Youth climate activists in Maine are working to enshrine "the right to a clean and healthy environment" into their state's constitution.

It is called the Pine Tree Amendment, and activists say it is part of a growing movement nationwide, aiming to hold the government accountable for policies contributing to climate change.

Audrey Hufnagel, a high school student and organizer for Maine Youth for Climate Justice, said the amendment would be on par with the right to free speech.

"The Pine Tree Amendment also includes these rights for future generations," Hufnagel explained. "That's also very important to me as a climate activist."

Hufnagel noted she was inspired by the recent court ruling favoring Montana students, who alleged the state has violated their environmental rights by promoting the use of fossil fuels. Critics in Maine, including farming and fishing groups, argued the "green amendment" would result in endless litigation.

Climate activists said wildfire smoke and catastrophic flooding in the Northeast this summer have highlighted the urgent need for a green amendment. Hufnagel pointed out the coalition behind the effort is growing, with bipartisan and multigenerational support.

"Everyone has these different; maybe different beliefs, different places they're coming from," Hufnagel acknowledged. "But we can all kind of come together around this need for basic environmental rights, so I think that's very powerful."

Activists will need two-thirds majority support in the Maine Legislature to amend the state's constitution, but they are optimistic. Green amendments are already enshrined in the constitutions of three states, including Montana, New York and Pennsylvania.

Food banks are helping to significantly decrease carbon emissions, according to a new report.

The Global FoodBanking Network's annual impact report found food banks around the world stopped 1.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions last year by preventing food from going to waste in landfills. The Network includes food banks in more than 50 countries.

Rachael Lucille, network communications specialist for Oregon Food Bank, said food waste is the result of food being both inaccessible and unaffordable.

"When we, as in food banks, work with local growers to intercept perfectly good, edible food before it's thrown out, that helps to mitigate harmful greenhouse gas emissions created by food waste," Lucille explained.

Food waste in landfills is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas capturing heat at a higher rate than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. About one in eight Oregonians faces food insecurity, meaning they are unsure where their next meal will come from.

Carbon emissions from food waste exacerbate climate change, and the impact from there is circular. Lucille pointed out wildfires across Oregon are affecting food production.

"Extreme weather events caused by climate change disrupt food supply chains that lead to increased and unpredictable pricing of food, increased risk of food deserts for the communities that are already facing food insecurity, and fewer fresh fruits and vegetables," Lucille outlined.

One way to fight food waste is through support of small, local agriculture, which Lucille added their organization does through its community producer support project. They emphasized small farmers help fight climate change.

"It contributes to biodiversity, uses sustainable farming practices and keeps food local," Lucille stressed. "Which reduces fossil fuel emissions related to packaging and transportation of food."

Though New York's summer is winding down, climate change's effects remain.

This summer saw record-high temperatures which have only grown in the last decade. Reports show by 2050, the state is projected to experience more days with temperatures above 90 degrees.

Climate activists have been protesting companies contributing to fossil fuel use which leads to worsening climate effects.

Rev. Chelsea MacMillan, New York organizer for the nonprofit GreenFaith, said New York's climate changes resemble the national trend.

"Last year, the skies turned orange due to wildfire smoke coming down from Canada," MacMillan recounted. "We are going to see more and more of these climate disasters happening in our state and in New York City."

While extreme heat is one of the deadliest elements of climate change, storm damage is one of the costliest. Hurricane Beryl was one of several storms to flood many New York communities this year. All told, New York has seen around $23 billion in damage from "billion-dollar disasters" this year. Taxpayers were forced to pick up the $2 billion price tag for climate change costs in 2023 alone.

The Climate Change Superfund Act would require companies who've contributed to climate change to bear some adaptation infrastructure investment costs.

MacMillan and other activists are protesting banks financing fossil fuel projects. She said Citibank is one of the biggest contributors.

"Citibank has poured almost $400 billion into oil, gas, and coal companies since the Paris Climate Accords in 2016," MacMillan pointed out. "This is just unconscionable, like there's no way we can meet any of our climate goals if we keep putting money into fossil fuels."

While Citibank has been the top financier of expansion for fossil fuel companies since 2016, JPMorgan Chase contributed the most financing to fossil fuel companies last year. Since the Paris Climate Accord, JPMorgan Chase has invested more than $430 billion in fossil fuel projects and companies.

From government planners to farmers to residents, those wondering how climate change will affect Minnesota in the decades to come can now get the information at their fingertips. Officials behind a new tool say it can help with certain types of planning.

The University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership recently launched the interactive digital tool called MN CliMAT. Users can map out predictions, such as how much snow cover would be lost during the winter by 2060, based on scenarios involving greenhouse gas emissions.

Nate Meyer, acting interim director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, said they want to help the public make informed decisions when looking ahead.

"If someone is wondering when they might want to replace their roof with something like a fortified roofing system, one way that they can gather information to answer that question is to use these climate projections," Meyer explained.

The user can see how the immediate area surrounding a structure would become more susceptible to heavy rain events. Another example is the agricultural industry getting a sense of future soil health, helping farmers plan for strategies to make their land more climate resilient.

Meyer pointed out the service, which is free, can also be a great resource for those tasked with protecting towns and cities from the worst effects of climate change.

"We are working with a number of regulatory agencies and policymakers right now on strategies to help them select data that are most useful for their purposes," Meyer noted. "Then fold those data into the models that they need to use for those planning purposes."

In a state known for its outdoor recreation, project leaders said the data can benefit Minnesota's tourism industry if stakeholders know about things like future swings in lake temperatures. Since its launch, Meyer said the tool has garnered more than 50,000 views.


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