Earth Day 2020
Earth Day 2020
Wednesday April 22nd - Friday April 24th
3 Days of Online Action!
Day 1 - Wednesday April 22nd
Earth Day Virtual Art Build - Stop the Money Pipeline , 10am-12pm
Thanks to all who participated in our VIRTUAL ART BUILD on Earth Day! Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, big banks have pumped $1.9 trillion into new fossil fuel projects. Let's help put an end to Wall Street's financing of climate destruction by sharing banners from our art build on your social media on Thursday April 23rd. Please use the hashtag #ArttoStoptheMoneyPipeline to spread the word that we will not finance another drop! Taking down the fossil fuel industry requires taking on the institutions that finance it.
Here is the link to access the Google Photo Album to download the 3 banners:
| DOWNLOAD BANNERS |
These are large files - you can save them as a pdf or jpg or compress them in preview on Facebook.
Stop the $ Pipeline
Peak Oil, Let It Be
Stop Fossil Fuel Finance
Youth Statewide Call
Open to youth only! Maine Youth Climate Strikes (ME Strikes), Maine Youth for Climate Justice (MYCJ), and Sunrise Maine held 3 days of exciting online actions to celebrate Earth Day! Youth began on the first day with a mass Zoom call across Maine. They joined other youth to hear what work they have done, hype up next year’s actions, and kick off the Earth Day actions! They also had an info session going over how COVID-19 and the climate crisis are related, through systems of oppression. After everyone was together, they broke out into groups, such as school environmental groups, Sunrise hubs, ME Strikes teams, and more. Everyone signed on to a petition detailing youth demands to the Maine Climate Council. You can also sign on to this petition here! 350 Maine supported this day through the work of adult allies in their Youth Engagement Working Group and their Youth Engagement Coordinator.
Day 2 - Thursday April 23rd
Fossil Fuel Divestment Webinar and Letter Writing Campaign
Open to youth and adults! ME Strikes, MYCJ, and David Gibson from Sierra Club Maine Chapter and Revision Energy led a webinar focused on fossil fuel divestment of MainePERS. Please check out ME Strikes' and MYCJ's Divestment Toolkit here for more information about divestment and instructions on how to get involved with the letter writing campaign. 350 Maine supported this day through the work of adult allies in their Youth Engagement Working Group and their Youth Engagement Coordinator.
Day 3 - Friday April 24th
Candidate Forum
Open to youth and adults! Sunrise Maine, ME Strikes, and MYCJ held an online Senate forum, where youth asked questions about the Maine Senatorial candidates' positions on the climate crisis, renewable energy, indigenous sovereignty, healthcare, COVID-19, and more. 350 Maine supported this day through the work of adult allies in their Youth Engagement Working Group and their Youth Engagement Coordinator.
Support a strong Climate Action Plan for Maine!
Join 350 Maine in urging bold and urgent action from the Governor's Climate Council. The Council has until December 1, 2020 to formulate a climate action plan for the state of Maine. By law they must meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets including 45% reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and at least 80% by 2050.
While we support the youth demand of 100% carbon neutrality by 2030 we are showing our support for the Administration's intent to move our state forward as fast as possible.
Please join us by signing this petition that will be delivered to the Maine Climate Council members and the seven Working Groups urging these decision makers to adopt a strong Climate Action Plan for Maine!
Dear Climate Council and Working Group members:
We urge you to adopt a bold, new Climate Action Plan that will strengthen Maine’s economy, reduce air pollution, and build healthy, equitable communities.
In order to reduce carbon pollution by at least 80% before 2050, we urge you to support concrete action steps that:
- Expand local renewable energy projects and create new, long-lasting clean energy jobs for Maine workers;
- Deliver safe, clean, and affordable transportation options for moving people and goods throughout the state;
- Increase the energy efficiency of homes and businesses;
- Give Maine people, communities, and resource-based industries like farming, forestry, and fishing the tools to become more resilient and promote solutions that will reduce carbon pollution; and
- Ensure equity by providing solutions that are fair and accessible to all.
A strong and effective Climate Action Plan that lays out a roadmap to a clean energy economy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a better future for Maine people.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Please join us at any of the meetings and events hosted by 350 Maine groups! Some of our allies' events are also listed (RSVP may be required). You can click on the event for more information, including location and a contact for more details.
Our Climate Actions
350 Maine is currently leading campaigns aimed at addressing key components of the climate justice movement. Check out our Youth Engagement page to learn more about our current initiatives, or scroll down to see our past ones.
350 Maine Past Actions
Sept 2019
Global Climate Strikes, supported by 350 Maine, occurred throughout Maine
As part of an International Day of Global Climate Strikes adults joined youth in stopping business as usual and we saw record numbers rallying in Portland (2,000) Bangor, Bar Harbor and Farmington where hundreds amassed, and Machias where 50 gathered (2% of the population!) 350 Maine worked alongside intergenerational allies to organize these strikes while in other towns many independently gathered.
April 2019
Youth Day of Action
About 400 Maine youth from 20 schools—elementary, middle, high school, and college—left school to demand that climate justice be a priority for all state lawmakers. The Youth Day of Action was organized by Maine Youth for Climate Justice, and supported by adult allies and organizations involved in the Maine Climate Action coalition, including 350 Maine.
