August, 12 2013, 12:53pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Judy Berk | 207.462.2192 | judy@nrcm.org
Dylan Voorhees | 207.462.3221 | dylan@nrcm.org
Beth Ahearn | 207.671.5071 | beth@maineconservation.org
Glen Brand | 207.749.3896 | glen.brand@sierraclub.org
'I Will Act on Climate' Bus Tour Arrives in Maine
Maine Business, Health, Elected, Academic, Conservation Leaders Express their support; urge support for federal climate change standards
Bangor/Portland
A coalition of local business, health, elected, academic, and conservation leaders, are joining the "I Will Act On Climate" bus as it arrived in Bangor and Portland, Maine Monday, August 12, as part of 27-state tour. The "I Will" bus is touring places, like Bangor and Portland, which have been directly affected by climate change, to highlight the need for our federal and state representatives to support bold action to protect our communities from the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
"I WILL ACT on climate change because global warming is a non-partisan issue and we need to work together, said Caroline Pryor, Board chair of Maine Conservation Voters. "The solution is complex but it starts by working together, across party lines."
"Climate change is a threat to our economy and way of life in Maine and we have already started to see the effect it's having on our fisheries, for example," said Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. "But the way we respond to that threat is an opportunity to create new jobs through the development of clean energy sources and new technologies, and clearly the President has recognized that opportunity with his comprehensive climate plan."
"Climate change is real and cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, gridlock in Washington has stalled progress on a whole host of issues, including this one," said Maine Congressman Mike Michaud. "I strongly support the President taking the lead and announcing important steps his administration will take to address climate change and promote clean energy. But it's long past time that Congress becomes a productive part of a national strategy. I'm hopeful this tour and the resulting calls to policymakers will help send a strong message that we want action, not more of the same."
"We all need to be better stewards of the environment, including by addressing climate change as quickly as possible," said Jim Merryman, lobsterman and owner, Potts Harbor Lobster Company in Harpswell. "The ocean and its lobsters provide our livelihood. Lobsters are part of Maine, and I hope our leaders do their part to help keep it that way."
"Maine is defined by our forests," said Alec Giffen, a senior scientist at the Clean Air Task Force and former director of the Maine Forest Service. "Forests are already impacted by climate change, this is not a hypothetical. Bigger changes are in the offing and we need to aggressively start addressing climate change NOW. Rather than being a part of the problem, forests can be a major part of the solution in reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
The "I Will Act on Climate" bus tour has hit the road on the heels of President Obama's June 25th announcement at which he unveiled a national climate action plan, which includes the nation's first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants along with measures to strengthen our nation's infrastructure against the effects of climate change and new investments in clean energy and energy efficiency. Maine conservation groups and others invited the bus to events in Bangor and Portland. Bus tour participants encouraged citizens to call on Senators Collins and King to act on climate by supporting the President's climate action plan and particularly industrial carbon pollution limits.
"In a few days, I will become a grandfather and I want to be able to tell my grandchild that we have done everything we can to slow climate change," said Portland Mayor Michael Brennan. "Climate change is a global problem that requires action at all levels city, state, country, and planet to cut carbon pollution. Just as we have placed limits on other pollutants to protect the health and safety of our community, we need to apply those same controls on carbon and President Obama's limits on carbon pollution for new and existing power plants is the right place to start. I want to know that the beautiful environment my grandchild will enjoy in Portland will be there for his grandchild, too."
"The predictions regarding the adverse health impacts of climate change have begun to occur in Maine and across the globe, including the spread of infectious diseases, more heat related illnesses, more outbreaks of water-borne diseases from contaminated drinking water, more respiratory illnesses due to elevated ozone levels, and impaired nutrition due to declining crop yields from drought and heat," said Dr. Paul Perkins, a physician practicing in Bath and chair of Physicians for Social Responsibility's Climate Change Committee.
