World’s leading Aquatic Scientific Societies urge immediate action to fight climate crisis for ocean ecosystem and human health
By Ramona du Houx
January 23, 2021
People naturally live and work around water—we’re drawn to it. Approximately 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100 km (62 mi) of a coast.
Water is the most important natural resource on Earth as it is vital for life. Aquatic ecosystems, freshwater or marine, provide multiple benefits, such as provisioning of oxygen, food, drinking water, and genetic resources; regulation of atmospheric composition and climate; water purification; storm buffering; mitigation of floods/droughts; recreation areas; and other purposes. Humans depend on the health and well-functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Water is life.
But the world’s aquatic resources are currently under their greatest threat in human history from man made climate change. Freshwater ecosystems lost 83 percent of their biodiversity from 1970 to 2014. And coral reefs are disappearing at an alarming rate. More.
Elected Officials to Protect America condemns the domestic terrorist attack on the United States Capitol and calls for Trump’s immediate removal
By Ramona du Houx
January 10, 2021
Elected Officials to Protect America condemns the domestic terrorist attack of January 6, 2021 on the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. during the official ceremonial process of tallying the votes from the 2020 Presidential Election. The process had already become a mockery by Sen. Ted Cruz and other Senate and House Republicans who disrupted the proceedings insisting on an investigation into voter fraud in an attempt to invalidate the election, even though over 60 courts and numerous officials have declared the election for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Although the process was delayed by the riot, a brave Congress reconvened the same day to do their Constitutional duty. Early in the morning of January 7, 2021 President elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris were officially declared by Congress as the next President and Vice President of the United States.
“Not only is our democracy built on a sacred covenant of the people’s trust, our Constitution ensures we act to uphold it. All elected officials are sworn in — pledging their allegiance to our Constitution — to the laws of our democracy. President Trump started the insurrection on January 6, 2021 that resulted in five deaths. In that domestic terrorist act, The United States Capitol, the people’s house, was violated, desecrated. He is unfit to serve as President and needs to be swiftly removed from office, and held accountable for his sedition. To allow him to remain is dangerous. It would signal to future generations, and the world, that something like this can occur with impunity,” said Elected Officials to Protect America President, former Marine combat veteran, and Maine State Legislator Alex Cornell du Houx. More
Organic farms on the rise in ME & CA – Maine U.S. Rep. Pingree ‘s regenerative farm proposal will help famers combat climate change
By Ramon du Houx
January 2, 2020
While California is the state with the most organic fruit farms per capita, Maine has the most organic vegetable farms, according to a recent study published by Health-Ade. Per capita, Maine ranks second in the country in the availability of organic food. There are about 37 organic farms per 100,000 people.
Maine has the most organic options for farms producing vegetables, with nearly 1,000 farms, yet certified organic acreage makes up only 4 percent of states total farmland. MOFGA recently released an economic study which confirms organic farming is growing dramatically in Maine. According to the report organic producers generate at least $36.6 million in sales, support 1,600 jobs and keep 41,000 acres of farmland in organic production. More.
When states can only do so much, elected officials from across the nation urge President-elect Biden to enact National Climate Emergency Plan
January 2021
By Brianna Cunliffe – Chief Investigative Reporter
Disasters both man-made and natural have characterized the past year for elected officials representing constituencies from Culver City to the Jersey Shore. Atop the pandemic and subsequent economic tailspin, America’s coastal states endured an especially brutal hurricane season. Alongside the rest of the nation, they are also reckoning with pervasive racial injustice, brought into the light by peaceful Black Lives Matter protests and made evident by studies showing that communities of color have had the highest death rates from COVID, as well hospitalization rates that are four to six times worse than White communities.
Driven by these dire circumstances, over 160 elected officials have signed a letter stating that urgent action combating climate change and systemic change that addresses racial inequalities has to happen now. Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) is urging President-elect Biden to prioritize a National Climate Plan that will be just for all and employ hundreds of thousands transitioning America to a clean energy economy. More.
Legislation curbing plastic marine debris – unanimously passes Senate – President signs
By Ramona du Houx
Dec, 28, 2020
Oceana released a report – based on an analysis of e-commerce packaging data – that found Amazon generated 465 million pounds of plastic packaging waste last year. This is comprised of the air pillows, bubble wrap, and other plastic packaging items added to the approximately 7 billion Amazon packages delivered in 2019, according to news accounts. The report found that Amazon’s estimated plastic packaging waste, in the form of air pillows alone, would circle the Earth more than 500 times.
The study also, by combining the e-commerce packaging data with findings from a recent study published in Science, estimates that up to 22.44 million pounds of Amazon’s plastic packaging waste entered and polluted the world’s freshwater and marine ecosystems in 2019, the equivalent of dumping a delivery van payload of plastic into the oceans every 70 minutes. More.
New York State’s $226 billion pension fund to divest from oil and gas companies
By Ramona du Houx
December 20, 2020
On December 9, 2020, the man, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who controls investments for the 226 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund announced that the fund is moving to divest from the riskiest oil and gas companies by 2025, and decarbonize by 2040. It creates the most comprehensive program of any large public fund worldwide to divest from fossil fuels, decarbonize across a massive portfolio, and put major financial pressure on public companies — from auto companies to utilities — to align their operations with the scale of climate action needed to stave off worldwide catastrophe.
