In response to Penelope Overton’s Jan. 21 article (“How the Maine coast will be reshaped by a rising Gulf of Maine”), I express my concern for the current state of the climate and optimism about future climate legislation.
Maine’s coastlines are changing due to increasing global temperatures. Last year, temperatures hit a record high globally, making 2023 the hottest year in history. With rising temperatures, more terrestrial glaciers will melt, flow into the ocean, and cause sea levels to rise by up to 12 inches in the next 30 years, equal to their rise in the past 100 years. I’m worried that the places I love will change irreparably due to the deteriorating climate if we continue to emit heat-trapping gasses into the atmosphere.
To mitigate climate change, Canada has implemented a tax on carbon emissions starting at $15 per ton of carbon, rising to $65 per ton today. British Columbia has reduced its emissions by 15% without significantly impacting the economy. The EU has a cap-and-trade system that sets ceilings for carbon emissions, and the United Kingdom has implemented carbon taxes. States like California have also implemented a similar carbon tax, and China is experimenting with cap-and-trade systems in several cities.
As global temperatures continue to rise and our favorite places begin to deteriorate, it becomes increasingly urgent that the United States implement a carbon tax to reduce emissions and slow the effects of climate change. I urge readers to contact Reps. Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree in support of the “Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.”
Rashmi Mohan
Citizens Climate Lobby member
Environmental science major at Colby College ‘24
Waterville
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