common identity of a 'concerned resident' and showed up ready to learn more and do the hard work to meet the governor's carbon emission goals. 

After a heartfelt welcome from Climate Council co-chairs, Hannah Pingree and Jerry Reid, and a few other introductions, the tone for the day was set when the council's youth representative, Ania Wright, stood in front of the crowd to discuss her experience at the COP25 conference in Madrid this past December. She shared anecdotes of her conversations with others at the conference and urged her fellow council members to strive for equitable solutions; expressing the responsibility we have to indigenous and marginalized populations.  

The morning was peppered with presentations from members of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee. Six subject matter experts took to the podium outlining findings and predictions for our state in various areas of focus. Local impacts from climate change on Maine's Climate, Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, Forestry, Forest Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Agriculture and Food Systems, Human Health, and Economy were covered in detail with special care to summarize the key takeaways for council members. If you were unable to attend to view the live streamed video of the meeting today, check out the presentation slides here. 

Youth representatives, Climate Council members and other stakeholders at today's Climate Council meeting

After a break, each of the Working Groups broke out into smaller sessions to dig into the work with which they've been tasked. These working groups meet on a monthly basis to move Maine toward the critical milestones laid out by the Climate Council. 

Each person in the meeting today had unique and valuable perspective to offer as the Climate Council considers all options and angles in putting together a Climate Action Plan by December 1, 2020. Chairperson Hannah Pingree made a point to underscore that the responsibility of the Maine Climate Council is not just to outline a possible future scenario, but to thoroughly document a plan of action to meet Maine's ambitious and necessary emissions goals.  

The next Climate Council meeting will take place in June, and we look forward to being there to learn what progress the council has made. 

Your fellow conservation voter,

Greta Warren

Membership & Digital Manager