I’m grateful for the details provided in your March 10 editorial, “Short-sighted NOAA cuts would have big impact.” A good case is made for how these cuts would seriously impact programs that benefit the state of Maine, and particularly its fisheries.

The EPA, since its founding under the administration of President Richard Nixon, has been a boon to the country, and especially to Maine. The Clean Air Act has reduced the ozone alerts that used to be commonplace in Acadia National Park. It has also almost eliminated smog, like we now see on pictures from Beijing, which was once commonplace in some American cities.

The Clean Air Act reduced mercury contamination of our waters, and the threat acid rain posed to our forests. Maine, located on the northeast corner of the country, has also been called the “Tailpipe State” because of the predominant southwesterly wind pattern that brings all emissions in our direction.

It is air pollution by carbon dioxide derived mostly from the burning of fossil fuels that has made our oceans more acidic, and raised their temperature, particularly in the Gulf of Maine.

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions was behind “The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends” presented recently by senior Republicans. It proposed putting a price (a fee) on carbon dioxide emissions, and refunding all that money equally to every household as dividends.

The carbon dividends would allow everyone to afford the necessary increases in price that must come to even the playing field for renewable sources of energy. These are good reasons why Reps. Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree should be eager to join the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.

Peter Garrett, Ph.D.

Mid Maine Group Leader, Citizens’ Climate Lobby

ME, NH, VT States Coordinator

Winslow