After Superstorm Sandy devastated the Northeast in 2012, costing nearly $70 billion in damages, the #DivestNY campaign was born. The coalition, composed of over 40 groups, helped put pressure on Comptroller DiNapoli, while the State Assembly proposed divestment legislation. Governor Andrew Cuomo said in 2017 that he would push for divestment of the state pension. In New York, The Comptroller is responsible for the pension fund investments in order to have transparency. More
Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Rep. Castor, hosts town hall to discuss climate crisis and possible action
January 14, 2021
By Ramona du Houx
Florida Rep. Caster, hosted a virtual town hall with climate crisis advocates and elected officials from across USA on January 13, 2021. Rep. Cater is Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. The Congressional report, Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America calls on Congress to build a clean energy economy that values workers, centers environmental justice, and is prepared to meet the challenges of the climate crisis. The full report is available HERE.
According to the committee’s press release the Climate Crisis Action Plan calls on Congress to: More
Maine and United Kingdom agree to advance partnership on University of ME’s unique floating offshore wind turbines
By Ramona du Houx
On December 10, 2020
Governor Janet Mills of Maine and the United Kingdom’s Minister of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the RT Honorable Kwasi Kwarteng MP, announced the signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation between the State of Maine and the UK to pursue ambitious advancement in clean energy technologies and mutually achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century or sooner.
“The UK has led the way globally in using offshore wind to reduce emissions and we are pleased to be working with Governor Mills and her team to share our experience,” said UK Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng. “This fantastic partnership with Maine will help both the United States and the UK take another step towards our critical climate change goals.” more
Over 500 groups urge President- elect Biden to order fossil fuel leasing ban
By Ramona du Houx
December, 2020
Hundreds of conservation, Native American, religious, elected officials and business groups today sent President-elect Joe Biden text for a proposed executive order to ban new fossil fuel leasing and permitting on federal public lands and waters.
Biden promised during the campaign that he would stop new leasing and permitting activities on his first day in office. The executive order highlighted in today’s letter from 574 organizations outlines the steps needed for the next Interior Secretary to implement the president’s directive. More.
New Jersey elected officials urge Gov. Murphy to sign finalized MOU for the Transportation and Climate Initiative
By Ramona du Houx
December 21, 2020
Twelve Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states along with the District of Columbia have been collaborating on the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), for years. On December 21, 2020 the Memorandum of Understanding became ready for the governors to sign.
New Jersey has the goal of an 80 percent carbon emission reduction by 2050, for the health and well-being of all citizens. TCI will help the state get there. TCI’s main tenant is to curb pollution from cars and trucks, the greatest source of human-made greenhouse gasses. Not only will the TCI program reduce pollution while improving public health, it will bring in revenue to New Jersey communities struggling to recover from the pandemic. TCI is projected to generate $750 million annually for New Jersey. More.
Over 32 states have roadmaps for climate action—Here’s Maine’s climate action plan that creates jobs
By Ramona du Houx
January 2, 2021
Governor Janet Mills, on December 1, 2020 welcomed the release of Maine Won’t Wait, the new four-year climate action plan from the Maine Climate Council and announced actions her Administration will take to protect Maine people and communities and spur economic growth in the fight against climate change.
Governor Mills and the Legislature last year enacted bipartisan legislation that created the Maine Climate Council – an assembly of scientists, industry leaders, bipartisan local and state elected officials, and engaged citizens – to develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in Maine by 2045. Backed by the most comprehensive scientific and economic assessments about the effects of climate change in Maine in a decade, Maine Won’t Wait calls for decisive steps to achieve that goal, including bolstering the electric vehicle market in Maine, expanding the number of heat pumps installed in Maine homes, and transitioning to renewable energy to curb harmful greenhouse gas emissions. More.
135 ME farmers sign climate letter delivered to the House Select Committee because of 2020 Maine drought
By Ramona du Houx
November, 2020
Following two months of severe drought, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) deemed Aroostook County a drought disaster area in September. The designation means farmers in Aroostook and neighboring Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington counties became eligible to apply for emergency farm loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency over the next eight months.
Declining surface water levels parallel conditions Maine experienced during historic droughts in 2001-02 and 2006, as well as a drought in 1947 that led to the worst fires in Maine’s history. With the lack of rainfall, the streamflow and groundwater go down and wells dry up and crops suffer, unless irrigation equipment has been installed. But for the majority of farms in Maine, that’s a financial burden they can’t mount. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) provides a cost-share program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, that helps farmers invest in farm resources, equipment and technology that encourage sustainable practices, but more outreach needs to happen for farmers to take advantage of it. More
For holiday season lawmakers from coast to coast highlight the dangerous environmental effects and bad labor practices of fast fashion
By Ramona du Houx
November, 2020
Following two months of severe drought, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) deemed Aroostook County a drought disaster area in September. The designation means farmers in Aroostook and neighboring Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington counties became eligible to apply for emergency farm loans from the USDA Farm Service Agency over the next eight months.
Declining surface water levels parallel conditions Maine experienced during historic droughts in 2001-02 and 2006, as well as a drought in 1947 that led to the worst fires in Maine’s history. With the lack of rainfall, the streamflow and groundwater go down and wells dry up and crops suffer, unless irrigation equipment has been installed. But for the majority of farms in Maine, that’s a financial burden they can’t mount. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) provides a cost-share program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, that helps farmers invest in farm resources, equipment and technology that encourage sustainable practices, but more outreach needs to happen for farmers to take advantage of it. More
