Professor Charles Tilburg, of UNE; Glen Brand, Director of Maine Sierra Club Chapter; Sarah Lachance and Bob Klotz, of 350 Maine at Press Conference This Morning.
Sarah Lachance, Spokeswoman for 350 Maine, Models a Life Vest to be Given to Senator Collins.
Professor Charles Tilburg, an Oceanographer, at University of New England.
Glen Brand, Director of the Maine chapter of the ‘Sierra Club, at Today’s Press Conference.
Mainers called upon Senator Susan Collins (R) to reject The Donald Elect’s proposed cabinet of climate deniers to head the EPA, Energy and State Departments at a press conference this morning. The press conference was hosted by the Sierra Club and 350 Maine in downtown Portland.
The press conference was in advance of a protest to be held this afternoon at 3:00 pm at the offices of Senator Collins at One Canal Plaza. Although she is one of the few Republican Senators to accept “the scientific consensus on climate change and supports action to address the climate crisis, she’ll play a pivotal role in approving or rejecting Trump’s fossil fuel cabinet,” said Glen Brand, director, of the Maine chapter of the Sierra Club.
Professor Charles Tilburg, University of New England, and a physical oceanographer, said in part in his keynote address: “The 10 hottest years on record have happened since 1998 and 2016 is on track to be the hottest of them all. …..the Northeast has experienced a dramatic (74%) increase in the number of heaviest rainfalls since 1950. Floods have threatened our homes and coastal regions.
The ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Maine are warming at a greater rate than 99% of the world’s oceans. This warming has affected the Gulf of Maine’s beautiful and productive, but extremely fragile, ecosystem. Populations of fish and other seafood have shifted due to these changes, affecting our fisherman and our economy. Warming waters of the Gulf of Maine will most likely continue to reduce the populations of cod and northern shrimp, but increase those populations of hake and squid,” Professor Tilburg added.
This coalition is also opposed to the rest of Trump’s cabinet proposals – including Jeff Sessions who is his nominee for attorney general. It has just been learned that Senator Collins intends to introduce Sessions, a known racist, at his Tuesday confirmation hearing. Please feel free to contact Collins office to register your opposition to her involvement in his confirmation. Her Portland office number is: 207 – 780-3575.
“We will be presenting this life preserver to Senator Collins staff this afternoon. The way things are going she will need it the next time she visits Portland,” said Sarah Lachance kidding with those assembled at the press conference at 44 Oak Street this morning. (See upper right photo of Lachance.)
Please see post dated January 5, 2017 herein on the protest at Senator Collins’ Office. The public is invited to attend.