When we look forward to the not-too-distant future, what type of Maine will we see? Maine is unique, a rural state with four distinct seasons, connected by a series of small communities. As much as we are open for business, our state’s economy and social well-being — agriculture, forestry, fishing, and tourism and recreation — are inextricably linked, and absolutely dependent on the environment.
Climate is an integral part of Maine’s environmental and economic vitality. But, driven by heat-trapping emissions like carbon, our climate is changing. Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the warmest worldwide summer since recordkeeping began in 1880. This is not unlike trends observed in Maine.
“ Maine’s Climate Future: An Initial Assessment,” a comprehensive climate study by the University of Maine, reported the state experienced a 0.45 degree F increase in temperature per decade since 1970. Further, depending on future carbon emission scenarios, the region could experience a 3-10 degree F increase in the next century.
According to the 2014 National Climate Assessment, climate change will negatively affect Maine products, if gone unanswered. The report states that, as seasonal temperatures increase, novel diseases and pests will impact agriculture, forestry and fishing, decreasing seasonal yields; rising ocean levels and more frequent hurricanes will wash away beaches and dunes frequented by tourists; and warmer winters will decrease snowpack for winter recreation such as skiing and snowmobiling.
Climate change, and the science that studies it, is tricky to communicate and complex to understand. It is a science based on projections of 30, 40, 50 or more years in the future. In our day-to-day lives, there is no immediacy to climate change: we can’t necessarily “see” it. Climate change, and the impacts that come with it, seems bigger than all of us: an abstraction that pits fear against powerlessness, trapping us in the middle. The situation is paradoxical, and it isn’t working in our favor.
But on Sunday, Sept. 21, there emerged a unifying statement: on climate, the cause for concern is too impossibly uncomfortable — and too impossibly large — to ignore. On the grandest scale, 400,000 people peacefully overwhelmed the streets of Manhattan for the People’s Climate March.
The march occurred in advance of the U.N. Climate Summit. World leaders announced their nations’ commitment to address climate change amid reports that global carbon emissions reached their highest levels in 2013. Historically, as one of the most egregious carbon emitters, the United States must take an active stance to address uncontrolled carbon pollution.
The Clean Power Plan is a crucial first step. Targeting some of the nation’s dirtiest polluters, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in June announced the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution. Over 16 years, the rule seeks to reduce nationwide carbon emissions by 30 percent through improvements in energy efficiency and conversions to renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. In the U.S., about 40 percent of all carbon emitted into the atmosphere comes from power plants.
The People’s Climate March was described as the march “to change everything.” While this may not happen because of a singular event, the idea is that on climate, everything is changing, momentum is building and leaders are listening. The trap between fear and powerlessness is weathering away. There are tangible actions, with power behind them, to quell the fear.
This is a pivotal moment, with important implications for Maine’s economy and environment. We owe it to ourselves, as residents of a state we identify with so closely and proudly, to make the most out of this ruling. The EPA is taking public comment on the Clean Power Plan until Dec.1. Further, ask our leaders at the national, state and local levels to pledge their support for limiting carbon emissions.
There is something special about cracking open a Maine lobster, breaking the skin of a baked Maine potato, eating a handful of fresh Maine blueberries or skiing down a Maine mountain. Maine products are synonymous with quality, often eliciting an emotional response among those who enjoy them. Behind that is a story of hardworking Maine communities, a collection of women and men dependent on, and responsible for, the quality of that product.
But, when we look forward to the not-too-distant future, is this the Maine we will see? It is our choice, and the time is now.
Corey Park of Presque Isle is a Master of Public Health candidate in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. He received his BA in biology from Colby College in 2012.