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Environment
A Quick Peek
We have a duty to take care of our environment. All Americans owe that to each other and to our grandchildren. From John McCain to Barack Obama to Teddy Roosevelt to Hilary Clinton, everyone agrees that the environment is vitally important and essential. We must be stewards.
A healthy economy and vibrant, clean environment are both essential and can work off of each other.
The Big Picture
Environmental issues go hand-in-hand with energy issues and the economy. This past winter some Maine people were heating their homes with their ovens because oil prices were so high. That’s not right. Similarly, gas prices soared to stellar levels. Those same prices affect our tourism industry and our manufacturing industry and even increase food prices. Last March, truck drivers protested in Augusta, as one owner lost his truck to the bank because he could no longer afford payments. Why not? He was too busy trying to pay for the cost of diesel.
It’s personal. From mold in houses, to lead in paint, to the hazards of asbestos and burning construction debris, the environment has a direct impact on our health.
It’s a moral imperative that the state works with the federal government and municipalities to deal with these issues. It’s not just our environment that is impacted. It’s our jobs. It’s our health.
States have to lead the way but look for national assistance. In a press release from Environment Maine Senator Olympia Snowe is quoted as saying, “At a time when American’s are enduring the consequences of a long dormant national energy policy with their heating bills and gas at the pump, it is astonishing that Congress is unable to pass a comprehensive energy package. The Energy Stars Report illustrates that states across the country are attempting to fill the void of a national energy policy; Congress must heed these successes and pass a strong energy bill that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy.”
In that same report, Gov. John Baldacci said, “The energy challenge facing America demands bold action at every level. Here in Maine, we have begun to take action. We need to do more, but we cannot do it alone.”The Plan
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