Thank you for Joe Charpentier’s recent article on the increasing warmth and humidity in Maine. As the state with the greatest percentage of folks over age 65, this is going to cause significant hardship. As an octogenarian, I find that enjoyable tasks like weeding my garden when it’s 75 degrees become unbearable when it’s 85 degrees and humid.

Climate deniers argue that summer heat events in Maine are not unusual. They are correct, but as the article correctly states, the frequency of such events is increasing. The cause is also clear. Continuing to burn fossil fuels for energy puts us on a pathway to more catastrophic weather events that will cause suffering for everyone, not just the elderly.

The solution is also clear: We need to transition to solar and wind with battery storage for generating electrical power. It’s now cheaper than fossil fuels. That is why the petrostate of Texas leads the nation in building new solar and wind farms to meet their increasing electrical energy demand.

Maine is also doing its part, passing LD 1868 and committing to 100% clean electrical energy by 2040. My grandchildren are counting on us to keep that commitment.

Tom Mikulka
Cape Elizabeth