"I see climate change as an issue of vast importance to our children's and grandchildren's health," said retired physician Dr. Bill Horner. "Seeing climate change as a health issue is important to bringing people together around the problem and solutions."
"Maine's two Senators have a record of speaking up on the problem of climate change, the need to reduce air pollution, and the opportunities for expanded clean energy," said Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. "Now the Administration is poised to move forward with some of the most important clean air standards ever to protect us from extreme climate change. We hope they will both be among the early supporters of real action."
"President Obama's historic climate protection plan to reduce carbon pollution moves our nation away from dangerous and expensive dependency on fossil fuels, and towards a cleaner, safer and more reliable energy future," said Glen Brand, Sierra Club Maine Chapter Director. "For Mainers, this means healthier air, greater energy independence, and new economic opportunities."
"Climate change is no longer a distant threat, New Englanders are already feeling the impacts with seasonal change and increased heavy precipitation," said Curt Spalding EPA Regional Administrator for New England. "We must work together to make our communities more resilient to impacts while reducing carbon emissions to ensure a healthy environment and economy for our future generations."
"We urgently need action on climate change," said Kate Rush, a partner at Evolo Energy Solutions in Newport. "As a solar installer, I'm happy to be part of the solution while contributing to the Maine economy. We also need federal action, like the President's plan to cut global warming pollution from power plants."
"Maine has the highest per capita oil consumption and the highest per capita CO2 emissions in New England, which is bad news for residents as well as the visitors who support our #1 industry, tourism," said Phil Coupe, co-founder of ReVision Energy. "The good news is that Maine has abundant renewable energy resources in the form of tidal, biomass, wind and solar power. ReVision Energy's mission is to help Maine make the necessary long-term transition from finite, polluting fossil energy to clean, renewable energy."
Maine and eight other northeast states have already adopted global warming pollution limits for their power plants through a regional market-based program known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or RGGI. This program puts a fixed limit on the total amount of pollution regional power plants can emit. Recently Maine passed legislation approving large, mutually agreed upon reduction in this limit. It is expected that RGGI could now play a significant role as the implementation mechanism for new federal global warming standards for power plants in the northeast.
The "I Will Act on Climate" bus is traveling through Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. The entire journey is being chronicled in podcasts and blogs throughout the trip and can be viewed at https://www.iwillact.us.
The "I Will" Act on Climate bus tour (#ActOnClimate) is supported by a diverse set of local, state-based, and national public health, progressive and environmental organizations. Organizations across the country are joining in this effort by bringing the 'I Will' bus to their local community, highlighting impacts of climate change and opportunities created by climate action, and calling for local action.
For more information about the "I Will Act on Climate" tour's stop in Maine or to schedule interviews with its participants, contact Judy Berk at 207.462.2192, judy@nrcm.org; or Dylan Voorhees at 207.462.3221, Dylan@nrcm.org.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine is the leading nonprofit membership organization working statewide for clean air and water; healthy people, wildlife and forests; and clean energy solutions. NRCM harnesses the power of science, the law, and the voices of more than 12,000 supporters to protect the nature of Maine. Visit NRCM online at www.nrcm.org.
LATEST NEWS
UN Chief Says Rich Countries 'Signing Away Our Future' With Fossil Fuel Development
"I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world's wealthiest countries," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said. "Countries must phaseout fossil fuels—fast and fairly."
Jul 26, 2024
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday criticized the world's wealthiest countries for expanding fossil fuel production, one day after an analysis in The Guardian showed that five Western countries are leading a global surge in oil and gas development.
Guterres' remarks came as part of a "call to action" on extreme heat at a press conference in New York, after record-setting world temperatures earlier in the week and a series of deadly heatwaves across the world this year.
Guterres, who has long been outspoken on the need for climate action, called extreme heat one of the "symptoms" of a "disease" that is the "addiction" to fossil fuels.
"I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world's wealthiest countries," he said nine minutes and 53 seconds into his remarks. "In signing such a surge of new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future. The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential. Countries must phaseout fossil fuels—fast and fairly."
