KENNEBEC JOURNAL • May 4, 2022
Climate change is a local problem. Maine has already experienced eight inches of sea level rise, with 1.5 more feet expected by 2050. This will increase nuisance flooding more than 22 times, cause erosion in coastal beaches, dunes, salt marshes and bluffs, as well as coastal groundwater contamination. Research shows that the single most impactful action to reduce carbon emissions is to enact national carbon pricing. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA, H.R. 2307), carbon pricing will place an escalating fee on fossil fuel CO2, making dirty energy cost prohibitive. The funds collected will then be re-directed back to U.S. households as a monthly payment to offset cost increases for most Americans. Excluding consumer gas from the fee is also under discussion. ~ Katrina Matheson, Rockland