Luke Bartol is a senior at Bowdoin College in Maine.
No summer in Maine is complete without days spent at the beach, but sometimes it’s such a drag to drive all the way to the coast. Don’t you wish the beach was a bit closer to you? Worry no longer – climate change is doing just that!
According to projections by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, it should just take a few short decades to bring the ocean closer to your doorstep. With 6 inches of sea-level rise, an increase that’s predicted within the century, the coastline of Reid State Park will be a mile further inland, while Old Orchard Beach will be over 2 miles closer in some places. Just think of all the time you’ll save!
All joking aside, the extent to which Maine is poised to be affected by sea-level rise is drastic. The same analysis shows Bath Iron works fully submerged, all of Portland’s Commercial Street under water and downtown Damariscotta full of water. Maine’s islands fare even worse, with a quarter of Vinalhaven and the Cranberry Isles slated to be lost to the sea.
Effective climate action is an absolute necessity for the people of Maine and must be a top priority for our legislators in Augusta and Washington. We cannot settle for half-baked actions of political posturing, as only quick and decisive action has a chance at mitigating the devastating effects that are quickly coming. Call your representatives today and tell them that the benefits of closer beaches are not worth it.