Both/and

During a recent meeting with a fellow climate activist and implementer of solutions here in Maine, my colleague said to me: “I think a lot of people currently feel like climate action needs to take a back burner to the work of saving democracy.” This colleague is deeply embedded in action in her community and she spoke to trends she was seeing in engagement right now, as well as direct communication she was hearing from participants in her local climate committee. 

I thought about her words for some time, turning them over carefully as I walked with my dog through woods where the natural world is awakening with the hopeful energy that, for me, characterizes spring here in Maine. Was she right? I have certainly heard similar thoughts and feelings from others. Are we in a time in which individuals feel that climate change is less urgent than other very significant challenges at-hand?

Then I returned home, looked at my children, ages five and eight and brimming with that same hopeful energy characterized by spring, and I thought: “It can’t be either/or. I want both, for them and for all of us. I want a healthy democracy and a liveable future.”

The bad news here is, we don’t have time to put climate action on the back burner, if we are to meaningfully preserve a chance of avoiding pretty dire climate-related fall-out worldwide. Remember, we are catching up on climate action that should have been occurring for decades. 

The good news, however, is that it is not an either/or. Action to preserve a healthy democracy and action to address climate change are powerfully intertwined. When we work to preserve pathways for community members, and, in particular, lower income community members to own solar energy generation, this is an important part of working for energy democracy and fighting the concentration of power (and associated political spending) within our monopoly investor-owned utilities. When we participate in local climate leadership, whether through town committees or at other municipal meetings, we increase involvement in the democratic functioning of our local governments. When we cultivate networks of collaboration, shared-learning, and supportive, accelerated climate action, we ensure that Maine maintains its momentum as a leader in climate solutions regardless of the federal leadership’s threats to our state. When we provide consistent, clear communication on important topics related to the fossil fuel industry and utility companies’ attempts to fight climate action, we combat misinformation campaigns that simultaneously fuel the attempted dismantling of democracy. When we come together at an event with local artists, we power our resistance as the creative process draws us together in shared vision.

The fact is this: maintaining our commitment to community-driven climate action ensures that climate response is held democratically. Not giving up this incredibly urgent work is resistance, resistance to being forced to choose between a healthy democracy and a healthy planet, instead making a reinvigorated commitment to celebrate the many ways in which the two are intertwined. 

And so, now is the time to ask ourselves: how might the energy we feel to resist authoritarian takeover also fuel our work in climate solutions? I know that, for me, the two exist in a mutually beneficial relationship, with one inspiring the other in a continuous, positive cycle. It is not either/or. It is, as my dear husband loves to say, both/and.

So what does climate action look like at this moment? The following are key themes we see rising to the top right now:

Climate action is building communities of care 

We need community, now more than ever. Over ACTT’s nearly ten years of work in climate solutions, the importance of community has been the most consistent throughline. Community drives implementation grounded in local priorities, community creates capacity, and community sustains engagement. Through community action, our impact is magnified, rippling far beyond any individual. And, as we face a disintegration in respectful dialogue, in human rights, and in kindness and face increasing resilience challenges, community connection grounded in care is more important than ever. 

Through offerings like our recent book club and the Climate Ambassadors program and through work on projects like establishing peer-to-peer check-in networks, we dive into this very essential aspect of climate action.

Climate action is providing clear information 

Our right to accessible, clear information is a democratic right. Unfortunately, while we have never had access to so much information, we have also never had access to so much misinformation, driven by interests that might not be aligned with the health of our community or our democracy. ACTT also holds a strong commitment to providing clear information focused on community empowerment through understanding. Our recent participation in the Energy Democracy series through Maine Climate Action Now!, our work providing information related to net energy billing, and our work through our educational programming and our blog is all aimed at supporting informed, clear decision-making and increased access to important advocacy opportunities.

Climate action is bringing people together in participatory planning and action, sharing together in our capacity to make a difference 

The best plans in service of local communities are those developed with a high degree of community participation and implemented in highly transparent, similarly community-infused processes. We have seen this to be true in our work in resilience and climate action planning and in project development and implementation, particularly as we support the island towns. And through programs like Local Leads the Way, we build networks that increase our capacity to make a difference through collaboration, as we come together with other community-driven climate initiatives from across the state of Maine.

Climate action is democratizing our energy system 

Democratization of our energy system accelerates climate solutions and the health of our democratic institutions, both of which are handicapped by the power of monopoly utilities and their associated political spending. Energy democracy increases the ability of local communities to build local equity, address energy vulnerability and inequity, increase local energy resilience and reliability, and, generally, realize an energy system that maximally aligns with community needs and priorities. 

Climate action is creative 

There is no question that successful climate work has always relied on a high degree of creativity, but this has never been more true. Right now, our staff meetings at ACTT are often focused on the creative pivots, adjustments, and strategy needed to ensure not only the continuation of community-driven climate solutions, but their acceleration, as communities step up to fill the leadership void left by the federal government. And we celebrate the importance of creativity as we host events such as the recent artist panel and begin plans for some exciting upcoming collaborations with local artists to fuel shared vision.

Climate action is resistance

We hope you will join us as we continue our commitment to climate action and uphold and invigorate that commitment as an act of resistance. We hope to see you at an upcoming event! You can also support our work by spreading the word and sharing this newsletter. As always, please reach out with any questions or to share your own ideas for action at this moment.