Action needed now on fossil fuels

I was thinking about my grandson who recently turned 1 when I saw the Nov. 17, 2024, Press Herald article about Maine Attorney General Frey suing the fossil fuel industries. This article caused me to feel a bit more optimistic about my grandson’s future. As our nation faces the inauguration of a climate change denying administration and as the world continues to get hotter, it gives me hope to see the legal system take this problem on. As AG Frey says, the fossil fuel industry has been aware of the damage they are causing for decades and has tried to hide the facts with disinformation and PR campaigns. Several states have tried this litigation and some of the lawsuits are progressing.

The state of Maine has had a strong climate plan since Gov. Mills took office. Now it is encouraging to see Maine towns adopting strong climate change plans (PPH Nov. 30, 2024) and large organizations pledging to decrease their carbon footprints. In the for-profit world, I am aware that both L.L.Bean and Hannaford have strong carbon reduction plans and others may also. In the American nonprofit world, many medical systems, including some in our state, have pledged to markedly reduce their carbon footprint. Some, like California’s Kaiser Permanente, have already achieved carbon neutrality.

If we are to leave a livable planet for our grandchildren, we need to support all of these efforts to decrease our fossil fuel usage. We cannot count on the federal government accomplishing much in the next four years.

Nancy Hasenfus,
Brunswick