I am a member of Third Act Maine, a group of Maine elders, volunteers working to reduce the danger of climate change. We are part of a coalition of environmental groups that has been trying to meet with Maine PERS to discuss their decision to defy the law that the Legislature passed in 2021, instructing them to divest from fossil fuel investments.

We intend to protest outside the Maine PERS building in Augusta before their monthly meetings, until we see progress regarding divestment. If this kind of action appeals to you, you can join our meetings on the third Sunday of every month, at 11:15 a.m., upstairs in the Universalist Unitarian Church of Waterville.

Here is a letter I will be presenting to MainePERS staff and trustees:

You may be wondering why people are standing in protest outside your building. I hope to explain this, as a way of pointing out that ultimately, we have similar goals, and we should be communicating to see if we can work together. My wife is a retired teacher and a MainePERS beneficiary.

Both your agency and my group, the Third ACT Maine, have legitimate reasons for what we do. But we have very different backgrounds, and that enables us to see different truths — not opposite positions, but different issues, both important. Your background has taught you to invest safely and to maximum benefit, and I recognize that this is essential.

My background in science and social science convinces me that it is wise to believe climate scientists. Other scientists expose scientists who falsify their data or exaggerate their conclusions, and these cheaters quickly lose their reputations and careers. We see evidence in the news most weeks that our weather is becoming more dangerous. To learn more about this, watch the PBS documentaries “The Trick” and “The Scientists’ Warning.”

In contrast, politicians and the political media don’t lose their careers if they lie to us. For them, lying is a tool of the trade. The fossil fuel industry is taking advantage of this, donating hundreds of millions of dollars each year to induce politicians, lobbyists and the political media to portray the climate crisis as if it were not a real or important issue. (Want evidence? Google “iM InfluenceMap.”)

Meanwhile, climate scientists keep telling us that our children’s lives are at great risk and that our climate is changing at an alarming rate, faster than previously known. The protesters outside your building have children and grandchildren, and we believe that addressing this danger is the most important issue of our lives.

Fossil fuel corporations listen to money, so whether you divest or not will have much more influence over our future than anything the average Mainer does.

Here’s the important point: We’re still on track for climate disaster and transitioning to a safe path is not a sure thing. Staying invested keeps us stuck in a Business as Usual that is unacceptably dangerous for our families. The last years of our lives, and our children’s lives cannot be adequately protected unless every responsible adult does what they can to help.

So please commit to finding a way to both safeguard Maine’s pension plan and safeguard our children’s lives by divesting from fossil fuels. Other states and major cities are working on this.

Please respond to invitations you have received from Scott Budde and Don Witherill to discuss your future direction.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Douglas Rooks: Finding something universal, unifying in the moment of the eclipse

Next »

Opinion: Maine dairy urgently needs state support