An Aug. 21 letter to the editor from a manufacturers’ industry spokesperson overlooked a crucial point in his critique of climate litigation: These cases aren’t about solving climate change; they’re about dollars and cents.

Adaptation and resiliency projects are necessary to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change – but they’re expensive. A recent study found that the state of Maine will need to spend $10.9 billion on coastal defenses alone over the next 20 years – and that’s only one of many projects our communities will need. For some perspective, in June of this year, the legislature approved our biennial state budget – a total of $8.7 billion.

Research has shown that oil and gas companies are responsible for most of the pollution that causes climate change. Many of these same companies knew decades ago that their products would cause catastrophic climate change damages, but then spent millions to deceive the public to protect their own profits.

Now communities across the country are taking these companies to court to hold them accountable for causing and lying about climate change. Many cases seek to make the industry that got rich from climate pollution pay its fair share of the billion-dollar costs associated with climate damages so that taxpayers aren’t stuck with the bill.

Put simply, these cases follow kindergarten rules: You make a mess, you need to help clean it up. Protecting Mainers from the impacts of climate change is too important to leave out any tool in the toolbox, including litigation.

Mark Dion
Portland