What is it they say? “If you don’t like the weather in Maine, just wait a minute.” Well, we are headed into a time of even more unpredictable weather as the impact of a changing climate affects us all, our health, and our wallets more and more.

Bigger and more frequent storms are washing out roads, damaging homes and power infrastructure and forcing costly and more frequent repairs. Warming ocean temperatures are changing our robust seafood industry as invasive green crabs eat valuable clams and mussels. Shorter cold-weather seasons are shortening the season for our maple syrup and ski industries. Mainers can’t afford to not address the impacts of climate change.

The biggest single cause of climate change is carbon pollution from power plants. The good news is EPA’s Clean Power Plan slashes carbon pollution and drives new investment into energy efficiency and clean energy that will power the 21st century. Maine will be able to do its part to comply with the Power Plan goals by continuing our great track record of energy efficiency investments and emissions reductions as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Luckily for Maine, finally, the rest of the country will have to catch up with us and finally clean up that dirty air that flows in our direction.

I join my family, neighbors, community and other concerned residents of Maine to call on U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to fully support EPA’s Clean Power Plan in Congress.

Dr. James M. Klick
Freeport


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