December E-News

A Season of Gratitude and Giving

The challenges to planetary health are expanding, from climate policy rollbacks to growing nuclear risks, demanding bold action—and you are key to our response. Help us reach our $15,000 end-of-year goal to keep Maine at the forefront of health-driven advocacy for climate and nuclear safety. Your tax-deductible gift powers critical initiatives, including training health professionals to advocate for policy change, growing statewide coalitions like Mainers to End Nuclear Dangers and the Alliance of Maine Health Professionals for Climate Action, and investing in young leaders to sustain this work. With your support, we can provide resources, fund advocacy, and strengthen communication efforts. Every dollar makes an impact! Thanks for your gift! 
 

Included in this edition:

  • Maine AG Sues Fossil Fuel Companies for Deceiving Mainers about Climate Change

  • This is What Nuclear Disarmament Leadership Looks Like: Help Us Thank Congresswoman Pingree!

  • Event Recap: The Critical Role of Healthcare Professionals in the Climate Crisis
  • Help Safe Schools, Safe Communities' Initiative Cross the Finish Line! 

  • Webinar: Embedding Environmental Sustainability into Your Daily Practice

  • Americans Who Tell the Truth Portraits on display in Lewiston
  • Event: Watch Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony Honoring Nihon Hidankyo Hibakusha
  • NEJM Call for Climate + Health Images
  • We Need Your Help to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat!
 

Attorney General Sues Fossil Fuel Companies for Deceiving Mainers about Climate Change!
On November 26, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that he filed suit in state court against Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP, Sunoco, and the American Petroleum Institute for deceiving Mainers for decades about the role of their fossil fuel products in causing climate change. The State seeks to hold the Defendants accountable for failing to warn Mainers and concealing their knowledge about the devastating consequences of the increasing use of fossil fuels on Maine’s people, economy, and environment. This conduct has resulted in enormous financial burdens, public health impacts, property damage and other harms across Maine as a result of extreme weather, sea-level rise, and warmer temperatures. Read more here.
 

This is What Nuclear Disarmament Leadership Looks Like:

Help Us Thank Rep. Pingree!

On November 13, with support and encouragement from PSR Maine, Congresswoman Pingree joined eight other members of Congress in a powerful Special Orders session on the House floor, led by Congressman Jim McGovern. During this session, they highlighted the escalating threat posed by nuclear weapons and advocated for bold solutions like H.Res. 77 and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

 

Representative Pingree demonstrated remarkable leadership in addressing this critical issue. Her voice is helping to advance the conversation about nuclear disarmament and the urgent need to eliminate these catastrophic weapons. You can watch a recording of the Special Orders session from CSPAN, here. The Congresswoman speaks starting at minute seven.  

 

We encourage you to take a moment to thank Congresswoman Pingree for her leadership and for being a cosponsor of H.Res. 77. A simple email can make a big difference in encouraging her to continue championing this cause. Click here for a fast action email, which will auto send to the Congresswoman's office.
 

Event Recap: The Critical Role of Healthcare Professionals in the Climate Crisis

Last month, the Alliance of Maine Health Professionals for Climate Action (supported by PSR Maine) hosted the webinar, "The Critical Role of Healthcare Professionals in the Climate Crisis". Thank you to all who were able to attend! If you missed tuning in live, you'll find the recording and presentation from the webinar below! 

 

Click here to watch the recording.
Passcode: &F6SJaJB

 

Click here to view the slide decks shared during the webinar.

A short written summary with key points from both speakers can be found here.
 

Help Safe Schools, Safe Communities' Initiative Cross the Finish Line!   

On election day, volunteers helped to collect 60,000 signatures at the polls for the ballot initiative to establish an Extreme Risk Protection Order law in Maine. The campaign just needs 15,000 more signatures to give Mainers the chance to vote to help protect our kids, families, and communities from another tragedy like Lewiston.

