July 13, 2021
Energy resilience planning begins in Eastport and Islesboro
What communities everywhere can learn about clean energy from Maine's islands and coast
How do you cope with electricity outages and plan for energy resilience when you’re a small, isolated community—either at the end of a 40-mile power line or on an island several miles out to sea? Eastport and Islesboro, both off Maine’s coast, were selected to tackle these issues through a U.S. Department of Energy program, the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP).
June 22, 2021
Offshore wind in Maine: Using what we’ve learned to guide our future
Takeaways from a decade of work on ocean planning and offshore wind
Since the development of Maine’s Ocean Energy Task Force in 2008, the Island Institute has worked to help the questions, priorities, and concerns of fishermen and fishing communities be heard in decisions about ocean use. As we move into a new set of work to support these conversations, here’s some of what we’re bringing with us from the past 13 years.
June 17, 2021
Building climate resilience in Maine
Our collaborative approach to implementing "Maine Won’t Wait"
Now that Maine’s Climate Action Plan, "Maine Won’t Wait," has been finalized and shared widely, what’s our role at the Island Institute in supporting our state’s ambitious goals? Since our last update, we’ve continued to work alongside Maine’s island and coastal communities to build climate resilience. Here, we highlight several examples of where we’re collaborating with communities and partner organizations.
June 9, 2021
Broadband and (nontraditional) education
One of the critical benefits of having a good connection is access to education—and not just for kids
In 2020, more than 14,000 Mainers participated in academic and workforce training through Maine Adult Education. They are Maine’s future: people who are overcoming barriers to employment and learning new skills they’ll need to access post-secondary education and training. Adult education is their avenue to that first job, or the next better job. And COVID-19 threw another enormous obstacle in the way.
June 8, 2021
Celebrating World Oceans Day: Life and Livelihoods
What does the ocean mean to those whose lives are connected to the sea?
At the Island Institute, we’re proud to collaborate with leaders across the coast to build resiliency and create opportunities that help to ensure our marine economies remain vibrant. “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2021, so we and our partners at Luke’s Lobster asked members of our community whose livelihoods depend on the ocean to share a little bit about their work, their connection to the sea, and the ways they’re working to create a more sustainable coast.
June 3, 2021
Legislative Update: Spring 2021
We work collaboratively with communities to tackle challenges and build resiliency. While this often means spending time in the places where we live and work, it also means focusing on what’s happening further inland at the State House. This has been a busy legislative session so far with multiple bills and issues affecting our coast. In our latest policy update, we highlight some of the key issues we’re watching, what they mean for our communities, and the work that’s been done so far.
June 2, 2021
Technology, older adults, and the story of resilience
When the pandemic hit, it was hard to ignore the depth of the digital divide in Maine. We worried about school children and adults unable to work from home, because broadband access was not available or affordable. At the National Digital Equity Center, we worried about the many older adults who were already isolated and lonely being left behind without a way to safely connect with the world. Did our older adults have the resilience to brave this new-to-them world?
May 26, 2021
Broadband and cyclical poverty in Maine
Why eliminating food insecurity and expanding broadband access should be our top priorities
Here in Maine, an estimated 85,000 households do not have access to broadband internet of any kind because it is not available where they live. Not all of these 85,000 households are in poverty, but most of them are. Without computers, the skills to use them, and access to reliable broadband internet, these households face more significant challenges to break their cycle of poverty.
May 18, 2021
Like a boat without oars: Championing equitable internet access in Maine
Access to reliable high-speed internet in Maine has been an issue from the first day that the first Mainer was provided an internet connection and their neighbor was not. So, how does it affect our ability to sustain ourselves and to thrive—now and post-pandemic—if we are unable to afford the subscription cost or equipment required to connect?
April 22, 2021
Celebrating Earth Day with Luke's Lobster
Our collaborative climate action work is rooted in the resiliency and sustainability of the Maine coast
This Earth Day, we’re celebrating the important strides we’ve taken in a partnership rooted in the resiliency and sustainability of the coast of Maine. Hear from Ben Conniff, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Luke’s Lobster, on the work that is being done to address climate change and support coastal communities.
