Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin, need to submit or sponsor legislation to limit greenhouse gases.

Sen. Collins was the lead co-sponsor of the Carbon Limits and Energy for American Renewal Act, a cap-and-dividend approach aimed at reducing carbon pollution while protecting families from energy price increases.

This is the type of leadership we need, but that was in the 111th Congress, more than seven years ago.

Rep. Pingree, in a letter to me this summer, highlights her support for environmental issues. This is admirable, but in that letter, she is still calling for investigation of the impacts of greenhouse gases on our environment. The time for investigation has long passed us by.

The Aug. 25 New York Times Magazine describes how the George H.W. Bush administration and Bush’s chief of staff, John Sununu, shot down international climate action at the Noordwijk conference on Nov. 6 and 7, 1989. Since then, according to the Times, more carbon has been released into the atmosphere than in the entire history of civilization preceding it.

Our congressional delegation needs to take action now.

In the future, I’ll be voting for elected officials who take serious legislative action to limit greenhouse gases, such as the Citizens Climate Lobby proposal for a carbon fee and dividend. I hope that our current Maine delegation will take action that will allow me to support their efforts in Congress.

Bob McKillop

Citizens Climate Lobby, Portland Chapter

Portland

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