Hearing call to form climate action plan

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO

— With what appears to be overwhelming scientific evidence to prove that climate change does exist, some people still don’t believe it, one Casco resident said.

Mary-Vienessa Fernandes was talking about climate change with two women. Both women assured her there was no such thing as climate change, she said. One lady questioned whether Fernandes really believed in it. Meanwhile, the other woman said that so-called climate change was a part of nature and it was what had killed off the dinosaurs, Fernandes shared.

Scott Vlaun, the director of Center for an EcologyBased Economy, has been hearing that sentiment for 20 years. However, more people are starting to concur that there is a connection between human-based emissions and trapped greenhouse gases and the shifting weather patterns.

Climate Resiliency Grants do exist. There is no arguing about that. In fact, towns can receive between $5,000 and $50,000 per request, according to Vlaun. More than 70 grants have been awarded that did not require any matching funds from those towns.

The grant program is part of Maine Won’t Wait, the four-year climate action plan brought forward by Gov. Janet Mills’ adminis- tration. The State of Maine earmarked funding and created the Community Resilience Partnership so that towns can apply for grants after deciding which activities to engage in “to reduce carbon emissions, transition to clean energy, and become more resilient to climate change effects such as to extreme weather, flooding, rising sea levels, public health impacts and more,” the state’s website said.

CASCO IS ENROLLING in the Climate Resiliency Program in order to start getting grants to cover the cost of various activities that are tied to reducing or preparing for climate change.

A list of community actions provides precise activities for which grants can apply, such as leasing electric vehicles for the town or installing EV char- gers.