 Hi everybody, welcome to our climate petition send-off party. I just want to say thank you to everyone that's here right now I can't believe that we have so many people in standing room only So I'm Jessica Zatella and I'm Allison Trotling and we're here to talk to you about climate change So welcome to our climate petition send-off Directly after this event by the way we're going to be going down to the Department of Environmental Protection to give them our petition and We're going to call on them to reduce the greenhouse gases gas emissions and We're here today also with 350 main make sure you stop over to their table sign the youth petition if you haven't signed it yet Citizens Climate Lobby also want to give a thanks to them Conservation Law Foundation and our children's trust as well as this beautiful movement of the youth of America Standing up to make a change Thank you. Thank you Thank you. Now, please turn your attention to Charles Banger who will lead us in song It's beautiful everybody good job So We think that it is time for everyone to open their eyes to the world around us We live in a country that only a few months ago was Simultaneously burning from wildfires in the West and drowning from hurricane related flooding in the south. Yes storms happen all the time But have you noticed how many are happening around us lately? Right now our atmosphere co2 levels have reached over 400 parts per million going back over 800,000 years co2 levels never exceeded 300 parts per million and the rate of increase is now 50 times higher than it ever was historically This problem was not created by our generation, but It was fed by greed and addiction to fossil fuels And we are here to help and we are willing to help and we want to help Because this is our land and we will protect this Thank you So now I'd like to give a warm welcome to Phoebe from Ocean Ave. Elementary in second grade She's the youngest of our bunch and that does not mean that she is any less quieter or brilliant or bold in her Her quest to get this this beautiful environment and keep it safe So she's got a lot to say about protecting our planet. So here you go Phoebe Portland my name is Phoebe McDonald and I am in second grade at Ocean Ave. Elementary I'm here today to discuss the animals in the ocean. They are in danger there is There is too much plastic in the ocean Ocean animals think it's food in the eat it they Get tangled up in some of it seed turtles get straws stuck up their noses The ocean animals deserve to live in a dirty environment They get hurt with plastic plastic is wonderful because it is durable plastic is terrible because it is durable Stuff you use once for a few minutes stays in the environment for a long long time We didn't know before that plastic doesn't go away It breaks down into small and smaller pieces and Creates a smog of micro plastic in the ocean Here's one small thing we can do right now Stop using plastic straws when you don't need one Portland restaurants Don't give me straws when I don't ask for them stick straws use lots and lots of oil to Make and to transport We cannot They cannot be recycled did you know 500 million straws are Used every day in the United States to stop using them There are only a few kids who don't use straws in the cafeteria at my school I implore you to make the ocean a better place for all ocean animals Ocean Avenue elementary is the home of the dolphins. We should be their first protectors. Thank you Now do you have any does anyone have any questions I can take three questions I Can take three questions Any questions from anyone? Very good question Well, there is one solution to this There's one hour. Well, actually, there's a lot of solutions to this But there's one solution that's kind of better than the average We can either use no straws or we can start getting or persuading Portland restaurants to use paper straws and all plastic straws That that is also a very good question doing something they've been doing for like almost Decades well, well deck gap decades, but we can we can We can ask them to not use plastic straws or to Make it optional like if they want a straw or not before giving them say if they order Eliminate before like I'm asking like they should probably ask if They should probably ask before they give Before they give you a plastic straw or they can give you a paper straw if they start getting paper straws Yeah Well that I've already been starting to do It is difficult to purse. It's also difficult to persuade children my age and older and younger to stop using things we've been using for a long time and It's easier to persuade kids to do it So you just ask them nicely of they Well, they can get a straw if they want one or the cut or the Lunch people can stop giving out plastic straws. All right everyone. That was Phoebe Okay, so next up is Lucia a tenth grader from Casco Bay High School speaking on ocean acidification So oceans today are more acidic than they've been in 300 million years. So Lucia's gonna tell us a little bit about that Hi, everybody. I'm Lucia So former president Barack Obama once said we are the changes that we need to see Here in Maine We are blessed to have some of the most beautiful nature natural features in the world It is the views of the oceans lighthouses and the pine covered forests that