Maine Climate Action Now

MCAN CATALYZES TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION AND ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE AND ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCY. WE SEEK TO HONOR, UNITE AND AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF YOUTH, FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES, AND OTHERS HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE CLIMATE CONVERSTATION AND POSITIONS OF POWER.

PROGRESSIVE SYSTEMIC CHANGE: ENERGY, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, DIVESTMENTEQUITY IN ENERGYMCAN ACTIVELY SUPPORTED THE CITIZENS' INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE MAINE'S UNRELIABLE INVESTOR-OWNED UTILITY CORPORATIONS WITH A CONSUMER OWNED UTILITY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS.EQUITY IN OFFSHORE WIND (OSW)MCAN CONTINUES TO WORK FOR INCLUSION AND EQUITY IN THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY. THE DIRECTOR CONTINUES TO LEAD THE OUTREACH TO WABANAKI TRIBES TO OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION TOWARDS CONSULTATION AND BRINGING THEIR CONCERNS TO THE FEDERAL, STATE AND COALITION PROCESSES. WE HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN WORKING WITH LABOR REPRESENTATIVES SUCCESSFULLY FUNDRAISING TO RESOURCE CAPACITY WITH THE PENOBSCOT NATION AND PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE AT SIPAYIK FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COORDINATOR/OSW LIAISON POSITION.UNDERSTANDING THAT EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL TO ENSURING COMMUNITY VOICES ARE PREPARED TO BE PART OF DECISION MAKING PROCESSES MCAN LEADS THE MAINERS FOR OFFSHORE WIND INCLUSION/EQUITY SUBGROUP IN OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.HOUSINGMCAN PARTNERED WITH MEMBER ORGANIZATION, MAINE IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS COALITION, ON A "CLIMATE MIGRATION TO MAINE" WEBINAR PANEL THAT WAS WIDELY ATTENDED AND SHARED. THIS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THE CAUSES AND EXPERIENCES OF THOSE WHO HAVE IMMIGRATED TO MAINE AND HOW MAINERS CAN BE MORE WELCOMING AND PREPARED FOR THIS INUX.TRANSPORTATIONMCAN'S NEW ADVOCACY COORDINATOR HAS CONNECTED WITH THE GROWING COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSING ON REDUCING THE 54% OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN OUR STATE THAT COME FROM OUR TRANSPORTATION SECTOR.DIVESTMENTMCAN IS A MEMBER OF THE YOUTH-LED INTERGENERATIONAL CAMPAIGN, DIVEST MAINE. THIS GROUP MEETS WEEKLY RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN TO URGE THE MAINE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM TO STOP INVESTING PENSIONERS' SAVINGS IN THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY AS MANDATED BY THE RST IN THE COUNTRY STATE LAW PASSED IN 2021.JUSTICEMCAN CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR INCLUSION AND EQUITY THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE WABANAKI ALLIANCE COALITION'S FIELD TEAM TO SUPPORT TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY BILLS. AND WE CONTINUED EXERTING INUENCE IN THE BROADER CLIMATE MOVEMENT IN MAINE TO ACT MORE PROGRESSIVELY.

ADULT ALLYSHIP AND YOUTH ACTIVISM SUPPORTMCAN CONTINUED OUR COMMITMENT TO ADULT ALLYSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY. WE STIPENDED YOUTH FOR THEIR ORGANIZING ROLES AND PARTICIPATION IN MCAN PROGRAMS AND COLLABORATED WITH MAINE YOUTH FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE (MYCJ).CLIMATE EDUCATIONCONTINUED PROMOTION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH GROUPS TO USE MCAN'S CLIMATE JUSTICE CRASH COURSE RESOURCE.LAUNCHED OUR MAINE CLIMATE SCIENCE PORTAL. THE SCIENCE PORTAL IS ONE OF THE RST ONLINE RESOURCES THAT CENTERS "TWO-EYED SEEING" WHICH USES THE METHODOLOGY OF UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD FROM TWO CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES: INDIGENOUS SCIENCE THAT HOLDS THAT LIFE IS MORE THAN CAN BE KNOWN THROUGH ANALYTIC METHODS, AND THAT DRAWS IMPORTANT INSIGHTS FROM CULTURE AND TRADITIONS, AND WESTERN SCIENCE WHICH PRIVILEGES OBJECTIVITY ANDDE-EMPHASIZES THE HUMAN ELEMENT.CRAFTING YOUR OWN CLIMATE STORY SERIES IN-PERSON SUMMER POETRY WORKSHOP IN BELFAST AND VIRTUAL FALL WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CTION. THE PRODUCTS OF THESE SUCCESSFUL YOUTH PROGRAMS CAN BE SEEN ON OUR WEBSITE.CONTINUED OUR MONTHLY COLLECTIVE LEARNING CONVERSATIONS FOCUSED ON DECOLONIZATION, ANTI-RACISM, CLASSISM, AND INCLUSION ENGAGING MEMBER ORGANIZATION STAFF, CORE VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD MEMBERS.

DEEPENING AND WIDENING THE NETWORK ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MCAN CONTINUED EXPANDING THE COALITION'S MEMBERSHIP WITH RECENT NEW MEMBERS JOINING: SIPAYIK RESILIENCE COMMITTEE, A PASSAMAQUODDY COMMUNITY LED GROUP; AND DOWN TO EARTH STORYTELLING, A PROJECT BRINGING FORTH INDIVIDUAL MAINERS' CLIMATE ACTIONS AND CLIMATE CRISIS EXPERIENCES VIA SHORT LMS.MCAN IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COALITIONS: MAINERS FOR OFFSHORE WIND; NEW ENGLAND OFFSHORE WIND; WABANAKI ALLIANCE COALITION; MAINE FOOD CONVERGENCE; DIVEST MAINE.WE HAVE THE GOAL OF BROADENING AND DIVERSIFYING OUR BOARD.OUR STAFF RESTRUCTURED OUR COALITION MEETINGS AND ARE IN AN ONGOING PROCESS OF RENING OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESSES. WE INSTITUTED QUARTERLY MEETINGS OF THE WHOLE COALITION WITH ONE IN PERSON MEETING.