By withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord, President Trump and his conservative accomplices in the U.S. Senate have just taken the selfish concept of “America First” to a disgraceful new height, and shown a disdain for science that is unprecedented in modern history.

Nearly as disturbing, the Maine Republican Party has condoned Trump’s abdication of responsibility for the well-being of our country and our planet.

What has happened to the party of Lincoln? Where is political courage when we most need it?

What kind of perverted logic makes conservative Republicans believe that new jobs and economic growth will be the outcome of this new direction for our country, and that we can simply ignore rising temperatures and sea levels?

Conservatives and liberals can legitimately wrestle with many issues, but we should all be on the same page when it comes to the disruptions caused by climate change, and the looming catastrophe if we don’t change our energy policies.

It is long past time for the Republican Party to recognize these threats and work with Democrats to give our planet a fighting change for meaningful survival.

As Kennebunk Light & Power President Jay Kilbourn advised in his June 2 letter to the editor, a good starting place would be a carbon fee and dividend approach to keeping more fossil fuels in the ground.

In the meantime, we must accelerate efforts to reduce our personal carbon footprints and transform the way our local governments utilize energy. Solar panels need to sprout on vacant landfills and on the roofs of schools, libraries and town halls. Incandescent streetlights must give way to energy-efficient LED lights.

Twenty-five U.S. cities have already set goals for 100 percent renewable energy – let’s add Maine towns and cities to that list.

Joe Hardy

Wells