The U.N. chief's comments may have been based on Wednesday's findings that five Western countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Norway—have significantly scaled up oil and gas licensing this year, despite their international climate commitments. The findings came from an analysis of industry data conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and published in The Guardian.
The analysis found that the five countries together have licensed or plan to license projects in 2024 that will emit 11.9 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over their lifetimes. The news renewed discussions about whether countries such as the U.S., though they claim to be climate leaders, should be considered "petrostates"—a contemptuous term formerly reserved for countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Guterres has long been outspoken on the issue of fossil fuels. At the COP28 U.N. climate change summit in Dubai last year, he spoke forcefully about the need for phasing them out and meeting the 1.5°C target set in the Paris agreement.
"The 1.5°C limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels," he said. "Not reduce. Not abate. Phase out—with a clear timeframe aligned with 1.5°C."
The loophole-ridden deal that emerged from Dubai didn't match Guterres' ambitions, but did call for "transitioning away from fossil fuels."
His call to action on Thursday included a four-part plan for dealing with extreme heat: caring for the most vulnerable, protecting workers, boosting resilience, and limiting further temperature rise by phasing out fossil fuels and scaling up renewables.
Leaders across the board must wake up and step up their #ClimateAction.
That means governments – especially #G20 countries – as well as the private sector, cities and regions.
They must #ActNow as though our future depends on it – because it does.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 26, 2024
Guterres warned that 70% of the global workforce—over 2.4 billion people—is at substantial risk of experiencing extreme heat, and the situation is especially dire for workers in Africa and the Middle East. He called for strong laws to protect workers, which some countries are enacting. The Biden administration recently moved to set the first national workplace heat safety protections in the U.S.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Labour Ditches Tory Plan to Oppose ICC Request for Netanyahu Arrest Warrant
Now the United Kingdom's government must "stop selling Israel weapons," said one observer.
Jul 26, 2024
The United Kingdom's newly elected Labour government abandoned plans by its Tory predecessor to challenge the International Criminal Court's May application for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Under Conservative leadership, the U.K. joined the U.S., Germany, and other Israel allies in condemning the ICC prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against the top Israeli officials for alleged war crimes in Gaza, including "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare" and "extermination."
The ICC prosecutor also applied for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders over atrocities committed in Israel on October 7.
As The Financial Timesreported, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer "had until Friday to decide whether to make legal arguments to support questions raised by the previous Conservative government over the ICC's jurisdiction to issue warrants against Netanyahu and his defense minister."
A spokesperson for the Labour government said it would "not be pursuing this in line with our long-standing position" that "it's a matter for the courts to decide."
"Well done to the millions of people across the country who have made it clear that they refuse to be complicit in war crimes."
Humanitarians applauded the government's decision. Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, called Tory opposition to the proposed arrest warrants "a disgraceful attempt to delay justice."
"I hope the new government will now throw its full support behind the court and uphold any warrants issued," Talbot added.
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, also welcomed the move and urged the government to "stop selling Israel weapons." Between October 7 and May 31, the U.K. government issued more than 100 arms export licenses to Israel, according to official figures reported by The Guardian.
Reutersreported earlier this week that in documents released Tuesday, "judges granted permission to 18 states including the U.S., Germany, and South Africa to file written submissions to the ICC about its proposed arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leaders.
"While there is no set deadline to rule on the prosecution request for arrest warrants," the news agency noted, "allowing dozens of legal arguments will slow the process by the three-judge panel deciding on the matter."
Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who won reelection to his Islington North seat as an Independent following his expulsion from the Labour Party, called the Starmer government's decision to ditch the Tories' opposition to the ICC arrest warrant requests "an important first step in respecting the universal application of international law."
"Well done to the millions of people across the country who have made it clear that they refuse to be complicit in war crimes," Corbyn added. "We will continue to demand an end to the massacre in Gaza, an end to all arms sales to Israel, and an end to the occupation of Palestine."
