NRCM Press Release
More than 50,000 people are expected to descend on the nation’s capital on Sunday, February 17 for the historic Forward on Climate Rally, including 100s of Mainers traveling by trains, buses, and carpools. Among them, 30 Mainers leave Saturday night on a bus sponsored by the Natural Resources Council of Maine to join the rally to urge the Obama Administration to take action to combat climate change and say “no” to tar sands oil.
The bus will leave Portland on Saturday night, February 16 at 8:00 p.m., from the Park and Ride lot on Skyway Drive near the Portland Jetport, off Exit 46 from Interstate 95. The rally takes place Sunday, February 17 from noon to 4:00 p.m. on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
“Climate change is already having a devastating effect in Maine, the nation, and the planet,” said Emmie Theberge, Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “This demonstration is an opportunity to give our President and Congress the support they need to take bold action on climate change. Mainers spoke out loudly and clearly at the Portland Tar Sands Rally last month, and now we are bringing that message to Washington, DC.”
“I am riding the train to Washington this week because every one of us has a responsibility to speak out against tar sands pipelines and for sensible climate policy and protection of the planet,” said Brownie Carson of Harpswell, former executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Climate change is the most important environmental problem facing the nation and the world and we need our elected officials to invest now in clean and efficient energy solutions.”
“When I heard about this climate rally I knew it was very important for me and my son to attend and NRCM’s bus is making the trip easier, more fun, and less hard on the planet,” said Jeanne Gulnick of Peaks Island. “As an island resident, I am particularly concerned about the effect climate change is having on sea-level rise along Maine’s coast.”
“We need to treat climate change with the urgency that it deserves,” said Daniel Hildreth of Falmouth, who will also be attending. “Our systems of food production, economy, and national security are at serious risk. As a nation, we need to start eliminating climate-changing pollution as soon as possible.”
“I’m heading to DC on the bus because I’m particularly concerned about the impact of tar sands on our climate, and the Sebago Lake area,” said Helyne May of Windham. “I will be down there speaking up for the future of the planet my children will live inâand their children’s children. I want to make sure that Maine’s US. Senators and Representatives recognize the support for action on both tar sands and climate.”
“I am going to Washington, DC this weekend to participate in my first political protest ever. It is that important,” said Laura Sebastianelli, an ecological educator from Boothbay Harbor. “The science of climate change is in. The consequences could be disastrous. Those who analyze the situation know what needs to be done. Now, we need to give politicians the will to do what they need to do.”
During Tuesday’s State of the Union Address, President Obama said:
“⦠for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate changeâ¦Now, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods, all are now more frequent and more intense.
“We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science and act before it’s too late.”
