On Dec. 2, the Times Record reported on the recent decision by the Brunswick Town Council, with the urging of Bowdoin College students, to adopt a resolution pledging to help “safeguard against the current and potential consequences of climate change.” Similar resolutions were adopted this fall in Portland, South Portland and Bar Harbor. The current Maine Legislature and executive branch have both committed to ambitious goals to lower greenhouse gas emissions. And on Dec. 3, the Bath City Council adopted a resolution to create a “climate commission” to help expand and implement the city’s climate goals.
This flurry of actions by our own local governments is timely and encouraging. The daily news is filled with stories about rising oceans, more extreme weather events, ticks becoming epidemic and species going extinct. It has all been forecast by science, which now says we have 10 years to turn this around, or we risk unprecedented climate consequences.
It is heartening to know that our local leaders have been studying the issue and are taking active steps to expedite the transition to a low-carbon future. No matter what our ideologies, we can work together, and this example of leadership provides a bit of solid hope for stabilizing the Earth’s climate.
Paul Perkins
Bath
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.