Climate Council work critical
On Jan. 29 I drove up to Augusta to attend a meeting of the Maine Climate Council. The Council has been charged by the Legislature to develop a plan to “meet state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that are now in law, including a gross 45% greenhouse gas emissions reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and at least 80% by 2050.
Six subject matter experts took to the podium and outlined the profound climate-related changes heading our way. The disruptions to our marine and coastal ecosystems, our forest ecosystems and biodiversity, our agriculture and food systems, our health and our economy, will all present many challenges. The warming will affect generations to come, even if we are able to lessen it.
When facing this global climate crisis, we must think globally but act locally to lessen the damage to come and develop local resilience in the face of what we can not prevent. We have no choice but to have faith that similar efforts around the world will combine with our own to preserve a livable world, especially for the poor. So I am grateful that the Legislature has mandated the development of a road map that can help our state face up to these challenges.
As the Climate Council develops its Action Plan, it is vital that it does not undershoot. The press these days is loaded with worsening news about the changes we face, and science documents their likelihood. We must pull out all the stops and soon, recognizing that the stakes are incredibly high for multiple future generations.
There is a positive future of cleaner air and better health if we are successful. The damage to the world as we know it can still be lessened by taking strong measures now. The Climate Council’s work is critical, and the plan they come up with must be bold.
Sam Saltonstall,
Brunswick
No on 1
The Yes on 1 drive that we see popping up across the state is indicative of the Trump mentality eroding our democracy of what once was a free-thinking republic. The Trump doctrine of repeating simplistic phrases appeals to a large segment of the public. It is nice to be told what to believe. No deference to facts or science these days. No concept of thinking for oneself and discerning fact from fiction, science from voodoo. The dumbing down of America is truly on our doorstep. Yes on one has nothing to do with Big Pharma, and everything to do with public health.
Dana Smith,
Brunswick
Joseph Ciarrocca,
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