Today we awoke to the results of a bitter and divisive election, wondering what it all means.
The outcome has many of us deeply concerned about whether the harsh rhetoric of the campaign will translate into policies that put our communities and places we love at risk.
At a time when we need to be coming together to solve problems facing our state, nation, and the planet, the campaign caused increased polarization, and tapped into fears and hatred like nothing that we have seen before.
Rather than despair, we must focus on those things within our reach that we can actually influence. We need to keep our eyes and hearts on what we love and are determined to protect. We know how to stand up for the people, places, and values that matter to us. And we will.
I want you to know that the Natural Resources Council of Maine is more determined than ever to protect the places that we all love. We will work with citizens and elected officials at every level—from the White House to the Maine Legislature to town councils—to protect a healthy environment that provides the foundation for our communities and our economy.
There will be new environmental champions at the State House, too, like former NRCM Executive Director Brownie Carson – a new State Senator – and several other lawmakers who are longstanding NRCM members. They will join many other lawmakers who care deeply and will work hard to protect Maine’s environment.
We know that an overwhelming bipartisan majority of voters here in Maine value clean air and clean water just as much today as they did yesterday, and they are not interested in rolling back crucial protections.
In the past year, we have seen more Mainers take action than ever before to promote solar energy, fight against weak mining rules, stand up for the Land for Maine’s Future program, and support establishment of Maine’s new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
We are inspired by the impressive efforts of Maine people who are working for a better future. They are actions of hope, and expressions of love for Maine. We will face the effects of these elections for months and years to come, and continue to draw strength and encouragement from the importance of our mission and the support of people like you.
NRCM will never let down its guard in defending Maine’s environment. Now more than ever, we look forward to working with you to continue to move our agenda forward.
—Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM Executive Director
The incoming Trump administration will probably ‘impose’ the following policies on Maine:
o Reforestation as a way to convert CO2 into stored carbon, oxygen and to receive the many other benefits. It will eliminate the carbon trading system which is an artifact of a less knowledgeable way of regulating emissions—neither effective nor understood.
o Re-opening the pipeline as market conditions demand. It could become Federal property as a national resource. Depends on negotiations with Canada.
o Rationing access to crowded Federal Parks like Acadia. You can only get so many people, bikes, vehicles, cruise ship buses, campers up and down Cadillac mountain for sunset.
o Canadian Hydro corridors will be built opening a flood of inexpensive, abundant hydropower into S. New England. This will mean building/expanding transmission corridors, and make Maine’s wind farms unnecessary. Federal wind farm subsidies and incentives will probably be terminated.
Thanks for your thoughts. There is a lot we don’t know about how this will all play out but we have to prepare ourselves as best we can to defend Maine’s air, land, and waters.