Sara Gideon’s Climate Agenda
Safeguarding Maine’s Environment & Investing in Our Future
There is scientific consensus among experts that urgent action is needed to address climate change and the threats it presents to us. Unless measures are taken now to mitigate the impacts of this ecological crisis, its effects, already felt, will be devastating to Maine’s economy and way of life — growing worse for our children and grandchildren.
But in Washington, too many elected officials are in the pockets of big oil and gas companies, supporting their expensive tax breaks, and standing in the way of progress by rolling back protections for clean air, clean water, and vehicles that save energy and money.
Sara has taken bold action to reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable energy production here in Maine. In the Senate, Sara will work to protect the health of our families, defend our natural resources, support our heritage industries, and to grow our economy into the future.
Carbon dioxide levels are higher today than at any point in history, and carbon dioxide resulting from fossil fuel consumption accounts for three-quarters of our greenhouse gas emissions. It’s imperative that we protect our future and our health — especially that of our children — from this pollution.
The northeast is heating up faster than the rest of the continental U.S., and faster than most regions of the world. The Gulf of Maine is sensitive to ocean acidification worsened by carbon emissions, which is already hurting our fisheries and aquaculture. Carbon is also putting the Gulf at an increased risk of harmful algal blooms that can contaminate seafood. As temperatures rise, we’ve also seen the increased prevalence of deer ticks and mosquitos, which poses a greater risk of contracting diseases such as Lyme and West Nile Virus.
As the second largest producer and consumer of energy in the world, the U.S. is positioned to lead the charge in reducing global carbon emissions. But politicians like Susan Collins are standing in the way of these efforts. Collins received five times as many contributions from the Texas oil and gas industry than Mainers in one quarter last year.
Upon being elected to the Senate, Sara will immediately move for the U.S. to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. She will push legislation to ensure a carbon-neutral future, and to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. And she will fight to undo Trump’s rollbacks of sensible environmental regulations that will make our vehicles more efficient and limit pollution from oil and gas operations. Sara believes that when we effectively reduce carbon emissions, we are better able to reduce concentrations of other dangerous air pollutants, like NOX and smog, which cause asthma and lung disorders for Mainers.
Renewable energy has the potential to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels while attracting investment, providing revenue in lease payments, growing tax revenue in small towns, and reducing electricity bills for consumers. Our state’s current electricity infrastructure is aging, and its future is uncertain. This is a critical issue for rural Mainers.
As production and consumption of renewables increases, particularly wind and solar, Mainers will save money on both energy and healthcare costs. Maine has the capacity to continue to develop onshore and offshore wind as well as to continue to grow solar capacity from rooftop to gridscale levels. Looking towards innovation in the biomass industry, we can also capitalize on our forest products to accelerate the shift to renewable energy.
Sara passed a bill setting a goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy in Maine by 2050 and supported the economic renewal of Maine’s biomass industry. Once elected to the Senate, she will support a Clean Energy Standard requiring utilities to increase the amount of carbon-free power they put on the grid. She will also work to increase federal investment in clean energy innovation to support universities and entrepreneurs who are driving new industries and creating jobs in Maine and across the country.
Warming seas affect the migration patterns of marine species as they move to cooler waters. Sadly, the Gulf of Maine has experienced record-level temperatures over the past three decades, and lobster populations could see a decrease of up to 62 percent by 2050. Furthermore, wildfires, invasive species, and changes in freezing and precipitation patterns could negatively impact timber and other agricultural industries, as well as outdoor recreation and tourism. Investing in renewable energy and moving towards a carbon neutral future will help combat some of the threats to Maine’s key industries like warming waters, ocean acidification, and drought.
Sara supports the development of a national Conservation Corps that would put our young people in Maine and across the country into conservation jobs, from keeping our forests healthy to firefighting and coastal reconstruction. These would be good-paying jobs with housing and health benefits, and an opportunity to protect Maine’s natural resources and the local economies that depend on them.
Air pollution is the world’s largest single environmental health risk. It poses serious danger to those living with asthma and allergies, it hurts our children’s ability to grow, and it has also been associated with increased rates of depression and anxiety. The use of pesticides has increased, which has had serious impacts on both air and water pollution in Maine. While Maine’s waters continue to experience harmful algal blooms, Republicans are focused on rolling back protections for clean air and water.
