We just had the hottest June in Maine on record followed by the rainiest July, with several days of smoky skies from a record-breaking fire season out West. The recent floods in the South and along the Mid-Atlantic coast make it all the more clear: we must act on climate change now.

It is past time for Congress to take serious action on climate change, and the federal budget bill currently being assembled is their big chance to do it. If passed, this bill would be the most significant climate legislation I’ve seen in my lifetime.

The federal budget reconciliation bill would be a big step in the right direction. Not only would this legislation improve our climate resilience and bolster our public infrastructure against extreme weather, it would also attack the problem at the source by reducing carbon pollution and supplying the funding needed to transition to clean energy. These investments would be incredible for Maine’s economy, creating thousands of new jobs and allowing us to take full advantage of our abundance of natural clean energy resources like solar and wind.

This bill would do a lot for our small cities and towns that have struggled economically during the pandemic. I want to see healthy and productive futures for my friends and family here, and we have to be intentional if we want to see that happen. The federal budget bill could be the turning point we need, and I hope our congressional delegation will work to pass it without delay.

Bud Farwell
Holden


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