Maine Grassroots Climate Action Conference 2017

Local Grassroots Organizing 101
Designed for people new to local organizing, this session provides an introduction to basic grassroots organizing approaches and strategies.

Presenter:
Glen Brand, Sierra Club Maine, Director
Denny Gallaudet, Chair, Cumberland Climate Action Team

Maine’s Clean Energy Future
This workshop will demonstrate how clean energy technologies offer an opportunity to build an energy future that produces large consumer, economic, and climate benefits. Acadia Center’s Vision 2030 and GridSolar’s distributed generation and non-transmission alternatives work in the Boothbay area led to policy roadmaps to create a zero emissions energy strategy.

Presenters:
Kathleen Meil, Policy Advocate, Acadia Center

Community Energy, Local Power Local Benefits
This workshop covers information on Solar Power Purchase Agreements and how to develop and implement a SOLARIZE YOUR TOWN effort.

Presenters:
Andrew Kahrl, Revision Energy
Mike Wilson, Solarize Brunswick

Town Government Action
Learn about the climate solutions that Maine municipal governments are successfully implementing from the three community sustainable coordinators in Maine.

Presenters:
Troy Moon, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Portland
Kimberly Darling, Sustainability Coordinator, Town of Falmouth
Julie Rosenbach, Sustainability Coordinator, City of South Portland

Youth Climate Organizing
This session will focus on the impressive efforts by King Middle School students to get their town leaders to commit to 100% clean energy, and the impactful organizing on divestment and other climate justice issues on Maine college campuses.

Presenters:
Gus Goodwin, Teacher, King Middle School, Portland
Chloe Maxim, 350 Maine

Weatherizing Maine Through Energy Efficiency
This workshop will focus on that all-important first step to transitioning away from fossil fuels. We will discuss how we can help homeowners take steps that will save energy and money. Presenters will discuss what energy auditors are looking for and some simple steps home-owners can take to improve efficiency and the various program and help available from Efficiency Maine.

Presenters:
Emily Mottram, Architect Energy Specialist
Dana Fisher, Residential Program Manager, Efficiency Maine

Local Grassroots Organizing 102: Power-Mapping
Mapping the power and influences in your community is a proven campaign planning strategy. Learn how to integrate power-mapping in your local campaigns.

Presenters:
Allyson Samuell, Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 Campaign
Glen Brand, Sierra Club Maine, Director

Cutting Costs & Energy Usage: Help for Low-income Families
This workshop will focus on ways of identifying and providing help to low-income families to weatherize and take energy efficient measures, reduce energy costs & reduce use of fossil fuels. Presenters will discuss how Maine’s Community Action Programs reach out to to low income families to weatherize homes and describe Efficiency Maine’s programs that target low income families.

Presenters:
Cheryl Shattenberg, Western Maine Community Action
Peter Thayer, Western Maine Community Action
Dana Fischer, Efficiency Maine

Fundraising Fundamentals
With a great story about your project and a credible budget to support it in hand, your Climate Action Team is ready to fundraise. This workshop will provide you with information and tools you need to develop a grant proposal and/or fundraising appeal to potential donors. Tips for creating a budget that sells your project and some hidden funding prospects in your own backyard will be covered.

Presenters:
Anne D. Burt, Maine Council of Churches
Leigh Cameron, Program Manager with the New England Grassroots Environment Fund

Creative Fundraising Models to Empower Local Communities
Is your group looking to diversify its funding stream beyond traditional grants and donations? Join us to learn about alternative fundraising models that local groups are using to not only build up their financial resources but also to build a stronger grassroots movement. We’ll share exciting models such as community revolving loan funds as a way to encourage local investments, crowd-funding through online campaigns, and shared gifting to build partnerships and reciprocity among local organizations and to shift decision-making authority around funding to community leaders. In addition to learning about how to replicate these models in your community we’ll discuss how fundraising can be much more than just a necessary task to fund your work, but also a strategy through which you can actively further your mission and philosophy.

Presenters:
Anne D. Burt, Maine Council of Churches
Leigh Cameron, Program Manager with the New England Grassroots Environment Fund

Ready For 100 – Moving Toward a Clean Energy Economy
Mobilize public support to convince our leaders of our cities, businesses and institution to be powered by clean energy. Our vision is to accelerate clean energy and energy savings in our homes buildings and cars to squeeze out dirty energy powering our country with 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Presenters:
Allyson Samuel, Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 Campaign
Tica Douglas, Portland Climate Action Team Member
Allen Armstrong, Portland Climate Action Team Member

Community Energy: Local Power, Local Benefits & Cities Laying the Groundwork for a Clean Energy Future
The College of the Atlantic (COA) Community Energy Center offers continuity and support to a variety of energy initiatives so that they may be replicated and scaled in communities across the state. Students working with the Center research, develop, and implement innovative projects that enable people and business owners to reap the financial and social benefits of transitioning away from fossil fuels. Projects include bulk purchases of energy efficiency work, alternative heating systems, residential and community solar, and alternative transportation.

Presenters:
Andrea Russell, COA Program Manager
Suzanne Watson, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)'s corporate business membership program

Sustainable Horticulture and Agriculture for Your Local Community
Promoting best practices in soil building in landscaping and community gardens is a great way Climate Action Teams make progress addressing climate disruption. Specific approaches to working gardens can increase carbon uptake, reduce water use and pollution while improving native habitat. Community Gardens are also a strategy to increase local food production, reducing transportation carbon footprint, increasing local self reliance and community involvement, and promoting better community health.

Presenters:
Ivan J. Fernandez, Professor in the School of Forest Resources, Climate Change Institute, and School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine
David Homa, Certified Permaculture Designer

Great Projects to Start Your CAT Action
Your Climate Action Team is ready to take on issues and campaigns to slow climate disruption and educate the public about climate change. Here are two proven activities volunteers can engage in.

Presenters:
Laura Seaton, Director of Community Builds for the Window Dressers, Inc.
Vaughn Woodruff, Insource Renewables

Cleaner, Greener Transportation: Public Transportation, Mobility, and the Electric Vehicle Future

Presenter:
Tony Giambro, Paris Auto Barn

Creating Sustainable Business Practices
This workshop focuses on organizing and developing a sustainable business climate in Maine and example of how a fast-paced brewery business in Maine has developed a sustainable business program.

Presenters:
Luke Truman, Sustainability Coordinator, Allagash Brewery
David Levine, CEO 7 Co-founder: American Sustainable Business Council

Creating A “Climate Change” Message
Now more than ever, we need to expand our efforts to reach people, educate them and engage them
This workshop focuses on a Climate Change Toolkit that helps explain climate change to people in Maine and how to talk effectively to Mainers about climate change.

Presenter:
Elizabeth Rogers, SVP, Marketing & Communications CEI Administration and General Management