Mainers from every corner of the state are stepping up to the climate challenge. Practical, creative and trailblazing teachers, bus drivers, students, communities, recent graduates and professional athletes alike are taking action to get ahead of the climate curve. Read their stories.
WindowDressers is a nonprofit on a mission to reduce heating costs and fossil fuel consumption for Maine homes by lowering the amount of heat loss through windows - and build community along the way. Volunteers gather at Community Builds across the state to assemble the low-cost insulating window inserts, which serve as custom, interior-mounted, reusable storm windows.
Mt. Blue High School Earth science teacher Dr. Patricia Millette asked students which science topics concerned them at the end of the 2020-21 school year. Climate change surfaced as a top response.
The discovery of student anxiety over climate change served as a catalyst for Dr. Millette to plan the school’s first climate workshop. Over the course of a few months, Dr. Millette recruited speakers from Maine’s legislature, farming, business, youth and climate science communities around themes designed to educate and empower students.
The town of York is stepping up to the significant risks posed by climate change to its miles of coastline, economy and abundant natural areas with an aggressive, comprehensive climate action plan.
Every day at 5pm, Arlene Cole of Newcastle records the temperature and measures precipitation levels. Every month, Arlene sends her findings to the National Weather Service, a division of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
She’s done this since 1965.
Peter Slovinsky has a life-long fascination with the coast. Growing up, he spent hours digging in the sand, fishing and surfing. In his 5th grade yearbook, he said wanted to be a “Coastal Engineer” when he grew up.
He got pretty close.