Let's Turn Up the Heat
The Fossil Fuel Industry Will Not Go Quietly
Update: Summer of Heat
The Summer of Heat is heating up! A nation-wide coalition is organizing thirteen weeks of sustained disruption to the funding of new fossil fuel extraction. We simply cannot afford any more business-as-usual. In the words of Frederick Douglass: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” We are ready to demand that banks stop funding fossil fuels.
Who’s organizing these many weeks of direct action, and what will be happening in New York City on Elder Day, June 13? Who from Maine is already committed to going, and how will we get there? Where will we stay? What will be happening in NY and in Maine during Elder Week, July 8-13? If you want to learn more, and for sure if you’re planning to go, please join us on our very own Third Act Maine informational Zoom call or write to us at ThirdActMaine@gmail.com. Please register in advance for this call here!
When: Wednesday, May 29 at 4 pm Where: Zoom link here
Third Act nationwide is just one partner in the Summer of Heat coalition. To learn more about the wider 13-week campaign, attend a Summer of Heat’s national informational Launch Call on May 15 or May 29.
The Myth of Carbon Capture
Here, Tom Mikulka takes a look at the fossil fuel industry’s latest ploy to convince us that they are part of the solution. (Hint: they’re not.)
It may be hard to believe now, but in the 1980s Exxon scientists were among the first to raise concerns about climate change caused by fossil fuels. Their evidence was quickly buried, and Exxon then launched its long campaign of climate denial. Around 2009, ExxonMobil (which had merged with Mobil in 1999) promoted its “promising” research of turning algae into oil with a fanfare of publicity. The research did not pan out. Here’s a headline from Bloomberg News in February 2023.
Rather than turn away from fossil fuels, ExxonMobil developed another strategy that would allow them to keep pumping and fracking: carbon capture and storage. The whole fossil fuel industry, including the Saudis, now embraces this so-called “proven technology.” Darren Woods, CEO, endorsed this approach in an article in The Chemical Engineer, on February 17, 2021.
(As a side note, it’s interesting to state that Darren Woods and ExxonMobil are being sued for $20 billion for fraud, as they allegedly inflated the value of their investments in the Permian Basin.)
There are proven methods for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One involves replacing current agribusiness farming methods that disrupt carbon sequestration with regenerative agriculture methods. Another is to reforest the Amazon rainforest that has been clearcut for McDonald’s hamburgers. Neither of these will enable the rapid decrease in net emissions that phasing out fossil fuels will achieve.
CEO Woods wants us to believe that we can continue to burn fossil fuels because all of the carbon dioxide that it produces can be captured and stored as a liquid. But… how would that work—and how credible is he? The energy to power this process, in many cases, would come from burning yet more fossil fuels. The idea is to pump liquid carbon dioxide into depleted oil wells to enable the extraction of the last remaining oil. The well containing the liquid carbon dioxide would then be sealed (and hopefully not leak). The recovered oil would be burned, creating more emissions to be captured. Does anyone see any problem here?
Some are hoping that the fossil fuel industry has found the key to fixing climate change. But there’s no good evidence that carbon capture can remove emissions at the scale needed. And of course the industry’s track record is abysmal. The reason for promoting carbon capture is revealed in this quote from Occidental Petroleum’s CEO, Vicki Hollub, in 2023: Direct carbon capture could “preserve our industry.” It “gives our industry a license to continue to operate for 60, 70, 80 years,” she said.
The carbon capture facade keeps the fossil fuel industry in the game. But let’s not be fooled. Let’s work at transitioning, as rapidly as possible, to the less expensive and proven technology of wind, solar and battery storage. I acknowledge that requires the decline of the fossil fuel industry. And they are not about to go quietly.
Calls to Action
L.L. Bean Memorial Day Standouts in Freeport
Join other Third Act Mainers at these standouts at L.L. Bean’s flagship store in Freeport. We love L.L. Bean, but as Marcia Taylor has taught us to sing, “L.L. Bean Ain’t So Green”. Let’s encourage this beloved Maine institution to live up to its professed commitment to our environment. FMI: Bill Rixon, rixonw9@gmail.com.
