Thank you for the Jan. 12 article by Charles Eichacker about the effects of climate change on Maine agriculture (“Experts at Maine Agricultural Trades Show urge Maine farmers to prepare for wild weather swings”). He reported that a UMaine Extension Service specialist is advising farmers to obtain crop insurance and disaster assistance loans to cope with extreme weather events.

Clearly climate change is affecting not only ocean levels but inland farming. As fishermen and farmers scramble to adapt, I hope they find time to join a growing effort to persuade Congress to require fossil fuel industries to pay their share of expenses involved in reducing carbon emissions. Those industries don’t have to pay for the garbage they emit, but people are having to pay for damage from extreme weather events exacerbated by that garbage.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a national organization with several Maine chapters, is determined to persuade Congress to require fossil fuel companies pay a carbon fee, with fees returned to citizens via dividend checks. Let the members of Maine’s congressional delegation know that you want them to support legislation that would do that. The dividends would not only help citizens pay for disaster insurance but would in general generate a market-driven conversion to clean energy.

Fern Stearns

Hallowell