One afternoon last month, I was out in the backyard playing with my kids when I saw my neighbor struggling to winterize the picnic shelter in her yard. Naturally, I offered to help. As we talked, she told me that she had been very ill. Since then, other friends, neighbors and I have all pitched in whenever she has needed help. This is how strong communities function. People know each other and take care of each other.

While helping my neighbor is tangible and close to home, one difficulty in convincing people to fight climate change is that its effects seem too far away. Yet on a daily basis we hear and read about Mainers already being forced to adapt to its effects.

Scientists point to warming seas as the cause of decreased shrimp populations and another cancelled shrimping season this year. Lobstermen have also seen lobster populations decreasing and shells weakening from ocean warming and acidification. If these trends continue, the fishermen, our neighbors, will need to either find a new catch or a new job.

As these hardworking Mainers struggle to adapt, wealthy corporations are buying rights to oil and minerals in the melting arctic. Nations and multinational corporations are redrawing the shipping lanes through previously frozen waters of the Northwest Passage. Entrepreneurs are inventing water purification and geoengineering technology. Hedge funds are securing fresh water reserves and buying the farmlands of Africa and Eurasia — readying themselves to profit from food and water shortages.

As we respond to climate change, our actions as individuals and as a country affect the entire world. We can choose to cut our carbon emissions and invest in resilient communities, which may require some sacrifice in the short term; or, we can choose to do nothing, allowing only those with power and wealth to control the resources in our changing world. Choosing cleaner energy sources and reducing emissions moves us forward in solidarity with nations and families less able to adapt to the difficulties climate change will bring.

When it comes to climate change, many positive choices are available. For example, most economists and scientists agree that pricing carbon is the best mechanism to lower carbon emissions. This may require personal and collective sacrifice in some instances but will ultimately strengthen our energy infrastructure and resilience. Reports like the recent one by Regional Economic Modeling, Inc., show that pricing carbon and returning the revenue as a rebate to American households would actually increase jobs and grow the economy while lowering carbon emissions. Additionally, pricing carbon signals to investors that now is the time to invest in clean energy.

In Maine, higher energy prices will be difficult for many people — particularly those with long commutes or high heating costs; however, welldesigned carbon pricing legislation, such as the carbon fee and dividend proposed by Citizens Climate Lobby, would return enough money to households each year to offset the increased costs for two-thirds of us. The dividend payments could then be used to pay for efficiency upgrades like the durable window inserts built by Mainebased WindowDressers (www.windowdressersusa.com) that both save money and reduce energy use. Higher gas prices might encourage all of us to carpool, use ride- sharing groups, or try public transportation. We might even put on a sweater. Solutions like these involve us in the lives of our neighbors and encourage us to make choices that benefit our entire community. The choices and small sacrifices that come with putting a price on carbon will foster healthier lives and communities close to home while making true progress on global climate change.

Remember, by doing nothing we choose to allow those with money and power to structure the future on their terms. Instead, let’s take action by informing our legislators that we expect them to work for the common good by passing strong carbon-pricing legislation. For more information on how to take action, see citizensclimatelobby.org.

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Caroline Karnesis a member of the Mid-Coast Maine Citizens Climate Lobby.