PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – The first annual Cool Congress, which will originate from the University of Maine at Augusta Oct. 3, will help give local residents an opportunity to learn how they can turn their community into a greener, healthier, more energy efficient place. The conference is being organized by the Maine Partners for Cool Communities, a collaboration of non-profit groups working to develop local climate action and smart energy solutions. Co-sponsors include Efficiency Maine, Sierra Club Maine, and New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
Residents in northern Maine can participate at the University of Maine at Machias or University of Maine at Presque Isle campus through an interactive television [ITV] link.
“This conference is designed to provide tools for people concerned with energy and climate change who want to make a difference in their community,” said Andy Burt of the Maine Partners for Cool Communities. “It’s also an opportunity to meet other people who are interested in energy climate issues and to do some networking.”
Burt and Joan Saxe were in Aroostook County recently conducting forums in Houlton, Presque Isle and Fort Kent spreading the word about the upcoming Cool Congress.
“The Congress is really the culmination of work we’ve been doing for five years,” said Saxe. “We’ve got about 50 communities throughout the state on board with our climate action and smart energy solution initiative. We’ve been busy making a lot of calls and bringing people together.”
Bill McKibben, author, environmentalist, and international spokesperson on climate change, will kick off the day’s events via ITV. McKibben will address the importance of local action in tackling the global problem of climate change. He founded “350.org,” a non-profit organization dedicated to limiting the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to an international standard of 350 parts per million.
“It’s amazing to see the world coming together around the science of climate change,” said McKibben. “It’s going to take hard work for many years in every corner of the planet – from Cape Town to Bar Harbor – to get us back to 350. But it’s finally starting to happen; the movement is building, which is the best news I’ve seen in 20 years’ of working on global warming.”
The morning plenary session will include John Kerry, Maine’s director of energy independence; Suzanne Watson from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, and Rhett Lamb of Keene, N.H.’s ambitious energy programs.
Melissa Walsh Innes of Yarmouth is one of several state legislators who will be participating in the event. She will speak about legislation she intends to bring to the next session in Augusta.
“This legislation is designed to encourage Maine municipalities to establish energy or sustainability committees to reduce energy costs and consumption,” said Innes.
Three sets of concurrent workshop sessions will feature employees from Efficiency Maine and other state agencies, practitioners in energy conservation and renewable energy technology, and experienced volunteers from Kittery to Aroostook County.
Concurrent Workshop Session 1 will run from 11 a.m.-noon and will include three options: “Organizing Locally 101: Organizing and Building an Effective Cool Communities Program,” “Community Hands-On Approaches,” and “Municipal Approaches to Energy Efficiency.” Lunch will be served at noon.
Concurrent Workshops in Session 2 include “Achieving Residential Energy Efficiency,” “Promoting Public and Alternative Transportation,” and “Renewable Energy Projects for Municipalities.”
Session 3 Workshop topics include “Local and Regional Planning for Sustainability,” “Energy-Related Funding Opportunities for Towns,” and “State-Local Energy Policy and Legislation.”
In Augusta, the day’s program will conclude with an optional tour of Hannaford’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum-rated supermarket in Augusta.
The conference, which runs from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., costs $25, including lunch. For more information or to register, log onto www.coolmaine.org and click on “2009 Conference,” or call Sandy at 761-5616.
Burt encourages Aroostook County residents to take part in the online conference.
“It’s really important to knit together the whole state at local levels,” she said, “so people creating energy solutions in their own communities can learn from others. There are a lot of knowledgeable people out there and we can all benefit from sharing information and resources.”
Residents in northern Maine can participate at the University of Maine at Machias or University of Maine at Presque Isle campus through an interactive television [ITV] link.
“This conference is designed to provide tools for people concerned with energy and climate change who want to make a difference in their community,” said Andy Burt of the Maine Partners for Cool Communities. “It’s also an opportunity to meet other people who are interested in energy climate issues and to do some networking.”
Burt and Joan Saxe were in Aroostook County recently conducting forums in Houlton, Presque Isle and Fort Kent spreading the word about the upcoming Cool Congress.
“The Congress is really the culmination of work we’ve been doing for five years,” said Saxe. “We’ve got about 50 communities throughout the state on board with our climate action and smart energy solution initiative. We’ve been busy making a lot of calls and bringing people together.”
Bill McKibben, author, environmentalist, and international spokesperson on climate change, will kick off the day’s events via ITV. McKibben will address the importance of local action in tackling the global problem of climate change. He founded “350.org,” a non-profit organization dedicated to limiting the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to an international standard of 350 parts per million.
“It’s amazing to see the world coming together around the science of climate change,” said McKibben. “It’s going to take hard work for many years in every corner of the planet – from Cape Town to Bar Harbor – to get us back to 350. But it’s finally starting to happen; the movement is building, which is the best news I’ve seen in 20 years’ of working on global warming.”
The morning plenary session will include John Kerry, Maine’s director of energy independence; Suzanne Watson from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, and Rhett Lamb of Keene, N.H.’s ambitious energy programs.
Melissa Walsh Innes of Yarmouth is one of several state legislators who will be participating in the event. She will speak about legislation she intends to bring to the next session in Augusta.
“This legislation is designed to encourage Maine municipalities to establish energy or sustainability committees to reduce energy costs and consumption,” said Innes.
Three sets of concurrent workshop sessions will feature employees from Efficiency Maine and other state agencies, practitioners in energy conservation and renewable energy technology, and experienced volunteers from Kittery to Aroostook County.
Concurrent Workshop Session 1 will run from 11 a.m.-noon and will include three options: “Organizing Locally 101: Organizing and Building an Effective Cool Communities Program,” “Community Hands-On Approaches,” and “Municipal Approaches to Energy Efficiency.” Lunch will be served at noon.
Concurrent Workshops in Session 2 include “Achieving Residential Energy Efficiency,” “Promoting Public and Alternative Transportation,” and “Renewable Energy Projects for Municipalities.”
Session 3 Workshop topics include “Local and Regional Planning for Sustainability,” “Energy-Related Funding Opportunities for Towns,” and “State-Local Energy Policy and Legislation.”
In Augusta, the day’s program will conclude with an optional tour of Hannaford’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum-rated supermarket in Augusta.
The conference, which runs from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., costs $25, including lunch. For more information or to register, log onto www.coolmaine.org and click on “2009 Conference,” or call Sandy at 761-5616.
Burt encourages Aroostook County residents to take part in the online conference.
“It’s really important to knit together the whole state at local levels,” she said, “so people creating energy solutions in their own communities can learn from others. There are a lot of knowledgeable people out there and we can all benefit from sharing information and resources.”
