Statement of Need
Androscoggin County, Maine has a significant population of low-income residents. It is listed as the country with the 13th highest income per capita, with a mean income of $49,055 which is $11,455 below the state average. Androscoggin County also has the lowest number of electric vehicles (EVs) (5-6) per 1,000 people, and the longest commute for work, out of the four most populated Maine counties. Transportation, especially through daily commutes, has been linked with the emission of greenhouse gases, which promote climate change. Carbon dioxide emissions from human-use of traditional vehicles contribute 10-15% of total emissions. These vehicles rely on fossil fuels for power, which are damaging, non-renewable resources that harm both the environment and human health.
Systematic discrepancies in social and economic policies serve to exacerbate environmental decline and socioeconomic disparities. Due to their disadvantaged state of living, less fortunate Mainers lack the time, resources, and access to information that would enable them to make informed decisions about, and afford, more sustainable sources of energy. These reductions in resources therefore maintain reliance on traditional systems of energy, which when left unchanged contribute to environmental damages including sea level rise, global warming, natural disasters, and ocean acidification. Each of these environmental tragedies also negatively impacts the infrastructure that Maine communities rely on. For instance, ocean acidification breaks down the molecules that marine organisms– such as shellfish, fish, algae, and other commercially important resources– rely on for survival. Without these organisms, Maine residents (such as fishermen and lobstermen) who rely on them for income and other basic daily needs– especially those already at economic disadvantages– will be pushed further into poverty. Furthermore, the skiing and snowmobiling industry, which generates over 700 million dollars to Maine’s economy, will collapse.
The Maine Conservation Alliance has the capacity to lessen the financial burden of sustainable energy to improve the state of living for disadvantaged Maine residents by providing communities with free Level 2 EV chargers. We plan to target benefits towards disadvantaged community members, as well as to preserve the natural landscapes that Mainers rely on. By providing these sustainable energy sources at an affordable price to impoverished members of the Androscoggin County community, we can help to reduce the systematic injustices that Mainers in such conditions endure. This is because, in doing so, we will provide accessible, cheap forms of energy for daily use that lessen the financial burden and serve to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
