On December 1st, Governor Mills is expected to release a new Climate Action Plan that has been under development by the Maine Climate Council for more than a year. This new plan arrives as President-elect Biden is reported to be considering a quick focus on tackling climate change by signing numerous executive orders on the Read More
Climate Change
Climate change and global warming pollution harm Maine people, wildlife, and our environment. Global warming, also known as climate change, is caused by a blanket of pollution that traps heat around the earth. This pollution comes from cars, factories, homes, and power plants that burn fossil fuels such as oil, coal, natural gas, and gasoline.
Climate-changing pollution knows no boundaries. It enters the atmosphere, spreads across the globe, and traps heat around the earth for 50-200 years after it is emitted. That is why we need to reduce global warming pollution now, because our children, and their children, will still feel the effects of global warming for years to come. Currently, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are at their highest levels in hundreds of thousands of years.
Learn how you can reduce climate-changing pollution and advocate for a cleaner, healthier Maine.
On 50th Anniversary of Unanimous Clean Air Vote, A Call for Bipartisan Climate Action
NRCM news release Augusta, ME (September 22, 2020) — On the 50th anniversary of a unanimous 1970 U.S. Senate vote to pass the Clean Air Act, Maine Independent Senator Angus King today joined clean air, public health, and climate experts at an event co-hosted by the Natural Resources Council of Maine to call for that Read More
Climate Action Needs Bipartisan Spirit of Original Clean Air Act
Maine Senator Edmund Muskie helped redefine public health and the modern environmental movement through the passage of the Clean Air Act. This legislation passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate (73-0) on September 22, 1970, and nearly unanimously (374-1) in the U.S. House. Senator Mitchell guided the committee process on the Clean Air Act Amendments, which Read More
How Climate Change is Impacting Maine’s Forests & Industries that Depend on Them
Research compiled by scientists at the University of Maine (UMaine) and the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Committee makes clear that Maine’s beloved forests will likely look different in the future. Your kids and grandkids may find maple syrup, holiday trees, and powder days harder to come by when they’re grown. Predictions aside, the Read More
Climate Action Recommendations for a Healthier, Stronger Maine
This is the moment for Maine to build a healthier, more equitable and resilient future for everyone who lives in Maine. But we can only get there with clear direction and real solutions that will ensure our steady transition to a prosperous clean energy future. The statewide Climate Action Plan being developed by the Maine Read More
Mainers Support Strong Climate Action Plan
Earlier this month, the Natural Resources Council of Maine and our partners hosted a webinar with Mainers who are working with the Maine Climate Council (MCC) to create a new statewide Climate Action Plan. We have been calling on the MCC’s Working Groups to propose — and members to adopt — a strong and effective Read More
Poll Shows Strong Majority of Maine Voters Support Climate Action and Clean Energy
Results Gathered During Current Pandemic NRCM news release May 12, 2020 (Augusta, ME) – A strong majority of Maine voters support bipartisan action on clean energy and transportation to address climate change, even as the state faces the coronavirus pandemic, according to the results of a public opinion survey released today by the Natural Resources Read More
In Support of LD 2112, An Act to Limit the Use of Hydrofluorocarbons to Fight Climate Change
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and other members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, my name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Climate and Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). NRCM strongly supports this bill as a cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet Maine’s essential climate Read More
Climate and Clean Energy Priorities for Maine in the Year Ahead
Maine isn’t hesitating to step up and tackle climate change head on, with new laws that set ambitious new targets for reducing pollution. And we have unrolled the welcome mat for solar and other clean energy solutions. In 2020, our biggest challenge will be making sure our actions meet our aspirations. We must grasp the Read More