Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The letter is regarding Gregory E. Foster Rep. Candidate for House Seat District #66

In a letter to the Editor of the April 13, The Windham Eagle publication, Gregory E. Foster, who cites that he is a candidate for Maine House District #66, makes his case why climate change does not, and will not affect Maine’s maple products industry. He refers to a conference where a conservationist and a forest scientist spoke and indicated that due to climate change the range for maple sap will continue to move north. 

Mr. Foster goes on to refute this is happening. The evidence regarding climate change is well documented and accepted by the majority of the world’s scientific community. Those who deny climate change cite other “studies”, some directly or indirectly funded by fossil fuel interests.

There are at least two credible ways to decide the truth: trust American institutions such as NASA, NOAA, the pre-Trump EPA, and the academic institutions researching climate; or do some research yourself. The alternative is to rely on talk show hosts, the Trump EPA, and studies by questionable sources. 

Then there is “circumstantial evidence” such as Mr. Foster’s observation that nothing has changed “in his neck of the woods.”  

Similarly, there was the famous “snowball evidence”: Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) threw a snowball on the U.S. Senate floor in an effort to disprove climate change. The idea being, we still have snow, so there’s no climate change. Right? We know what the incentive is for denying that climate change is occurring: the huge fossil fuel lobby. Before Mr. Foster’s letter I hadn’t heard any argument as to what possible incentive the world’s scientific community has to somehow collude and create a false climate change hoax, and for American institutions, like NASA, to falsify data. 

Mr. Foster seems to be saying that climate change is a fabrication, so the EPA can get more money. It’s the “big government” conspiracy theory. You can bet that Maine’s maple products, ski, snowmobile, tourist and fishing industries are all taking the effects of climate change seriously.

Mainers in District #66 can decide if they want to elect, for their Representative to the Maine House, someone who does not take it seriously.

Jeff Christiansen

Gorham, ME