Can you help gather signatures to get this signature gathering campaign across the finish line? If you can, please complete the form below as soon as possible, so the campaign can get you the materials you need to start gathering: Sign Up Here to Help Gather 15,000 More Signatures

 

Together, we can help pass an Extreme Risk Protection Order law in Maine to allow both families and law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily limit someone’s access to dangerous weapons when they’re in crisis.
 

Webinar: Embedding Environmental Sustainability into

Your Daily Practice  
The Climate Collaborative is hosting a webinar on December 11 from 12:15-1:00 pm ET, featuring Dr. Noe Copley-Woods (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), Dr. Brian Chesebro (Portland VA Medical Center), and Dr. Wendy Levinson (Choosing Wisely Canada), joined by Dr. Jonathan Slutzman (Mass General Brigham). They will discuss actionable sustainability practices for health professionals, including initiatives such as telework and telemedicine, the reduction and/or replacement of anesthetic gases, and other impactful strategies. Register here!
 

Americans Who Tell the Truth on Display in Lewiston  
For the second time ever the entire collection of Americans Who Tell the Truth portraits, by Robert Shetterly, will be on display until December 15 in Lewiston. This special exhibition at the Bates Mill features over 270 portraits of American figures—ranging from historical icons to contemporary activists, including Maine's very own Doug Rawlings (pictured center)—who have acted to confront injustice and advocate for change.
 

Event: Watch the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony Honoring Nihon Hidankyo Hibakusha

On October 11, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced they would award Nihon Hidankyo with the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. On October 28, Nihon Hidankyo released a statement expressing their gratitude for this award, and the importance of this moment in history in achieving nuclear abolition. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 10 at 7:00AM ET. You can watch the livestream on Youtube.
 

NEJM Call for Climate + Health Images
For “Earth Month” (April 2025), the New England Journal of Medicine Images in Clinical Medicine section will place a spotlight on images displaying the clinical health impacts of the climate crisis. They invite image submissions that capture clinical manifestations of climate change. Examples might include – but are not limited to – radiographic images of the effects of smoke inhalation from wildfire exposure, images related to climate-sensitive vector- or water-borne diseases, or images showing the pathophysiologic effects of extreme heat exposure. 

 

How to Submit: 

1. Follow the standard Images in Clinical Medicine submission process. 

2. As part of the submission process, please select the “Climate and Health Images” when prompted about special series selection. 

Images may be submitted through 1/1/2025 and will be screened on a rolling basis. 

 

For more information, please visit: https://www.nejm.org/event-info  
 

We Need Your Help to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat!

Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings
Proposed Rule by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

 

SUMMARY:

OSHA is proposing a new standard: Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.

 

This standard would apply to employers in all general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors under OSHA’s jurisdiction, with some exceptions. The proposed rule would require employers to develop and implement a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplaces. It aims to clarify employer responsibilities and outline measures to effectively protect workers from dangerous heat. OSHA invites public comments on all aspects of the proposed rule.

 

READ MORE and TAKE ACTION

Read about the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings proposed rule here. Read a Fact Sheet about the proposed rule: Fact Sheet.

SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS HERE. The deadline is December 30, 2024.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT IDEAS
OSHA is seeking input from those who have firsthand knowledge or expertise related to heat injury and illness. If you are a health professional, academic, employer, or employee, OSHA wants to hear from you. In about 800 words, you can submit a comment that includes:

  1. Who you are: health professional, academic, employer, or employee.

  2. Support for the rule: Express your support for OSHA’s proposed rule to prevent heat injury and illness.

  3. Your perspective: Share why the heat rule is important from your experience.

  4. Suggest changes: For example, some suggest lowering the "High Heat Trigger" from ≥ 90°F to ≥ 80°F, as heat-related illnesses can occur at lower temperatures.

 You can also upload any relevant documents such as published articles or reports on hazardous heat exposure. Comments can be submitted anonymously if preferred.

 

Please reach out to our Executive Director Marj Plumb at director@psrmaine.org if you would like support in making a comment or to share a copy of the comment you made.
 

Give to PSR Maine

Thank you for your generous support of PSR Maine!

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    PSR Maine, 126 Western Ave #1012, Augusta ME 04330 

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