draw people to our wonderful state However, it is the amazing people who keep them here We are so fortunate to call this beautiful city and state our home And we are the ones who will need to change what we are doing to help stop climate change Ocean acidification is a fast-coming problem that will affect us in monumental ways When excess co2 finds itself into the oceans It creates a problem with the pH level and it is the shellfish and other small organisms that will first be the ones to suffer Due to the lack of natural resources the shelf for the shellfish to build their shells We will see smaller shellfish and less of them This will affect the fishing Economy which is heavily relied on in Maine When I first learned about the effects that we were having on the ocean it developed extremely daunting and scary. I Was constantly hearing it's your task to fix this and it's your job However through education and many many conversations with peers teachers and parents about the future I realized that in order to fix this we'll need all ages all generations and all people To be part of the solution It is the love of Maine in the oceans that motivates so many including myself to fight for the climate I am fortunate enough to live on an island where I take a boat to school each and every day. I Feel that as Mainers it is our moral obligation to fix what we have done This problem is not something can be simply waved away It is something that needs to be addressed and acted upon not in a year not in 60 days not in a month But today and every day to follow Today we are turning a new page on our force of acting against climate change and helping our oceans The future of our worlds is not only in the hands of children and the younger generations But in the hands of every person on earth the speed that the climate is changing often feels alarming However, bit by bit it can seem less so everything that we can possibly do to fix it We need to the earth can survive whatever we put it through however without a healthy earth We will not Empowerment of others is what is what like what is happening right now is what will make the problems like ocean Specifications seem less daunting and more solvable. I truly believe that through uniting as a whole and Continuously sending out messages about the effect we are having we can make a difference With each step that we are taking we are gaining more information and becoming closer to our goal of a healthy and Substantable world with plenty of selfish to go around. Thank you Thank you so much Lucia that was inspiring So while this is this celebration is about Going against climate change which is affecting the entire world Sometimes it's necessary to narrow the scope to where we live and to take action on the problems within our own regions and towns So I'd like to introduce Cassidy Townsend from King Middle School and she's an eighth grader there talking about main season solutions So I'm Cassidy. I'm an eighth grade at King Middle School Our oceans are in danger and many if not all the creatures in the ocean are being led right down the path to extinction And we are to blame We've emitted things like methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and heavily polluted oceans Although the gases in the atmosphere will take centuries to dissipate taking action now will ensure that we are Starting the process of improvement instead of worsening the pollution levels taking place now Things like severe droughts food shortages floods and severe storms can be lessened by the climate adjusting back to its normal state It's crucial for us to take action before it's too late We need to meet the challenges of our warming planet now by reducing our carbon footprint switching to renewable energy sources and being innovative Reducing your carbon footprint is essential in order to ensure future for life on our planet Greenhouse gas emissions are causing temperature rise and causing large glaciers to melt and put fresh water into oceans The oceans are rising getting warmer causing the salinization and acidity levels to drop bring many species of fish closer to extinction Killing fish may not seem like much of a serious problem But it's a significant industry for places all around the world Including Maine and especially Portland where our working waterfront relies on local fishermen and women to provide fresh fish to Restaurants and fish markets locally and around the world reduce your carbon footprint with innovation Individual citizens can recycle drive less and turn off your lights drive electric vehicles take public transportation Purchase electricity from renewable sources and be smart consumers To do this on a larger scale the city of Portland and the state of Maine needs to switch to renewable energy sources today Harvesting the sun and wind are clean sources of energy and investing in this technology will create high skilled well-paying jobs Portland should demand that every new building project be net zero. I'm learning about net zero design in school I'm learning about net zero design in school and have designed a multi-family net zero home I visited Bayside anchor a passive house design and I've talked to architects Buildings account for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. So requiring net zero buildings would make a significant impact in reducing our carbon footprint We all need to work together to conquer the issues that the current generation created so that my generation and future generations Can have better opportunities for living on a healthy planet? Thank You Cassidy All right, so we are as Cassidy mentioned we are in the sixth mass extinction Ever on earth because this is the planet we live on this is the first one that has knowingly been caused by another species We knew what we were doing, but it's not too late and there is still time So let's have Anna from friend school. Tell us a little bit about that through a poem. Thank you At a climate meeting at King Middle School We were asked to tell everyone why we care why we are doing what we're doing now I was unsure of what to say. There were so many words. So what is my turn? I blurted I want to be an ornithologist. How can I study birds if there aren't any now again? I feel the same so many words, but someone I love told me to share what I believed was important So I wrote a poem Here we are soaring this planet is on our wings nestled on gleaming feathers our responsibility our trust We swoop and dive spiraling closer and closer to the heat the searing brightness If your children's children ask you about what happened how we failed tell them Tell them about how we were Icarus flying too close to the Sun Show them the horror as our feathers fell one by one scorched and lifeless Tell them how our planet earth mimic their fall and ask them who will be there to catch it build new wings Before the delicate glass balance of our earth is shattered broken Maybe not maybe what you tell future generations is the story of how Icarus listened Listen to his father Listen to the voices unified screaming save our planet and we carry earth on our wings once more Free as the birds soaring outside from the smallest chickadee and ran to the golden eagle Which story will you choose? How will you fly this planet? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Yeah, keep it coming awesome job So like we just sang moments ago Maine is a state that prides itself on its pristine beauty But this does not mean that we are immune to be plagued by pollution So I would like to invite Hunter Lechance up from Kennebunkport High School to talk about health and and Maine and with our Air pollution don't mind me Hello, my name is Hunter Lechance. I attend Kennebunk High School, and I'm an asthmatic in Fourth grade. I first started getting asthma attacks I have missed over 120 days of school with my asthma in sixth grade alone. I missed 32 days of school I'm here today to tell you what it's like to be an asthmatic and how the environment affects my asthma Many days when I did attend school the nurse would call my parents to come get me because my asthma would get worse I have been rushed to the emergency rooms multiple times I've had hours of doctors visits and practicing breathing just to give me an edge on my asthma It's not very fun. It's limited my ability to play some of my favorite sports and games It's changed my ability in my school work because of all my sick days Today my inhaler is in my backpack and every sports bag I own I was limited doing everything from playing hockey to a simple snowball fight, which was emotional for me I wish I could just be the old me, which was energetic and silly. I wanted to play outside But I couldn't I wanted to go back to school to see my friends, but I couldn't Asthma has serious effects on the body such as shortness of breath Trouble sleeping headaches dizziness and loss of appetite these effects came to a shock to me as I as I Tried to adjust to having asthma as many people with asthma will tell you This struggle makes everything hard So while I was home sick with asthma sometimes I would research my condition And I've started to learn more and more and I've realized how important it is for us to keep our air clean So as many know asthma is inflamed by many things Stress cold air pollen, but one of the big triggers is dirty air Pollutions is increasing things like ozone air particulates and other greenhouse gases Kids like me Air Force inside or on the sidelines on bad air days as we increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the air Natural occurrences like pollen releases are earlier and stronger as our climate warms According to the MC DCP Roughly 9.1 percent of Maine's children have asthma, which is higher than the national average and We get more and air pollution than many other states because of winds bring Pollutions from other states power plants and believe me as a child with asthma air is everything We need to keep Maine's air clean for the thousands of kids like me who suffer from asthma and for everyone else too Asthma is no fun. It's scary when I cannot breathe and I need to miss school and hang out indoors on bad air days Maine's Department of Environmental Protection must do more to clean and maintain man's air and lower its carbon emissions Because everybody deserves to breathe clean air Thank you for sharing Hunter so unfortunately environmental injustices will affect every aspect of your life and Sahara is going to tell us about how it affects your social aspect. So here's Sahara. No one is immune to this So she's gonna tell you a little about it Everyone sorry I Believe the state of Maine has the opportunity to advance and influence fellow states as well as ourselves to tackle climate change With just being here at our petitions end of With platform and the masses we can begin to acknowledge the absolute discrepancies that are at hand at a result of this deterioration We must also acknowledge that climate justice is a social justice issue Globally communities of color as well as those of low income are disproportionately affected by climate change We often have a closed concept of what or who is exactly being impacted by these disparities Did you know a key decider and where facilities that are toxic like coal power plants in this country are based on race These plants have been exposed to these people and these plants are exposed to dangerous hazards that get into their food and water supplies something the health of these communities Our people are being neglected. We know that we are all dependent on our environment and all its products Our climate is changing for the worst and this being is not a distant thought that can be put off or dwelt upon We really have an actual People with real experiences suffering already. This is why action and time is of the essence Locally climate change is costing jobs Livelihoods are being affected in our state. This is imminent What's going to happen years and years from now? What state will earth be left in for my children or theirs as well? Will a state as beautiful as ours still be known for its environment and or beauty? That's why we almost take it upon ourselves and are doing that today by taking the step forward and know the Actuality that this is our reality What is being asked is modest of our state for implementing positive change for all of us equally This petition is a step forward into the journey of perservation and efficiency. Thank you Thank You Saharla One thing that we all need to remember in this change in climate is that we are all inhabitants of this planet No matter the color of our skin how much money is there a bank or how old we are? So I would like to introduce a junior from Scarborough High School Ryan O'Leary to talk about social justice and the youth voice Standing in front of me. I see a crowd of teachers students lawmakers reporters What have you each of us living completely separate lives often fixated on our jobs studies and personal interests? That we tend to disregard the world at large and the earth that we live in But long before we could build up these alternate personas and reassuring titles. We were all one in the same We were all children of the earth What we so often sees to understand is that we depend on the nature around us to give us life and prosperity and In our so beautiful and beloved state of Maine We often take for granted the pure beauty and resources this land has to offer From bountiful fresh spring water to vast forests of untouched spruce and prine Pines falling across the horizon far beyond the eye can see From soft ocean breeze majestic waves crashing at my feet These are the delicate wonders of this land that we depend on that we thrive on and now Presented in front of us is perhaps the greatest challenge of our generation will face Our so beloved land of Maine is dying and we have both the obligation and the duty to save it and Working with both the Maine Youth Environmental Association and more locally the Environmental Club of Scarborough I have truly witnessed a new wave of positive action and change to combat this issue Students now more than ever are speaking up and taking action against climate change by working within their schools and communities in Starting recycling and composting programs leading and attending climate marches Banning civilware from their lunchrooms writing and meeting with members of Congress and even installing or planning to install solar panels on their schools and Through it all students are coming together joining forces and are ready to put an end to this chaotic mess. We have in front of us But this issue is going to take a lot more work And we need the full support of the DEP if we want a future of our rising generation If we cannot take bigger state-level actions, then we are looking at a catastrophic Catastrophic sorry Future full of ocean acidity increases rising sea levels heat waves and droughts and severe health hazards to name a few So now let us remove our masks and forget our titles and remember who we really are We are stewards of this land children of the earth and we must do whatever is in our ability to protect it Thank you. Thank you. I'd now like to introduce Angus Ferguson one of the key lawyers in helping to draft this petition Angus So I've kind of hung around this effort for a while Open some envelopes and taken some minutes at meetings and and I just want to thank all of the people who've Help bring this petition to the place. It is today I could name so many. I have to certainly name Sarah Lechance who Really spearheaded much of the first effort to get this petition before the voters But I'm mostly here to introduce the person who's been at the center of it all The person who really wrote this petition The person who showed up at just about every meeting for the legal team for youth engagement for planning this event and that is Beth Valentine It does my heart good to hear all the