March 2019
Youth Climate Strikes, supported by 350 Maine, occurred throughout Maine
Hundreds to thousands of Maine youth walked out of their schools or workplaces across Maine on Friday March 15th. This was organized as part of an international day of strikes for climate action. These young people ranged from elementary school to college students. 350 Maine's youth engagement team, along with many other intergenerational organizations, utilized their organizing resources to support these student organizers. Read more here.
January 2019
Window Dressers Community Workshop in South Portland
December 2018
Window Dressers Community Workshop in Machias
October 2018
Candlelight Rally for #TrialoftheCentury
In support of #youthvgov plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States.
September 2018
RISE for CLIMATE, JOBS and JUSTICE
350 Maine, Sierra Club Maine, Maine Conservation Voters, and the Maine Poor People's Campaign, led a march to a City Hall rally as part of a worldwide mobilization which took place days before the Global Climate Summit in San Francisco.
May 2018
Maine Climate Protectors petition to the Department of Environmental Protection
Maine Youth and Voters get their hearing with the DEP.
September 2017
Launch of 100% Clean Renewable Energy Campaign
April 2017
People’s Climate Marches, Augusta and Washington D.C.
350 Maine organized art builds, bus-fills and supported members attending both marches.
April 2016
Break Free (from fossil fuel) Albany, NY
350 New England joined 350 NY and NJ to stage a rally, march, and sit-in on railroad tracks to stop crude oil “bomb” trains rolling through Albany, NY endangering nearby communities and adding to the climate crisis.
2015-present
Penobscot Nation – Justice for the River
In an on-going relationship with the Penobscot Nation, 350 Maine stands in solidarity in the fight to protect the nation’s river and subsistence fishing rights in the legal battle with the State of Maine. When asked to stand with them and Standing Rock in 2016, 350 Maine participated in several coalition sponsored events.
November and December 2015
Road through Paris:
Art Build and Rally, Portland: Painting signs with school children that were marched to a rally in Monument Square marking the opening of COP21
Jobs, Justice, Climate - March, Boston: In coalition with 350 NE, union, faith and other climate organizations, 350 Maine joined the rally and march on the Boston Common
October-November 2014
350 Greater Portland formed
350 Maine joined the Sierra Club to organize the first Climate Action Team Conference in Brunswick.
September 2014
People's Climate March, NYC
350 Maine organized biking and buses to bring Mainers to the march.
June 2014
5th Annual Healing Walk in Alberta, Canada
350 Maine leaders wanted to connect the front line communities of Mobile, Alabama and Houston, Texas, affected by the tar sands infrastructure development, to the indigenous communities in Alberta affected by the pits and its infrastructure/pollution.
A broad coalition raised funds so the Americans could join the Healing Walk to be in solidarity with Indigenous peoples of Alberta. They witnessed the tar sands pits’ devastating impacts undermining their right to clean air, clean water.
January 2014
Tar Sands Speaking Tour – 10 talks in ME, NH, VT, MA, Canada
The reversal of Portland Pipe Line Corporation’s pipeline to bring tar sands to South Portland was a threat to the city, but tar sands was a reality in Alberta. Working with a broad coalition of environmental organizations the Tar Sands Team chose to highlight this big picture to the region. They arranged presentations by First Nation Representatives (Athabasca Chipewyan and Beaver Lake Cree) of Canada and internationally awarded photographer.
August-November 2013
Protect South Portland
Together with Protect South Portland and other environmental groups, 350 Maine backed a referendum against tar sands coming through Portland Pipe Line. Door-to-door and telephone canvassing; Hands-Across the Bridge and other large demonstrations took place.
July 2013
Sebago Flotilla
Staged along with a flotilla of rafts and kayaks on Sebago Lake, street theater (on Route 302 in Raymond) of an ‘oil spill clean-up’ dramatized the threat posed by piped tar sands to Maine’s water supply.
June 2013
Train Blockade - Fairfield, Maine
Activists blockaded train tracks in protest of Bakaan crude oil passing through to the New Brunswick oil refinery. 9 days later a similar oil train exploded in Lac Megantic, Quebec killing 47 people and destroying the downtown.
January 2013
Climate Rally
Working in coalition with others, 350 Maine organized Portland’s largest Climate Rally ever; sounding the alarm against tar sands coming from Montreal to South Portland through the Portland Pipe Line.
November 2012
Bill McKibben Do the Math Tour
Standing room only at 350 Maine event at the State Theater in Portland.
Donate
Your contribution will help us build a strong movement to take action for climate justice in Maine. 350 Maine is only as strong as its grassroots network of volunteers and donors, so we sincerely thank you for your support!
Please consider helping to sustain our efforts with a MONTHLY DONATION. Click here to make a monthly contribution.
To give a tax-deductible donation by check: Please make the check out to our kind fiscal sponsor, Resources for Organizing and Social Change. Don't forget to write "350 Maine" in the note field! If a tax-deductible donation is not necessary, the check can be made out to 350 Maine. Mail to: 350 Maine, P.O. Box 4736, Portland, Maine 04112
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