BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 15, 2020
Maine is not immune to the detrimental effects of climate change. This past July was the hottest month on record in Portland. Maine has had a 170 percent increase in wildfires so far this year over 2019. The University of Maine report on Maine’s Climate Future concluded that Maine’s sea level will rise 2 to 3 feet by 2050 and 8 to 11 feet by 2100. On Sept. 9, the Maine Climate Council reconvened after months of receiving public comments on its proposed recommendations to review their climate change strategies. Unfortunately, these strategies do not get us to our goal achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. In fact the first draft of the strategic framework states that by 2050, Maine’s total emissions will be 7.3 million metric tons, 3 million metric tons higher than the 2050 target. This is unacceptable. We have a moral obligation to act now. ~ Sarah Leighton, Sierra Club Maine