Through the work of an intergenerational team, 350 Maine is engaging young people in their sustainable futures and supporting their initiatives to address climate change. 

School Strikes for Climate 

Inspired by the commitment and initiative of fifteen year-old Swedish student activist Greta Thunberg, who began a solitary school strike in front of the Swedish Parliament, five middle school students from the Friends School of Portland on Friday February 8th, left their school early to strike for climate justice.  The five Friends School Students—all members of YELL [Youth Environmental Leaders League] for Climate Justice—handed out flyers identifying themselves and collected signatures in support of the Green New Deal. Their petition was addressed to Senator Susan Collins, urging support for the GND Resolution just placed before the U.S. Congress by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. The students ended their strike by walking down to Sen.Collins’ Portland Office and personally delivering their petition.

KEEP THE HEAT INSIDE • BE MORE COMFORTABLE • SAVE MONEY & ENERGY

Image courtesy of ARRT! (Artists’ Rapid Response Team) arrteam.org.

350 Maine partnered with several organizations to support two Window Dressers workshops this winter. These workshops reduce oil use in Maine, in addition to help residents save money and be more comfortable. 

Machias Workshop

350 Downeast, in partnership with Machias Savings Bank and funded in part by the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, hosted a Window Dressers workshop in Machias this past December. In just a few days, volunteers built 183 insulating window inserts. According to Machias Valley News, these “window inserts will go into 26 local homes for a collective savings of roughly 1,900 gallons of oil.” Additionally, over half of them will go to low‑income families with the help of grant money from New England Grassroots Environment Fund and Machias Savings Bank. These inserts will not only help reduce these homes’ carbon footprints, but will also lower their heating costs and keep the homes warmer. Workshops like these are a great way to promote climate justice in Maine and build community. To read more about this workshop, check out The Quoddy Tides’ article on it.

Machias Workshop, December 2018

South Portland Workshop

One goal of 350 Greater Portland and The Sierra Club is to build community engagement and support for climate action efforts in South Portland. They hosted, in partnership with the South Portland Energy & Recycling Committee and SMCC, a Window Dressers Community Workshop for South Portland residents January 5-10, 2019. 317 inserts were made at this workshop. 350 Maine provided volunteers for several shifts and lunch for 2 of the 5 days. 

South Portland Workshop, January 2019 

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.

350 Maine is currently leading multiple campaigns aimed at addressing key components of the climate justice movement. Scroll down to learn more about our current initiatives.

Engaging kids in their sustainable future

We're helping guide kids in their efforts to fight for a sustainable climate system.  High school ecology clubs in Scarborough, Kennebunk, and Cape Elizabeth have come together to create The Maine Youth Environmental Association (MYEA), and we're growing throughout the Greater Portland area.

In their first year MYEA has already fought for the solar bill, and played a significant role in the Maine Climate Protectors' petition to decrease Maine's greenhouse gases. They also participated in a student climate summit and rally and had their first MYEA convention this past spring. Help us help them energize each other, and help the kids in your town, at your schools join in!

>> To work on this campaign or any other, please join us or email info@350maine.org. <<

Count Me In 100% Clean Renewable Energy

350 Maine’s 100% Campaign for 2019 is our challenge to bring local communities towards energy efficiency, sustainability and 100% clean renewable energy by 2050.

Members are working across the State in their local communities to bring forward resolutions, proposals, and programs towards this end. If your community is interested in learning more or getting involved in this campaign, please join us or email info@350maine.org.

This has included 350 Maine members working with Scarborough Climate Action. They are contributing to moving policy towards a strong Climate Action Plan for the town and are joining relevant town committees to help with this work.

In the Greater Portland area, 350 is teaming up with The Sierra Club in a partnership to support the City of South Portland in its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, a vision for transformative carbon reductions of 80% by 2050.

One goal of 350 Greater Portland and The Sierra Club is to build community engagement and support for climate action efforts in South Portland. They hosted, in partnership with the South Portland Energy & Recycling Committee and SMCC, a Window Dressers Community Workshop for South Portland residents January 2019. 317 inserts were made at this workshop and 350 Maine provided lunch for 2 of the 5 days, along with volunteers for several shifts. 

350 Downeast, in partnership with Machias Saving Bank and funded in part by the the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, also hosted a Window Dressers Community Workshop. Volunteers built 183 low-cost insulating window inserts with Window Dressers. According to Machias Valley News, these window inserts went to "26 local homes for a collective savings of roughly 1,900 gallons of oil.” Additionally, over half of them will go to low‑income families with the help of grant money from New England Grassroots Environment Fund and Machias Savings Bank. These inserts will not only help reduce these homes’ carbon footprints, but will also lower their heating costs and keep homes warmer. 

>>  To work on this campaign or any other, please join us or email info@350maine.org. <<

350 Maine Past Campaigns

(A partial listing of our activities since 2012)

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.

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!

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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