When I arrive at the Portland jetport from school in Southern California, I always inhale deeply the moment I exit the airport. It is a literal breath of fresh air. The California smog has disappeared and has been replaced with crisp, clear air.

This dramatic change in air quality reminds me why action must be taken immediately and early in my lifetime so that future generations will get to appreciate the Maine that I know and love.

The passing of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan is a necessary step to preserving our natural world. This act would reduce emissions by an estimated 30 percent by 2030, bringing carbon emissions lower than in 2005.

A recent article in the Portland Press Herald by Steve Karnoswki of The Associated Press (“Community solar gardens springing up all over,” March 8) addressed the success of community solar gardens in the United States.

This model combats claims about the costliness of renewable energy sources. It allows residential customers as well as large companies the opportunity to “share the solar,” thus proving wrong opponents who claim renewable energy is too expensive.

The community solar gardens feed into the local power grid and the customers who subscribe get credit towards their utility bills. First implemented in Colorado, these gardens have spread to Minnesota, California, Massachusetts and several other states. With our dire need for renewable energy sources, the more solar displaces the use of coal and gas, the better.

Decades from now, when my daughter returns from a semester at college, I want her to experience something different. I don’t want relief when she leaves a polluted city to return home: I want fresh air to encompass her wherever she goes.

We cannot undo the effect excessive emissions have had on our environment. However, we can stop further damage. We must act now and support the passing of the Clean Power Plan.

Alice Flood

Claremont, California

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