Located at the northeastern tip of the United States, Maine is known chiefly for its wood and seafood products. Nearly 90 percent of its land area is forested, and 21,000 acres (85 sq. km.) are designated as state forests. Maine has 3,478 mi. (597 km.) of tid-ally influenced shoreline. These forests and coastlines are particularly vulnerable to climate changes caused by global warming. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that rainfall in parts of Maine has decreased by 20 percent over the last century. In the future, the sea level in Rockland is predicted to rise as high as 14 in. (36 cm.), leading to coastal flooding, beach erosion, and the loss of valuable wetlands. As a result of this vulnerability, Maine has taken decisive action in establishing policies, priorities, and actions designed to modify human behaviors associated with global warming and climate change.
PROGRESS
Between 1990 and 2001, the population of Maine increased by 5 percent. During that same period, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose by 20 percent to a total of 22.7 million metric tons. In 2005, Maine established new standards for motor vehicle emissions based on those already in place in California. As a result of these efforts, Maine now has the eighth lowest level of CO2 emissions in the United States. The Public Utilities Commission acted in 1999 to move Maine toward renewable energy, requiring that 30 percent of all power come from renewable sources, such as fuel cells, tidal power, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, and solid-waste fueled generators.
In 2001, the New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers began developing plans to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the area. In addition to establishing a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory, the plan called on members to develop specific plans for reducing GHG emissions and for energy conservation, educating the public, leading by example, reducing GHG emissions from electric power plants, conserving energy, and reducing the overall impacts of climate change. In 2006, Maine received an overall grade of "B" for actions taken on accomplishing these goals. The report card cited progress in purchasing hybrid vehicles for the state, establishing LEED standards in new and renovated state buildings, reducing travel miles of state employees, reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of clean energy, developing strict vehicle emission standards, and focusing on renewable energy and carbon-neutral generators. The report card stated that improvements were needed in the areas of fuel efficiency, education, research, and mandated building codes.
The responsibility for overseeing environmental factors that lead to global warming and climate change is divided among several departments in Maine. The Department of Environmental Protection encompasses the divisions of Air Quality, Land and Water Quality, and Remediation and Waste Management, as well as the Board of Environmental Protection. The Bureau of Health, which operates under the auspices of the Department of Human Services, manages the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, the Environmental Health Unit, and the Division of Health Engineering. Other agencies with environmental responsibilities include the Department of Agriculture, which includes the Board of Pesticide Control, the Department of Conservation, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Department of Marine Resources, and the State Planning Office, which oversees land use, coastal management, natural resources, waste management, and recycling.
A Maine moose in wetlands. The state is also known for its extensive shoreline, but the sea level in Rockland is predicted to rise, leading to coastal flooding, beach erosion, and the loss of wetlands.
Programs
In 2003, Maine became the first state in the United States to set a specific target for reducing GHG emissions. Established by an act to provide leadership in addressing the threat of climate change, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target Program mandates that emissions be restored to 1990 levels by 2010, and reduced an additional 10 percent by 2020. Long-term plans entail drastic reductions that may reach 75 to 80 percent of 2003 levels. The new standards work in conjunction with Maine’s Clean Car Program, which was established in 1999. The program encourages residents to commit to reducing vehicle emissions, the greatest source of pollution in the state. Vehicles that meet established standards are allowed to display a "Cleaner Cars for Maine" sticker. To cut down on toxic emissions, consumers are advised to make sure that all car purchases are green, and drivers are encouraged to reduce driving time, avoid idling engines, accelerate gradually, avoid speeding, fill gas tanks during cooler periods of the day, refrain from spilling gas and topping off tanks, and reduce use of air conditioning. Since maintenance habits may also affect the environment, Maine drivers are requested to use energy-conserving motor oils, get regular check-ups, replace filters and oil frequently, keep tires properly inflated and aligned, and repair all leaks.
Maine’s State Planning Office began working on the issue of climate change in the mid-1990s. When the working grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was exhausted, some members reformed as Maine Global Climate Change, Inc., for the purpose of educating the public about human behaviors that affect global warming and climate change. The group was successful in convincing the legislature to appoint a state climatologist. In 2004, Maine established a Climate Action Plan, targeting the transportation, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential sectors as a means of controlling the emission of greenhouse gases by protecting the state’s resources. The Department of Environment Protection announced 54 specific actions that had been proposed by working groups from all sectors, including forestry, land use, and transportation. Reporting and assessments were considered essential to keeping policies and responses up-to-date.
In 2007, Maine launched the Whole House pilot plan designed to provide homeowners with a oneway stop to transform their homes into energy-saving dwellings capable of reducing energy costs, fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Using a plan developed by Energy Star, the Whole House project initially targeted 1,500 homes in southern and central Maine. Proponents of the plan promise the residents of Maine that, by working with a certified Home Performance contractor, they will be able to reduce energy costs, improve family health and safety, increase comfort, lower carbon footprints, and increase equity.
Maine’s Smart Tracks for Exceptional Performers and Upward Performers (STEP-UP) program offers recognition and incentives to businesses that become involved in sustainable practices designed to mitigate the results of global warming and climate change. Actions taken are dependent on the type of businesses involved in the endeavor. For instance, Pratt & Whitney, which manufactures aerospace engine parts in North Berwick, pledged to reduce total energy consumption by 10 percent, total air emissions by 20 percent, water discharge by 30 percent, and the total amount of transported solid waste by 30 percent by 2008.
