Power plants, the largest producer of carbon pollution in the U.S. last year, dump more than two billion tons of dangerous industrial carbon into the air annually.

Maine has not been immune from the effects of climate change-induced extreme weather over this past year, and health experts agree that carbon pollution exacerbates smog, which can lead to increased rates of asthma attacks and deaths.

To prevent additional carbon emissions from contributing to climate change and harming human health, President Barack Obama needs to act now.

He has the power to protect Americans by finalizing the carbon pollution standard for new power plants and then moving to develop and implement a standard for existing power plants.

Mainers can no longer allow our health to be compromised by power plants’ interests.

Regulating emissions from the electric power industry cannot be delayed any further if we want to maintain clean, breathable air.

Xuan Du

Portland

The writer is a student at Colby, living in Portland for the summer.