This weekend, February 8-10, 2008 over 60 students from all over Maine descended on Bates College for a charged learning and action experience. Kicking it off with a keynote from State Senator Phil Bartlett the students put all of their energy towards concluding with a pathway to a campaign and network that will eventually reach all of the colleges in Maine. Senator Bartlett was instrumental in getting the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) passed in Maine, and Maine students will now build off of this legislation to achieve the goals set by the 1Sky platform:
-20% reductions by 2020 and 80% reductions by 2050
-Moratorium on new Coal power plants
-Create 5 million new green jobs
Maine Students have set an action plan towards this goal that will work in small achievable steps to arrive at new legislation that strengthens RGGI in its post-2019 regime. Students will start on Tuesday by attending a public hearing of Maine bill LD 2149: “An Act to Lower Energy Costs and Increase Renewable Energy in Maine” sponsored by Representative Hannah Pingree. Along with working to push this legislation, students will be working on the bill LD 2126: “An Act To Minimize Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New Coal-powered Industrial and Electrical Generation Facilities in the State” sponsored by Representative W. MacDonald. These two bills are a step in the right direction, but will not be enough, so Maine students will work with other organizations and the legislature to work on a bill that will take RGGI into the post-2019 regime. Over the next 8 months this focus will be accompanied by the network’s push to get all colleges in Maine to sign the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (PCC).
These are bold steps we must take to ensure our future. The students of Maine will work together on making their state an example for the national and international climate movement. They are calling on all Maine colleges and universities to join us in this unified effort and to realize the power we can have together.
Together, we call ourselves SUSTAIN MAINE!
Thank you so much to all of the hard work done by the Bates Energy Action Movement (BEAM), all of the speakers who gave their time to educate us, and all of the participants that braved the elements to create something truly inspiring.
If you want to contact SustainMaine do so at sustainmainesteering@gmail.com
The youth of the world are our future and our hope. Sometimes I look back at what the 30 years since the 80′s has bought and hope this younger generation will forgive us for our greed and stupidity
steve