May 27: Standout in front of L.L. Bean from 9:30-11:30 am for the Memorial Day Parade, which begins at 10. We have signs, so all you need to bring is some water to drink and a folding chair if standing for a long period is a problem.
June 1: Standout in front of L.L. Bean in Freeport from 1-2 pm.
Maine PERS Protests in Augusta
Third Act Maine is participating in ongoing protests of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System as its Board refuses to divest of fossil fuels as required by LD99, passed in 2021. Actions are planned at the Maine PERS office, 139 Capitol Street, Augusta. Please note the changes in the protest schedule! FMI: Chuck Spanger, charlesspanger@gmail.com.
June 13, 8:00 am - Standout at the Maine PERS monthly board meeting
July 11, 11:30 am - Large rally at the Maine PERS monthly board meeting
On July 11, we will present the board with a petition, signed by hundreds, urging immediate divestment in fossil fuels. This is where you can help now. Access the Sign-On Letter or use the QR code below. Urge your friends to sign as well! Your support builds our power.
The divestment movement is gaining momentum. The City of Montreal just voted to divest its retirement funds from fossil fuels, and California is very close to legislating divestment as well. We are winning and must continue to build the pressure.
Seven TAM members, including folks from Waterville and Greater Portland Hubs, stood out in protest at the Maine PERS building in Augusta on May 9. They handed out a short message to staff and trustees, politely reminding them that they are required by law to divest from fossil fuels. Dick Thomas reflects: “I pointed out that it should be possible to divest in a way that honors their fiduciary responsibility. The stock market without fossil fuels far outperforms the stock market with fossil fuels. Some of the staff were friendly, and some seem to be a little irritated by us. We hope to continue being an irritant until they negotiate in good faith with the Divest Maine coalition (of which Third Act Maine is a part).”
Keeping the Pressure on Costco through Our Online Petition
Costco may be a great place to stock up on peanut butter or get a good deal on some outdoor furniture, but its partnership with Citibank, one of the dirtiest of the dirty banks, is not a good investment. Let Costco know that contributing to the climate crisis is unacceptable. “Flood their feedback form.” Follow the simple instructions here.
Climate Convergence in Norway
The Center for Ecology Based Economy (CEBE) is hosting its annual Climate Convergence on May 17-18 in Norway. For more information, click here. Third Act Mainer Tom Mikulka will be tabling at the event on Friday, and he’d love to see you.
Help Us Get the Word Out
Want to help in tangible ways? We're looking for Third Act Maine members to help with specific tasks. If any of the tasks below speak to you, reach out to the Communications Team lead, Molly Schen, at mollyvschen@gmail.com.
Join the membership team and help us keep our membership lists up-to-date. Comfort with spreadsheets a must. (2 hours per month)
Join the communications team and help with writing, layout, and following up on stories and calendar items. Someone interested in taking the lead on our "art & poetry" corner would be welcome also. (5 hours when lead editor, approx. 1x per month, and 2 hours of meeting with the team each month.)
Our social media presence has expanded to include our webpage on the national Third Act website. We could use some additional tech-savvy folks to help with keeping our posts timely. (3 hours per month + 2 hours for Communications Team meetings)
Let Them Not Say
Let them not say: we did not see it.
We saw.
Let them not say: we did not hear it.
We heard.
Let them not say: they did not taste it.
We ate, we trembled.
Let them not say: it was not spoken, not written.
We spoke,
we witnessed with voices and hands.
Let them not say: they did nothing.
We did not-enough.
Let them say, as they must say something:
A kerosene beauty.
It burned.
Let them say we warmed ourselves by it,
read by its light, praised,
and it burned.
Jane Hirshfield. ©2017. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on January 20, 2017 by the Academy of American Poets.