I was excited to attend the Maine Climate Council meeting in Augusta last month and experience firsthand what our state’s leaders are planning to help our state’s residents transition to clean energy and adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change.

The presentations from the state’s scientists clearly laid out what was at stake — from extreme weather and warming oceans to tick-borne diseases — and updates from the various working groups gave me a greater understanding of what the council intends to prioritize, from transportation to buildings and infrastructure. For coastal communities, the warming oceans and rising sea levels present a particular challenge. We must adapt and we must act.

It was also clear that Mainers want change and that they support bold action. More than 300 Maine people were at the meeting, pushing for the Climate Council members to enact, by the end of the year, a climate action plan that includes tangible and substantive actions.

I look forward to following the council’s progress and to attending more of these public meetings. Transitioning to clean energy and making our coastal communities more resilient to change will boost our economy and protect our environment. We Mainers know that our part of the planet is the core of who we are. I hope the 39 council members will take the concerns of the public seriously, and do their part to publicize and act on our climate crisis.

 

Sally Melcher-McKeagney

Fairfield


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.