PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 24, 2022
Maine’s former industrial centers, largely shuttered by the economic pressures of the past few decades, could be revived as hubs for rural Maine’s 21st century economy. Wood fiber insulation and other innovative forest products, like cross-laminated timber and bioplastics, show promise as high wage job creators and climate-friendly growth prospects. Even more reason for Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King to champion a national carbon pricing policy, like the Energy Innovation Carbon Dividend Act (HR2307). A tax on carbon would incentivize Maine’s new generation of wood products industries to capitalize on their inherent advantage over carbon-heavy construction materials like cement, steel, and traditional foam insulation. By returning the carbon tax proceeds equally to citizens on a per-capita basis, HR2307 would result in a net income gain for lower and middle income Mainers. ~ Tom Rumpf, forester, and David Vail, emeritus professor of economics, Bowdoin College