Coastal communities are doing their best to build infrastructure resiliency and to devise adaptation strategies as the future destructiveness of climate-induced weather disasters becomes clear. Many are doing their best to adopt household changes to limit greenhouse gas emissions, but feel frustrated by the ever-growing climate problem.

On November 5, Camden residents will have a chance to join voices with 29 other Maine municipalities that have called on Congress and the President to take strong federal policy action to slow global warming and the disruption of the climate.

Ballot question 8 on the local ballot reads: “Shall the town of Camden vote to encourage its elected federal lawmakers to enact strong national climate policy in the form of 'cashback' carbon pricing, which would charge fossil fuel producers a carbon fee for every ton of CO2 pollution to be emitted by the burning of their products; such fees to be collected into a national 'carbon trust fund' and disbursed regularly to American households with equal per-capita 'dividend' checks; with a record of the passage of this article to be sent by the town to Camden’s members of Congress, the President of the United States, and the Governor of Maine within 30 days of the vote?”

This and other such town and city resolutions are aimed at providing our politicians with assurance that there is constituent support for effective, efficient, equitable federal climate policy that supports families with cash payments during the coming shift in our economy from polluting to non-polluting sources of energy. 

The carbon-fee-and-dividend policy has been endorsed by thousands of prominent Economists, is validated by climate policy models, and is embodied in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act  in Congress. Camden would be adding its voice to those of Appleton, Arrowsic, Arundel, Bangor, Belfast, Belgrade, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Fairfield, Falmouth, Farmington, Freeport, Gray, Hampden, Harpswell, Kennebunk, Mount Vernon, Orono, Portland, Readfield, Rockland, Saco, South Portland, Starks, Vienna, Vinalhaven, Waterville, and Wilton, with several others in line. 

Camden residents with questions about the ballot question can contact cynthia.hoeh@gmail.com for more information.

Cynthia Stancioff is the proponent of the citizen initiative warrant article and lives in Camden.