Tar Sands in Maine

The Sierra Club Maine and the First Parish Church Environmental Justice team are co-sponsoring a public forum on Thursday, November 29th at 7PM in Fellowship Hall in Pilgrim House of the First Parish Church (on Cleaveland Street, Brunswick).

They will talk about a proposed plan to pump tar sands (diluted bitumen) through a 60 year old pipeline from Canada through Maine's Lakes Region, past Sebago Lake and to Portland Harbor and then shipment on Casco Bay.

The forum will feature a presentation about the realities and risks of shipping tar sands through pipelines, including the economic and environmental impacts to communities on and near the pipeline route from Bethel to South Portland and the impacts on climate change. Presenters include: Glen Brand, Director of the Sierra Club Maine, and Montreal attorney, Shelley Kath, who is a Senior Consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington DC.

Please go and invite friends in the community.

-----
Here is a regularly updated list of other things Cory writes

A Dissapointed Mainer

Somehow the Maine Senate seems to have lost it's mind. York County Republican Senator Courtney introduced a Joint Resolution Memorializing the President and the Congress of the United States to Support the Completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The resolution suggested a number of falsehoods including that the pipeline would create a substantial number of jobs - certainly we would not get any jobs in Maine with from this pipeline.

Along with nearly 2,000 other Mainers, I signed a petition last week asking the the senate to oppose the resolution. Sadly, somehow, the vote was passed 17-15.

Tar sands oil and its acquisition, production, transportation, and usage is one of the dirtiest fossil fuels on the planet. I had a feeling that Maine was ready to move forward in support of environmentally-supportive energy choices.

Amid my disappointment, I am left asking myself what the legislature is even doing wasting time on this issue. With only a few weeks left in this session Maine legislators should be focused on improving Maine's economy and environment.

The only thing left to do is to contact the Senators who supported this Resolution and contact Representatives to make sure they know our minds on this issue and keep working at home.