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Thanks, Bangor Daily News editors for spelling it out. Climate change is becoming a nightmare for many traditional industries: logging, winter recreation, shrimp gone, lobsters next? And, as our State Climatologist Sean Birkel, predicts, climate is “going to continue to change.”
Your Jan. 21 editorial suggests adaptation (of course … we have no choice). Also “mitigation.” Briefly, that means we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not only locally but nationally and internationally. Economists worldwide recommend imposing a rising price on carbon pollution on owners of fossil fuel sources (coal mines plus oil and gas wells). The World Economic Forum says such carbon pricing can pay for itself by returning those revenues to individuals to fund individual adaptations.
Efficiency Maine can save $100s with adaptation rebates for our homes and businesses. Check out their offerings for air sealing, insulation, heat pumps for house and water heating, energy-star appliances, etc. Also sign up for a solar farm to reduce electricity costs up to 15 percent. Test an electric vehicle!
Whatever we do to reduce emissions, it will help reduce the costs of recovery from record storms, droughts, floods and wildfires. The U.S. sustained 341 such climate disasters since 1980, each with costs over $1 billion. The total cost (insurers and taxpayers) exceeded $2.475 trillion. Costs are increasing with climate change.
Please, BDN, cover more on climate change: like regenerative agriculture, energy storage, increasing electrification, refrigerant chemistry, methane bubbling from melting permafrost, rising sea levels, dietary choices, new nuclear, and climate restoration.
Peter Garrett
Citizens Climate Lobby
Winslow