Earth Day 2024
Appreciating the Earth--and taking action
Earth Day
Earth Day is officially on April 22, 2024, with events spread out through the entire week. What a wonderful occasion for everyone to reconnect with the Earth and appreciate the splendor of nature. Let’s also reflect on how interdependent we are—and recommit ourselves to action. Bill McKibben and Al Gore say we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030—but last week, Simon Stiell, climate chief at the United Nations, upped the urgency, declaring that the next two years are “essential in saving our planet.” Whether we have 5 years or 2. . . The need to change course is urgent!
Here are a few Earth Day activities of note:
April 21: First Parish in Portland's Earth Day service at 10 am will be led by the church's climate action team, with TAM and other climate groups tabling during coffee hour. 425 Congress Street, Portland. April 22: Midcoast Maine Hub celebrates Earth Day in Belfast with a 4 pm standout in front of the Bank of America sign on Rt. 3. (11 Schoodic Dr., Belfast) We'll run a shuttle from Reny's up to the standout. Joining? Email ridgely.fuller@gmail.com so we know how many big signs to bring. And bring some of your own! April 28: St. Luke's Cathedral in Portland has invited Third Act Maine's Tom and Kathy Mikulka to make a short presentation at 11:45 am. 143 State Street, Portland
Midcoast Hub
Midcoast’s next meeting is Wednesday, May 1, at 11:15 am at the Ecovillage meeting house, 25 Village Road, Belfast. Join us! We'll be planning postcard writing parties to CEOs of Costco and L.L. Bean to protest their use of the Citibank credit card. We’ll also plan for GOTV work on voter registration, as well as postcards to key swing districts and our own 2nd district.
Greater Portland Hub
Standouts at L.L. Bean Continue
We continue to protest in front of L.L. Bean’s flagship store with a plea for this great Maine-based company to sever its connection with Citibank, or at the very least, publicly acknowledge they’ve had a serious conversation with Citi about stopping funding of new fossil fuel projects. FMI: rixonw9@gmail.com
April 20: Standout in front of L.L. Bean, 95 Main St., Freeport from 11 am - 1 pm May 27: Standout in front of L.L. Bean in Freeport from 10 - 11 am during Memorial Day parade. June 1: Standout in front of L.L. Bean in Freeport from 1 - 2 pm.
Engaging with College Students
Living into part of Third Act Maine’s mission statement to partner with young people, Tom Mikulka met with Environmental Club students at Southern Maine Community College on April 16. He shared his research on hazardous air pollutants being emitted from South Portland’s six petroleum tank farms. He let them know about Third Act Maine, and gave them postcards addressed to L.L. Bean’s CEO to protest its partnership with Citibank.
Spring Caucus on April 25: Last call to register
All Third Act Mainers (and their friends) are warmly invited to our Spring Caucus!
We will sing together, break bread, and deepen our network.
When: April 21, 11 am - 2 pm Where: Portland Friends Meeting House, 1837 Forest Ave., Portland RSVP here by April 21
Legislative Action
Third Act Maine in the Hall of Flags
Chuck Spanger, Tom Mikulka and Richard Thomas traveled to Augusta’s State House on April 10 to lobby for four key bills forwarded by the Environmental Priorities Coalition and inform legislators about the work of Third Act Maine.
Maine PERS
We are a persistent bunch! Our second standout at Maine Public Employees Retirement System on April 11 was on a decidedly drizzly, raw morning. We were able to connect with board members and workers, and we’re hopeful of a meeting with board members to plead that they divest from fossil fuel stocks (which the state legislature ordered them to do in 2021). See a fun AND trenchant opinion piece on divestment from Scott Budde here.
Join us for these standouts at the Maine PERS office, 139 Capitol Street, Augusta
FMI: Chuck Spanger, charlesspanger@gmail.com
May 9: 7 - 9 am (early! but that is when Maine PERS workers arrive)
June 13: Gather at approx. 11:30 (details forthcoming). Big rally planned!The Problem of Plastics
As a follow-up to the article about plastics in our April 3 newsletter, please take a minute to sign this petition from Friends of the Earth urging President Biden to take federal action on the plastics problem.
Member Profile: Tom Bateman
When TAM member Tom Bateman was a professor at the University of Virginia, he taught organizational behavior and strategic leadership to business majors. Then about 10 years ago he opened his class to other students. Their stunned reaction to a short PBS Frontline program, which addressed climate change denial and misinformation, amazed him with how little the students knew. Before that, he says, he had a distant interest in climate change. His ensuing research and the response of students changed him and the way he taught.
Tom lives in Rockport now. In March he teamed up with world-renowned climate scientist Michael Mann to co-author “Today’s Worsening Climate Crisis Needs the Leaders of Tomorrow” in Washington, D.C.’s The Hill.
The authors state that we have the technologies we need to tackle climate change. They make an urgent call for more leaders from every level of society to make it happen, including nonexperts who can engage other people in the climate cause. “Change depends on people facing the challenge and stepping up in every corner of the workplace, community and society,” Tom told us. “Climate change itself and its repercussions are so multifaceted – we need multifaceted actions to attack it. We need to change the trajectory.”
Climate leaders from all groups and communities. Sounds like Third Act Maine is on the right track. Tom agrees.