Keep ReadingShow Less
US Healthcare Workers Back From Gaza Tell Harris and Biden: 'End This Madness'
"Every day that we continue supplying weapons and munitions to Israel is another day that women are shredded by our bombs and children are murdered with our bullets."
Jul 26, 2024
As President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, dozens of American healthcare workers who recently volunteered in the Gaza Strip urged the U.S. leaders to do everything in their power to end Israel's assault on the enclave, citing the horrors they witnessed firsthand.
In an open letter addressed to Biden, Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden, 45 physicians, surgeons, and nurses wrote that "we wish you could see the nightmares that plague so many of us since we have returned: dreams of children maimed and mutilated by our weapons, and their inconsolable mothers begging us to save them."
"We wish you could hear the cries and screams our consciences will not let us forget," the letter reads. "We cannot believe that anyone would continue arming the country that is deliberately killing these children after seeing what we have seen."
The healthcare workers called on the Biden administration to "withhold military, economic, and diplomatic support from the state of Israel and to participate in an international arms embargo of both Israel and all Palestinian armed groups until a permanent cease-fire is established, and until good-faith negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict."
"We are not politicians. We do not claim to have all the answers," they continued. "We are simply physicians and nurses who cannot remain silent about what we saw in Gaza. Every day that we continue supplying weapons and munitions to Israel is another day that women are shredded by our bombs and children are murdered with our bullets. President Biden and Vice President Harris, we urge you: End this madness now!"
This is an open letter addressed to @POTUS, @VP , and @FLOTUS signed by 45 American physicians and nurses, about what we saw while working in Gaza. Please feel free to distribute. A PDF can be downloaded from the link and/or QR code on page 1. pic.twitter.com/LHVvmeAFad
— Feroze Sidhwa (@FerozeSidhwa) July 25, 2024
The letter was released as Netanyahu, fresh off his widely condemned address to the U.S. Congress, met separately on Thursday with Biden and Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
In remarks following her meeting with Netanyahu, Harris said that "what has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating," pointing to "the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third, or fourth time."
"We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies," the vice president added. "We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent."
Harris said she told Netanyahu directly to "get this deal done"—referring to a cease-fire agreement with Hamas—but, as expected, she did not break with the administration on supplying arms to the Israeli military.
While there has been no obvious policy change from the administration now that Harris has taken over for Biden at the top of the Democratic Party's presidential ticket, Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft argued that the vice president "clearly broke with Biden on Israel in terms of rhetoric and tone."
Parsi also contended that there was "a substance shift."
"Biden has disingenuously claimed that Hamas blocked a cease-fire deal," Parsi wrote on social media. "By saying that she urged Netanyahu 'to clinch the deal,' Kamala pointed to the real obstacle."
BREAKING: VP Harris speaks after meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu
Harris calling for an immediate cease-fire deal to free the hostages.
The VP saying she “will not be silent" about the suffering in Gaza, the "devastating" loss of life and the "dire" humanitarian crisis. pic.twitter.com/Fe5QPoOuFh
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 25, 2024
In their letter to Harris and Biden, the healthcare workers wrote that Israel "has directly targeted and deliberately devastated Gaza's entire healthcare system" and "targeted our colleagues in Gaza for death, disappearance, and torture." According to figures from the United Nations Human Rights Office, Israeli forces have killed one in every 40 healthcare workers in the Palestinian territory since October as diseases spread and the number of Gazans killed or wounded continues to grow by the hour.
The healthcare workers expressed the view that—based on available evidence and their experiences—"the death toll from this conflictis many times higher than what is reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health," which currently stands at over 39,100.
"We also believe this is probative evidence of widespread violations of American laws governing the use of American weapons abroad, and of international humanitarian law," they continued. "We cannot forget the scenes of unbearable cruelty directed at women and children that we witnessed ourselves."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular