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July E-News |
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Included in this edition:
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Statements on Israel, Iran, and Gaza |
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PSR Maine condemns the recent Israeli military attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and impores the two nations to continue to uphold the agreed upon ceasefire. These escalatory actions increase the risk of wider regional instability, endanger civilian lives, and undermine the critical need for diplomacy to advance nuclear arms control and nonproliferation.
PSR Maine, along with many other PSR Chapters, and National PSR, supported the June 13 statement from International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, calling for an immediate ceasefire. As healthcare professionals, we recognize the important role that nuclear-armed countries, and the United States in particular, can play in advancing diplomacy, and we call for immediate action toward nuclear abolition.
We are also deeply alarmed by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where healthcare systems are being devastated. Our community calls on Israel to uphold international humanitarian law, pursue diplomatic solutions with Iran, and join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to help reduce the global threat posed by nuclear weapons. |
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Remembrance and Reflection Event: 80th Anniversary of the Hiroshima & Nagasaki Bombings |
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Join us for a powerful evening of remembrance and reflection as we mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—an event that forever altered the course of history and the lives of generations.
We invite all members of the community: activists, students, scholars, families, and neighbors, to come together in collective remembrance and renewed commitment to peace.
Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025 |
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2025 Maine Legislative Report |
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We have reached the end of this year's legislative session. Below you'll find a summary of many of the priority bills that PSR Maine joined in advocating on alongside the Environmental Priorities Coalition. 100% Clean Energy by 2040 (LD 1868)
LD 1868, was signed into law by the Governor and advances Maine’s previous energy goals by a decade. It requires the state to transition its energy portfolio to 90 percent renewable sources and 10 percent low- or zero-carbon sources by 2040.
Clean Transportation (LD 1138)
LD 1138 was defeated in the House after a hard fought campaign and advocacy from many Mainers. The bill incorporated climate change considerations into transportation planning.
Energy Fairness Act (LD 1949)
LD 1949 was voted to be carried over to the second regular session that begins in January of 2026. This bill will establish year-round disconnection protections for people with medical conditions or disabilities, who rely on electricity.
A Maine Climate Superfund (LD 1870)
The Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted on May 14 to carry over LD 1870 to the second regular session. Learn more by reading the EPC factsheet on the Maine Climate Superfund Act.
Wabanaki Self-Determination (LD 395) LD 395 was carried over to the second regular session at the request of the Wabanaki Alliance. As a coalition, we will work to advocate for this bill, recognizing self-determination. |
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Advocacy with the Maine Attorney General |
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PSR Maine Board President, Sydney Sewall, MD joined Jacob Roche from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) for a meeting with the Maine Attorney General Frey. They presented a letter from scientists, engineers, and public health experts voicing strong support for Maine’s lawsuit against fossil fuel companies, citing overwhelming evidence of climate deception and the devastating impacts already unfolding across the state. The letter emphasized the urgent need for accountability to protect public health, vulnerable communities, and Maine’s future. UCS also had 112 non-experts do a separate "thank you" action, and shared the new UCS report Decades of Deceit. |
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New Analysis: Federal Policy Supports $3B in Clean Energy Investment in Maine |
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A new analysis of MIT/Rhodium Group Clean Investment Monitor data through the first quarter of 2025 show the enormous benefits of federal clean energy policies for Maine. This builds on a previous report National Resource Council of Maine issued in February.
When private investment is included, since the passage of the IRA in Q3 of 2022:
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Defend Our Health: PFAS Talk |
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You’re invited! Join Defend Our Health and Island Press for their next Defend Our Health: Authors & Friends webinar on Wednesday, July 15, at 1 PM ET. Register Here.
This conversation will feature Kristina Marusic, author of A New War on Cancer: The Unlikely Heroes Revolutionizing Prevention. An award-winning journalist, Marusic, shows that, collectively, we have the power to prevent many cases of cancer. That’s because two-thirds of all cancer cases are linked to preventable environmental causes from exposure to toxics like PFAS. Marusic will be joined by Dr. Rachel Criswell, a full-spectrum family medicine physician who researches and focuses on how environmental exposures impact the physical and mental health of her patients throughout their lifespan. In light of high levels of contamination in her rural agricultural community in Maine, her research has more recently focused on the human health impact of PFAS. Our executive director, Emily Carey Perez de Alejo, will also discuss what we know about PFAS-linked cancers, how we’re exposed to PFAS, and what we currently know about other health impacts of PFAS. |
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Give to PSR Maine |
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Thank you for your generous support of PSR Maine! To mail your contribution to us, please send a check to our mailing address: PSR Maine, 126 Western Ave #1012 Augusta ME 04330 Or point your camera at this QR code and you’ll be taken directly to our secure donor page: |
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