Follow the Money...and Maine Third Actors--To Belfast and Waterville and Beyond...
Plus More Actions You Can Take to Stop Investment in Fossil-Fuels
Maine Third Actors came out in force in Waterville, Belfast, and Portland on 3.21.23. We reported on the Portland event in our last edition. Today we’d like to share some bits from the other Maine Actions. One of the Waterville protestors (pictured above) reported:
We talked about President Biden’s approval of the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska, which would not come online for 10 years. To get their investment back, ConocoPhillips would have to pump oil for at least 20 years. If we are still burning massive amounts of oil by that time, our climate will be out of control. So it is time to stop financing and building new fossil-fuel infrastructure. We will need more energy, but we can build new solar farms and windmills and battery banks much more quickly than we can drill for oil. We need to manage our resources more creatively and with more wisdom, if we want to keep our planet livable. As voters and as bank users, we can start insisting on this.
Farther to the east in Belfast dozens of additional Maine Third Actors were demonstrating at the Bank of America branch. One of the organizers gave this report:
Over 50 seniors and their younger allies gathered in Belfast early on the morning of March 21 to kick off Third Act’s National Day of Action at the Bank of America call center. Coming from as far away as Bar Harbor, Unity, and Rockland the crowd gathered alongside Route 3 with big bold signs to inform commuters and BOA to “Stop Funding Fossil Fuels.” Folks signed petitions to the Bank, gathered for a group photo, and proceeded on a very lively march to the front door of the bank. We were met by the Bank of America’s representative who accepted our petitions and copies of letters we had written to Bank of America. The finale consisted of a spirited group song and dance to the tune of “Wake Up, Little Suzy” (with new words: “Wake Up, Little Snoozy”).
It was a joyous hour very well spent on behalf of our planet and all life that abounds here. Participants agreed: “We will be back!”
We are making an impact. Two news channels (WABI and News Center Maine) covered the Belfast event, as did The Republican Journal and Pen Bay Pilot. You can find photos of the Belfast and Waterville events here.
Other Media Coverage
We’ve only just begun to make noise! Last Sunday one of our Third Act leaders had his opinion piece “Banks Must Be Forced to Keep Their Word On Climate Change” published by The Portland Press Herald. On Wednesday, two other Third Act leaders got their opinion piece, “How Older Mainers Can Take Action On Climate Change” in The Portland Press Herald.
If you missed the podcast “Geezers Get It Done for Democracy and the Planet” with two of our other founders in the Maine Beacon you can find it here.
Doug Rawlings, who spoke at our Portland Event on behalf of Veterans for Peace, had his words published in this edition of Peace and Planet News.
Ways to Change the Money Pipeline—Possible Actions for the Week
Take your money out of the fossil-fuel banking pipeline—read about options here.
Raise your Maine voice and express your concerns to LLBean—ask them to reconsider having Citibank sponsor its credit card. (Citi is one of the top four banks investing in new fossil fuel extraction—read the report Banking on Climate Chaos.)
If you have a retirement account, review this resource on sustainable retirement from Third Act. We Third Actors can make a HUGE difference by moving our assets.
Read Ben Jealous, president of The Sierra Club, on the connection between banking and the planet—“Make Banks Make Good.”
Our money has power. Let’s use it for the good of our planet.