In my childhood in Germany, winters were cold, and summers were a long spring that transitioned into fall. This never diminished our enjoyment of summer vacation. We swam even when it was 65 degrees outside. If you’re a Mainer, this idyllic life may sound familiar. If you’re a Mainer this week, this may sound nostalgic.

This past week’s heat wave isn’t unfamiliar to my old hometown in Heidelberg. Germans experience scorching heat now. Our climate is heating up. It’s not just the heat taxing our health and infrastructure; with changing temperatures come extreme storms. I recently watched FEMA make their way up and down my road on the coast, taking stock of the damage from the January storms. It seemed no one was left unscathed.

A warming climate threatens us all. It drives sea life to new waters, hurts our elders and children, and causes economic damage. Now’s the time to mitigate the damage. We can fight this. One of the most important weapons in our arsenal is the transition to clean, sustainable, offshore wind power – electrical generation by Mainers, for Mainers. Wind power on Sears Island will provide good union jobs to our hard-hit Midcoast while acting as a tool in the fight to control the climate disaster created by fossil fuels.

Whether you worked out in the heat last week or sheltered from it, take a moment to consider what we are trying to protect in Maine. Consider how we can fight to keep Maine the way life should be.

Jennifer Reynolds
Jonesport

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