previous speakers such wisdom coming from the mouth of babes These kids get it climate change is real Climate change is dangerous and climate change must be addressed now And that's what we're here to do today specifically to ask the main department of environmental protection to fulfill its statutory constitutional and public trust obligations to do its part to Protect all present and future citizens of the state of Maine From the worst effects of climate change by adopting rules to implement a 15 year old law Back in 2003 the state of Maine was a self-declared leader in efforts to address climate change and that year The legislature adopted an act entitled an act to provide leadership in addressing the threat of climate change Among other things the law established short medium and long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions The good news is that Maine achieved the short-term goal in 2010 and is on track to meet the mid-term goal in 2020 By DEP's own report these emission reductions have largely been done Come about as a result of replacing high-carbon fuels with natural gas That is market forces rather than concerted intentional effort have resulted in emission reductions And while Maine's emissions have been declining since their peak in 2003 They have been not declining at a fast enough rate to prevent the real and immediate threat posed by climate change So that brings us to the third goal established by that 2003 law As you can see on the banner behind me the long-term goal of Maine is quote is To reduce greenhouse gas emissions quote sufficient to eliminate any dangerous threat to the climate to accomplish this goal Reduction of 75 to 80 percent below 2003 levels may be required And we are here today to demand that DEP adopt rules to implement the statutory goal By developing rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 75 to 80 percent below 2003 levels Put another way. We are seeking annual emission reductions of at least 8 percent per year This rate of reduction is based on the best available peer-reviewed climate science Which indicates that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations must return to 350 parts per million by centuries end in order to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change As a point of reference and it has been mentioned earlier this afternoon pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were 280 parts per million and the globally average concentration in 2016 was 403.3 parts per million Clearly we have a lot of work to do and of course Maine cannot solve climate change on our own That is why we are working in partnership with our children's trust an organization That elevates the voice of youth to secure the legal right To a stable climate and healthy environment for the benefit of all present and future generations Together we are seeking systemic science-based emission reduction and climate recovery policies at all level of government international federal state and municipal Here in Maine 696 registered voters from at least 108 communities from wallow grass to wells and Welled to Whiting have signed the petition Along with dozens of youth who are too young to vote yet who will bear the greatest cost of unchecked climate change Following the event this afternoon. Some of us will be delivering the petition which is on that table in that green box To DEP's Portland office and I invite as many of you who are able to come to please do so Once DEP has the petition it will be required by the Maine Administrative Procedures Act to initiate rulemaking proceedings within 60 days Accordingly we expect to have a public hearing sometime this spring and again I invite you to join us to come to Augusta to testify and to press DEP to develop rules to ensure that present and future Generations of Mainers are able to secure their legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate system Because of course these are resources that we all depend upon for our survival and well-being Thank you, Beth you're so integral to this whole petition that we had to give you a special introduction there So I would just like to reiterate that after this event We will be going to the DEP to drop off the petitions and if you have not already up over there You can sign it. It's a youth petition because the official ones are done, but every signature matters So I would like to re-invite Charles Spagner up to the stage tomorrow Front really to lead us in a chance to close out this event. Thank you everyone so much The delegation that is going to be presenting the petitions is going to be leaving in an electric vehicle Which will be out front. So it would be nice if we could all gather there and send them off joyously What do we want? What do we need solar farms offshore wind Ocean waves Tidal to rooftop sun Heat pumps to brand new grid Cut co2 What do we want? What do we need? Electric cars Charge it here electric trucks Charge it there Electric bikes and buses to fast new trains and bike lanes to What do we want? What do we need carbon sinks? Build the soil organic farms Don't use oil Green manure eat less meat Locally grown Grow your own Common ground Urban green Island life Lobster catch Sea run fish Hiking trails Great big parks and dear to my heart salmon run Thank you very much Thank you