Many individuals in our community would identify themselves as environmentalists — a category that would include all those involved in marine protection, conservation, trash/recycling concerns, pesticide restrictions, etc. Many such individuals are associated with formal and ad hoc groups that address such issues.

All subgroups of environmentalists listed above share the same characteristic: love of Nature. This love is the wellspring of energy which propels them to protect the Earth. The ecological perspective of ecosystems in constant communication with each other only further enhances this caring.

Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, is creating a national climate organization targeting elders, grandparents and retirees. It is named Third Act as in the third phase of life (60+). Complete information about this initiative is available at Third Act (https://thirdact.org/)

He describes elders as having the awareness of the seriousness of our climate situation and the resources and experience to support the efforts of our young climate activists. 

A multigenerational effort is required for successful climate policy. We have borrowed too recklessly from the carbon budget of future generations, but we can help carry the burden that we have created for the young by participating in Third Act.

The refrain in a poem by Drew Dellinger is “What did you do once you knew?” What did you do when the “seasons began to fail” or when climate instability threatened to transform our nurturing world into a perilous one? The elder in the poem cannot sleep “because my great, great grandchildren ask me in my dreams, what did you do once you knew?”

Clearly, each elder aware of the climate crisis must answer this question when our offspring hold us accountable.

This group will, in part, explore how a spiritual perspective can help to address feelings of grief and despair associated with our compassion for each other, future generations and all of Earth in this time of climate instability. The group will explore such ideas as contained in the below quote.

"Our very suffering now, our condensed presence on this common nest that we have largely fouled, will soon be the one thing that we finally share in common. It might well be the one thing that will bring us together politically and religiously. The earth and its life systems, on which we all entirely depend might soon become the very things that will convert us to a simple lifestyle, to necessary community, and to an inherent and universal sense of reverence for the Holy." — Richard Rohr

Calling artists of all stripes (written, graphic, performing, digital and craft artists) to enlist your services for a healthy planet and a community more resilient to climate disruption.

Art has often been in the forefront of social change. Its ability to 'give pause' and 'move people' deeply is exactly what is required at this time, i.e., move people from grave concern of the climate peril to constructive collective action.

The Art Group is being formed to support the overall work of the Connection Project and to bolster the impact of every other action group.

Art is a leaven. There is not much in this world that cannot be warmed up, lit up, nourished, or spotlighted by a little color, a bit of theater or poetry or music or song.

These have the tendency to catch us unawares, speak to the heart, and suggest to the imagination new ways to get from “here” to “there.” No one who wants to join need be an artist by profession. There is plenty of creativity in all of us.

-- We are indebted to Lee Chrisholm of Freeport CAN for the creative prose of this invitation.

"If we are going to save the world from the threat of global warming, we need to create a world worth saving. If we are not serving our children, the poor, and the excluded, we are not addressing the climate crisis. If fundamental human rights and material needs are not met, efforts to stem the crisis will fail."  —  Paul Hawken

This invitation is to the social service and health care sectors of our communities: those who serve the physical and emotional needs of our neighbors as well as those who respond to the basic needs of neighbors in crisis.

It is clearly directed toward those who also appreciate the existential threat posed by continued human behavior which is degrading Earth's life systems.

This affinity group will include teachers, librarians, counselors, parents and mentors.

In a survey of Maine teachers, the most frequently requested assistance was help with Climate Education. There is a bill before the state legislature, LD 1902, which will make funds available to accomplish this. It is not a mandate that requires content to be included in your classroom, but grants made available to schools and districts that choose to upgrade their Climate Education.

Current thinking in Climate Education includes but goes beyond the Physical Sciences to also identifying what is being done to mitigate the impact of climate disruption by the many climate action organizations.

It is a blessing that education is transitioning from a passive model of observing and understanding to a more dynamic model of understanding and action. It simply doesn’t make sense for educators to prepare our youth for success and achievement in a future that may not materialize unless our youth are actively engaged in its creation.

Read a complete summary of LD 1902. (https://www.nbeconsortium.com/climate-education-policy)

IThe Youth Group is comprised of high school and college students, most of whom are associated with CAN or members of high school Ecology Clubs.

CAN has been committed to encouraging youthful engagement of the climate crisis since its inception through its Climate Empowerment Project, which includes working closely with CAN Climate Interns.

In the words of one of CAN’s interns and a member of the Youth affinity group:

“As a young person, I feel keenly aware that I will witness many of the increasingly devastating effects of climate change during my lifetime. Like many, I feel an urgency to contribute to climate action. I hope that by impressing on others the immediacy of our problem, I can influence them to join the efforts to fight climate change.” — Henry Penfold DIS HS Climate Intern

A young person has a very different view of the future than an adult or elder, and we know that this unique perspective must be included for the different generations to be united and successful in protecting the Earth.

Peter Neill, Director of the World Ocean Observatory, makes the case that Maine is favorably positioned to withstand the disruptions posed by the developing climate crisis for a variety of reasons, including its advanced local food production network.

He states: "Food security is well advanced as a function of organic, small-scale farming, research adaptation to climate factors for traditional agriculture, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Maine could be protein self-sufficient in the near future, immune to dependency on industrial agriculture, returning respect to the land and sea as a source of employment, sustenance, and well-being. Organic farming and localized food networks are established and new agricultural products can be introduced to enhance an encouraging beginning. Aquaculture is an essential part of both future local consumption and export."

Although it is wise to cast the net of food production as widely as possible, local organic farmers will undoubtedly constitute the core of this group. At issue will be how to safeguard the local family farm network and how to expand production to compensate for food chain disruption caused by climate change. This group will offer an educational component to help beginning growers.