Extreme heat indicative of climate crisis

The heat dome over much of the U.S. part of this summer made it clear that heat will probably be the worst of the many environmental disasters ahead. These rising temperatures result from our continued burning of fossil fuels, which is responsible for 75% of the rise.

For millennia, burning things was the way people survived and prospered, but no longer. Solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear energy are available, but we are changing slowly. Many discuss the rising heat but few go the next step of connecting it to our use of fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industrial complex has spent millions for years obscuring this connection to continue making billions. The truth is rising to the surface finally.

The heat dome that hit the Pacific Northwest in 2021 is conservatively estimated to have killed 1,000 people (“The Heat will Get You First,” Goodall 2024). Goodall says the Lancet reported that 480,000 people died due to heat in 2019, and animals are migrating northward a mile a year. His description of what happened to nature in 2021 when the Northwest hit 124 degrees is hard to read — fish dying in streams, leaves falling off of trees and birds falling from the sky, etc.

What can you do? Plenty. Electrify now, if you can afford it. If you cannot afford it, that is okay, because it is more important to tell your legislators to rapidly transfer all energy production to renewables and pass a carbon fee. Only vote for candidates who will work to rectify our climate crisis.

Nancy Hasenfus,
Brunswick

Vote Tepler for state Senate

I am proud to support Denise Tepler in her bid for state senator representing Sagadahoc County and Dresden. Denise and I served together on the MSAD 75 Board of Directors for seven years, and I am confident that she will bring that same level of professionalism to her role as senator, just as she did as a state legislator representing Topsham until she reached the term limit mark.

Denise has many well-honed qualities that make her an excellent representative in any role, but I will focus on three characteristics that I particularly value. The first is her deep appreciation for those whom she serves. In our work on the school board, Denise made decisions that had to balance many priorities but always kept the needs of students foremost. The second quality is Denise’s capacity to listen carefully to those around her, which gives her a thorough understanding of the issues that face her constituents, including her ability to appreciate conflicting points of view. I have seen this in her discussions with people as she works to grasp an issue, be it climate concerns or the cost of groceries. The third attribute is Denise’s work ethic and thorough preparation. In our work together on the school board, I observed many occasions where Denise brought additional information to the table that helped to resolve difficult situations.

In addition to Denise’s dedication to making sure that Maine’s children receive an excellent education, I deeply appreciate her commitment to quality health care for all Mainers and to protecting reproductive rights. These are basic rights that all people must be able to enjoy in a healthy society.

In short, Denise cares deeply about the everyday issues that affect Mainers and she has the resolve and the intelligence to be effective as a senator on Day 1. I hope you will join me in voting for Denise Tepler on Nov. 5.

Dory Streett,
Bowdoinham