Dear John,

Last week, we passed a significant climate action milestone here in Maine. 

After eight months of listening, learning, and analyzing, the six working groups of the Maine Climate Council — joined by an expert Scientific and Technical Subcommittee — presented a set of strategies for the Council to consider as it develops Maine’s Climate Action Plan. (Incredibly, more than 400 Maine people tuned in for seven hours of Zoom meetings over two days!) 

In the panel discussions that followed, co-chairs wrote headlines for their draft strategies, and one of my favorites made the clear connection between the ongoing climate crisis and the pandemic: 

"This is what a vaccine for climate change looks like."

This connection was a theme throughout the meetings, beginning with a keynote address from the Director of the Maine Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Nirav Shah:

  Dr. Shah noted that addressing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing carbon emissions both require deep, widespread behavior change and he challenged Maine to learn important lessons from the current pandemic, which has exposed unacceptable racial disparities and societal fault lines to ensure that leaders take equitable climate action to lift up our most vulnerable communities. The Climate Council will take a step in that direction this summer, when it partners with the University of Maine’s Mitchell Center for an equity audit of all proposed strategies.

While the Climate Council has been engaging stakeholders and interested members of the public for months, this summer the Council will broaden its public outreach efforts by reaching out to many more Mainers about the climate crisis. We will be keeping a close eye on opportunities to help you engage and provide input in the coming months. 

In the meantime, check out the new Maine Climate Council website to learn more —  and thanks for being partners in our fight for climate action.

Be well,

Kathleen

P.S. Did you know? Our weekly webinars can help you review the basics of climate science and go deeper into the recommendations from each working group. We’ve featured everything from carbon pricing to coastal carbon sequestration and climate-friendly farming, with more to come. Check out the Lunch & Learn Series to view the archives and register for upcoming events!