Earth Day is about a week away and there is a lot to celebrate and many ways to do so. Our natural resources are among our greatest assets and a primary driver of Maine’s economy. Last year, the state made historic investments in our outdoors and addressed the greatest threat to our environment and natural resources – climate change.
Earlier this year, my colleagues put our state motto, Dirigo, into practice by leading on several pieces of groundbreaking legislation to combat climate change and advance climate resiliency.
Maine passed the first bill of its kind in the country that shifts the cost of package recycling from consumers to manufacturers. Previously, property tax payers were responsible for footing the bill for municipal package recycling. This law incentivizes producers to be more mindful of packaging waste while also lowering the tax burden on Maine communities.
The Legislature also passed a bill to establish the Maine clean energy accelerator, also known as a Green Bank, the first of its kind in Maine. The Green Bank leverages public and private funds to invest in projects that advance clean energy, energy efficiency and climate resiliency. It prioritizes investments to low-income and underserved communities and increases access to low-interest loans, reducing economic barriers to energy efficiency home improvement projects such as solar panels and heat pumps.
The Legislature also passed into law a directive to the agency responsible for regulating public utilities requiring that it include climate and greenhouse gas emissions as part of its work regulating state utilities in order to meet our emissions reduction goals.
We further took the lead on addressing the threat that forever chemicals, commonly referred to as PFAS, pose to human and environmental health. I am proud to have joined my colleagues this winter to continue the good work already accomplished on many of these fronts, but especially on tackling the PFAS crisis facing our communities.
With the understanding that much more is needed to combat climate change, it is important to recognize and celebrate the progress we have made.
This year, in honor of Earth Day, the Maine Audubon Society will host its ninth annual outdoor film festival with a special conservation-themed version of the film tour. The festival will take place on April 22 at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth and will feature a variety of short, independent films, a raffle and an evening celebration of Earth Day. To learn more, visit the Maine Audubon Society’s website.
The Girl Scouts Green ME Up Earth Day event is back in person at the L.L. Bean Discover Park in Freeport this year. The event will take place this Saturday, April 16, beginning at 10 a.m. and will include interactive and earth-friendly activities featuring organizations like WormMainea, ecomaine, Junior Maine Guides and others.
The Maine Sierra Club will also host a range of activities and events over the Earth Day weekend such as community clean-ups and group hikes.
If you’d like to register a new community clean-up for Gorham or Scarborough, you can do so here. Clean-up participants will have an opportunity to win a prize from Patagonia after submitting a form and photos of their trash haul.
With longer days and warmer weather on the horizon, there will be more opportunities to get outside and enjoy Maine’s greatest asset, our environment.
As a member of the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee, it is my job to work with my colleagues in Augusta to help ensure we can continue to recreate, do business and enjoy Maine’s natural resources for years to come. I am committed to this work and look forward to celebrating Earth Day with many of you next week.
Rep. Jim Boyle, D-Gorham, is serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives and previously served two years in the Maine State Senate. He is a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Contact him at Jim.Boyle@legislature.maine.gov.