The Problem, the Response and What All of Us Can Do
September 2020
Climate Change in Maine – View or download our 4-page resource guide
Researchers continue to amass a tidal wave of scientific evidence showing the inextricable links between industrial activities and chaotic weather patterns. It’s getting harder to deny that planet Earth is warming and humans are responsible for it. The clock is ticking and we need to take meaningful action to ensure a healthy and vibrant future for all of us, with a fine point on the next generations of organic farmers, gardeners and consumers.
Though greenhouse gas emissions attributed to Maine’s agricultural sector do not come close to those from transportation, MOFGA contends that organic management practices have an important role to play in mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change.
Three Climate Action Steps For MOFGA Supporters
- Maximize local, organic foods in your diet. It’s good for your health, good for the health of the climate and Maine’s environment, and good for the health of our agricultural economy. Find MOFGA-certified organic ingredients here. Try growing your own organic food as well. MOFGA is ready with resources to help you succeed. And, of course, always minimize food waste.
- Invite members of the Maine Climate Council to meet with your organization or community. You may submit an invitation to the Climate Council here.
- Talk with your elected representatives at the municipal, state and federal levels and let them know that you want bold and swift action to address the climate crisis. They really do want to hear from you. Remember, they’re working for you! Phone calls are much better than email. Call your town office, and your representatives in the Maine Legislature (800-301-3178), and members of our congressional delegation in Washington, DC (202-224-3121).
Helpful Resources On Climate Change
- 6 Ways Environmental Advocates Can Change Climate Concern Into Action: Many Americans are ready for meaningful progress on climate change — so how can they make it happen? This excellent article by Ensia, a solutions-focused nonprofit media outlet reporting on our changing planet, provides great advice for action steps that we can take to elevate discussion and understanding about climate change, and to prompt policymakers to prioritize climate-friendly public policy.
- Assessing the Impacts Climate Change May Have on the State’s Economy, Revenues, and Investment Decisions: Summary Report. Prepared for the State of Maine Department of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF). September 1, 2020. by Eastern Research Group, Inc. and Synapse Energy Economics.
- Maine’s Climate Future – 2020 Update. Published by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute. This is an essential document for understanding the current and projected impacts of climate on Maine’s ecosystems, public health and economy.
- Maine Climate Council website. This website provides information about the ongoing work of the Climate Council, including minutes from all meetings, priority recommendations, scheduled events and commissioned research.
- A Climate Chronology: International Policy, U.S. Policy and Science. Compiled and edited by Sharon Tisher – Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at the University of Maine; former Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps; member of MOFGA’s Public Policy Committee; and past president of MOFGA’s Board of Directors.
- The Climate Resistance Handbook. by Daniel Hunter. Foreword by Greta Thunberg. 2019. This guide lays out the steps for building a successful climate change movement in your community. It provides campaign tools, and suggestions for actions and tactics drawing on the successes of organizations and communities around the world, through many generations.
- The Climate-Friendly Gardener: A Guide to Combating Global Warming from the Ground Up. A wonderful pamphlet from the Union of Concerned Scientists, published in 2010, that shows shows you how to reduce the impact of climate change in your own backyard.
- Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and Its Effects in Maine. A Report by the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Maine Climate Council. August 2020.
