04/23/2026
It has become popular in some circles to write the obituary of the environmental movement, to refer to the passing of the "golden era" for environmentalism. It is asserted that public interest has waned, that new worries have captured attention, that inflation, the energy crisis, and international conflict have superseded if not wiped out public concern over environmentalism. Those who write that view are uninformed… Senator Ga***rd Nelson wrote those words ten years after he helped found Earth Day in 1970, and they certainly resonate today.
At E2Tech we strive to bring people together so they remain informed, engaged, inspired and energized. While preparing for next week’s Legislative Wrap Up webinar, Tony Buxton reminded me of the profound impact of the work and words of Senator Nelson and inspired me to dig deeper. While politics are important, the impact of the Environmental Revolution was beyond passing laws that can be unenforced, reinterpreted or rewritten. Senator Nelson noted that the Environmental Revolution has done more than change our physical surroundings and economics, it has reshaped people’s philosophy of life and scale of values.
The first phase of the Environmental Revolution was focused on preventing harm. The new phase we are in now is combined with a Technological Revolution focused on creating solutions, access and abundance. I see this in the innovative businesses and entrepreneurs being supported by the Maine Technology Institute, many of whom are working to make more sustainable (and less toxic) the products and materials that surround us (and even end up inside us as microplastics and forever chemicals).
I saw it last week at Roux Institute at Northeastern University’s student showcase where I was inspired by student leaders like Pascal Zigashane. Pascal is using renewable energy to bring internet connectivity to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya so that people are no longer isolated from their loved ones or from the knowledge and opportunities to improve their quality of life. The Roux Institute is a special place that is bringing people together from across the world to help make Maine a global innovator in ClimateTech and more. I’m excited to have The Roux host E2Tech’s GRIDsilience event on May 6 where we will discuss the challenges and opportunities of building the grid of the future with more affordable clean energy.
Despite the noise of my newsfeed, I continue to be inspired by the community we have here and the thoughtfulness, compassion and ingenuity of the people who live in and love Maine. I believe you can’t live in Maine without being an environmentalist and I believe our “golden era” is just beginning.
-E2Tech's Orion Breen
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