Sara supports Maine’s attorney general in calling for Clean Water Act protections in our nation’s waters, strengthening the Safe Drinking Water Act, improving our water infrastructure, defending the clean air protections in the Clean Power Plan, requiring the EPA to set legal limits on toxic chemicals in drinking water, and building on the work done by our state’s task force.
While the U.S. continues to build new roads every year, we’re letting those we already have fall into disrepair; the country needs half a trillion dollars in highway and bridge maintenance. We need to fix the infrastructure we’ve got. And the projects we build using taxpayer money need to be built to last — that means they can hold up in a changing climate while also sustaining our transition to cleaner transportation.
Sara passed bills in the State House to upgrade culverts at stream crossings to improve bridge safety and help communities better prepare for floods. Sara will bring these kinds of solutions to Congress, focusing federal highway funds on fixing our worn-out infrastructure and investing in smarter, stronger power lines and charging infrastructure to keep up with electric vehicle growth. She’ll fight to make sure Maine communities can get the federal funds they need to fix their aging bridges, drinking water systems, and schools. She’ll also work to close the rural-digital divide, supporting robust investment in building out broadband infrastructure in rural Maine so that every Mainer can have reliable, affordable Internet access. She also supports investments to ensure that new infrastructure is built to better withstand climate change and severe weather, allowing the Maine economy to continue to thrive in the midst of future crises.
The transportation industry is a critical part of the American economy, generating billions in annual revenue. At the same time, transportation is responsible for more climate pollution than any other sector in the U.S. — nearly one-third of total emissions. Unfortunately, Trump and the Republicans have failed to enforce standards that would make cars and trucks more fuel-efficient while cutting emissions. As a result, Americans will face more pollution and higher prices at the pump.
Sara strongly supports rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and strengthening vehicle efficiency standards weakened by Trump to make sure we reach our emissions goals. She will also support policies that make electric and other clean vehicles more affordable for Mainers, and build-out the charging infrastructure needed to support them.
Sara will work to make sure Maine’s transportation network can become cleaner and safer for everyone, supporting new investments in public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. In the State House, Sara passed a law to maintain critical express bus service to Brunswick. In the Senate, she will continue to be a champion for public transportation, helping Maine’s towns and cities maintain and expand their transit services, purchase electric buses, and build streets with bike lanes, bus lanes, and sidewalks so everyone can be safe on the road.
Natural disasters like flooding are getting worse and more frequent due to the changing climate. Sea levels in Maine have risen up to eight inches over the past 70 years and flooding along coastal towns will become more and more common. Sea level rise pushes saltwater into drainpipes and streets, putting the state’s fiber optic cable and Internet access at risk. When combined with high temperatures, melting snowpack, and strange and severe storms, this puts further strain on Maine’s infrastructure.
Sara will support the safeguarding of coastal towns against sea level rise to protect future generations of Mainers.
Vulnerable communities and low-income households in Maine should not have to worry about whether they will be able to keep the heat on during the winter months, or if they can maintain safe temperatures in their homes during summer heat waves. Low-income families spend a higher percent of their income on energy bills. Energy efficiency and weatherization improvements can ease this financial burden, improve health benefits, and help lift families out of poverty. Weatherization services are also high-impact public investments that create jobs in the communities they serve.
Trump has consistently sought to eliminate home energy assistance programs like LIHEAP and the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration proposed taking critical funds out of LIHEAP to support the national response to the coronavirus threat. This could have meant that many Maine families — including veterans, the elderly, and those with disabilities — would have had to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for other necessities like food, medicine, or rent.
Sara will work to make sure that Maine communities get the federal resources they need to provide critical weatherization and energy assistance for low-income families. Sara will fight the Trump administration’s repeated efforts to cut these vital, life-saving programs, and she will work to ensure that all Mainers have access to uninterrupted utility service in their homes. Sara will also fight to provide incentives for homeowners to invest in energy efficiency improvements helping Mainers save money, cut energy waste, and improve the safety of their homes. Finally, Sara recognizes the importance of net-zero construction practices for our future, and will work towards strong green building standards for new construction.
