The Press Herald recently published a Maine Voices column by North Haven’s Courtney Naliboff, calling for leadership in fighting climate change. My great-grandparents bought land on North Haven in the 1940s, and their photographs – coupled with the stories from my grandmother and my father – tell of an island I never knew. They tell of cars crisscrossing the frozen bay and catching lobsters in tide pools. The bay hasn’t frozen since 1971 and lobsters are creeping northward. With these trends continuing, Naliboff rightly cites the need for systemic approaches toward climate change.

As a middle schooler, I appealed to Maine’s congressional delegation to curb fossil fuels. Sen. Susan Collins wrote me a two-page response in which she claimed to be a champion for climate change. Well, I have since received my Ph.D. and am still waiting for her action on climate.

Sen. Chris Coons needs a Republican senator to co-sponsor the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This bill fights climate change by pressuring companies to develop renewable energy while encouraging efficient consumers.

Unlike other environmental legislation, this one caters to more conservative requests, making it ideal for Collins to support. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is market-based, supports job growth, is revenue neutral and pays dividends to the public. If enacted today, this alone could cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2032.

Please encourage Sen. Collins to co-sponsor this bill. She has the opportunity to live her moderate values while making a magnificent impact on the future of North Haven, the state and the entire world.

Susana Hancock

Freeport

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