In today's Maine Sunday Telegram, I report on how and why the administration of Gov. Paul LePage spiked the creation of the state's climate adaptation strategy, which was intended to coordinate and prioritize responses to changing climate conditions and, thereby, save money. It's a contrast to, say, New York State, which has been rushing to create a plan to protect and strengthen critical infrastructure against events like Hurricane Sandy, which are predicted (and observed) to be more frequent.
You can read the details in the piece, and what some national experts think of the state's explanation for their policy shift. Some interesting items for Maine policy wonks as well, including environmental protection commissioner Patricia Aho's position that her department should no longer be the lead agency on climate adaptation, and that the original plan can't go forward because Gov. LePage has eliminated some of the agencies that were to have executed it.
Are you somehow implying that Gov. LePage even believes in the existence of climate change? Silly boy, you!
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