Disappointing for Maine people as it may be, the state supreme court decision rejecting Maine voters’ efforts to stop the corridor is one hard pill to swallow. This is especially tough right now with many voters’ faith waning in our democratic institutions.

The statement from Central Maine Power that Maine needs the clean and renewable energy that the corridor will deliver in order to achieve its energy goals is nothing short of misinformation and an alternate reality.

Since the 1960s Canada has dammed up major Arctic rivers. Holding the waters hostage all summer, these sea-sized reservoirs flood over thousands of square miles of forest, tundra and permafrost. Melting permafrost releases large quantities of methane gas.

The evaporation rates in the shallow reservoirs are excessive, but by generating electricity only during late fall and winter, the amounts of water vapor released are staggering. Rivers normally frozen all winter are warmer and flow into Hudson and James bays, then into the Arctic Ocean, further warming our planet.

Scientists have known that even very small changes to our cryosphere (the Arctic) will have major impacts on all Earth systems, particularly on our climate. New scientific data from NASA satellite sensors prove how atmospheric water vapor supercharges the Earth’s greenhouse effect.

We have a delicate climate but what the Canadian hydroelectric industry is up to will ensure climate disaster.

Clifford Krolick
Parsonsfield

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