Resist!
We stand together to protect democracy and the planet
TAKE ACTION ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY BILLS
We are one of 39 organizations comprising the Maine Environmental Priorities Coalition, backing key legislative bills in Maine. We need your activism urgently this week for our top priority bills! Thank you!
Maine’s Climate Superfund / Make Polluters Pay. Third Act Maine’s own Deb Fahy and Dick Thomas testified in person in favor of this bill (L.D. 1870) to the Environment and Natural Resources committee on May 5, but you can still submit testimony until the bill has a work session. Here’s how! Submit your testimony online here. Select Public Hearing, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and May 5 at 10AM. We recommend writing your testimony in a document ahead of time, then pasting it into the space provided.
Please also write to your legislators (find them here) and sign this petition to make the biggest fossil fuel producers pay for damages from extreme weather events. Read more in Sue Inches’ blog. And hear Third Act’s own Bill McKibben explain the the virtues of Superfund legislation below.
Clean Transportation in Maine. Please sign this petition to support a transportation system that works better – for our health, economy, climate, and communities. Third Act Maine’s testimony in support of LD 1138, Clean Transportation Options, was read into the record by Deb Fahy on May 1, 2025. We in Third Act Maine recognize that transportation emissions are the largest source of climate pollution in Maine, and this bill would help the current transportation planning process reflect Maine’s climate goals. Submit your testimony online here. Select Public Hearing, Transportation Committee, and May 1 at 9AM and the bill, L.D. 1870. We recommend writing your testimony in a document ahead of time, then pasting it into the space provided.
Powering Maine with 100% Clean Energy by 2040. Please read this helpful sheet to prepare your testimony. Submit your testimony online here. Select Public Hearing, Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, then May 6 at 1PM and the bill, L.D. 1868. We recommend writing your testimony in a document ahead of time, then pasting it into the space provided.
CALENDAR: UPCOMING ACTIONS
May 8. Maine PERS protest. 8-9 am. 139 Capitol Street, Augusta. Trustees will be arriving for their monthly meeting, and having a big crowd makes a difference. The newspapers and TV news will be invited, and members of Third Act Maine will make brief statements about the urgent need for action to reduce climate change, the factors that make fossil fuels a bad investment, and the legal imperative for Maine PERS to divest from fossil fuels. Bring signs on the theme of Divest Now! or just come. We have enough signs. Join us for breakfast at 9:00 if you like. You’ll meet some interesting people! FMI: Dick Thomas richardmacomberthomas@gmail.com
May 14. Fix the Grid! Rally for Reform. 11 am. 26 Katherine Drive, Hallowell. Register here.
May 22. Clean Energy Day of Action. 8:30 am - noon. Maine State House, Augusta. Tell our elected leaders that we are ready to power Maine forward with reliable, affordable clean energy. Speak out in support of legislation to create new jobs and support our economy by transitioning to 100% clean electricity by 2040. Register here.
POSITIVE ACTION: LOBBYING, RALLYING, RESISTING
Large May 1 standout on the Newcastle-Damariscotta Bridge with music & cheers & beeps. Go, Third Act Mainers in Lincoln County—and friends!
Third Act’s Western Mountains Hub is ACTIVE!
Local press is taking notice. In addition to many protests, the Western Mountains Hub held a community celebration to celebrate Earth Day replete with song, poetry, snacks and desserts hosted by Doug Rawlings at Old South Church. Musicians Ruth Hill, Susun Terese, Mark Rains, Hank Washburn and Steve Bien sang, played and raised spirits with their music. Folklorist Peggy Yocom led attendees in creating a cento poem to express our collective vision.
The Hub is growing in numbers. Hub leader Eileen Kreutz reports nearly 200 people have joined Western Maine’s rolls. For anyone living in the Franklin County vicinity (or anywhere in Maine, for that matter!) who wants to join Third Act Maine, please join here.
Engaging with Elders in Senior Communities
In the first of what Third Act Maine hopes will be more visits to Maine’s senior living communities, on April 16, Tom Mikulka spoke about climate change with retirees at OceanView in Falmouth.
Titled "The Tide is Rising and So Are We!" the interactive presentation depicts the worsening climate crisis followed by steps individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint along with examples of Third Actors taking collective action.
If you’re interested in joining the Retirement Communities Outreach initiative, please email us at ThirdActMaine@gmail.com.
Climate Work Globally
As reported by Forbes: On April 11, 2025, the world achieved something rare: a legally binding global climate agreement. The United States didn’t vote—they walked out, warning others to follow or face consequences. But 63 nations stayed. And they passed the deal. That’s not just diplomacy. That’s global governance, alive and kicking.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body that regulates global shipping, approved new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions across the maritime sector—one of the most polluting and least regulated industries on Earth. The deal mandates a trajectory to net-zero emissions by 2050, backed by financial penalties and a structured compliance framework.
Great newsletter. Keeping us well informed with actions that make a difference. With so many national issues, the state environmental issues could get lost...Keep the focus on state environmental legislation! Write your state legislator and SHOW UP for May 22 to let legislators know that Maine people care about Mother Earth.
Excellent Newsletter! Coordinated action is exactly what we need right now. Thank-you.