Democratic Gov. Janet Mills' Climate Council met for the first time Thursday in Hallowell.
The Council is made up of scientists, policy-makers and an array of Mainers whose lives and businesses are already being transformed by climate change. The group will explore actions that could mitigate global warming and its effects on Maine.
Ivan Fernandez, a University of Maine soil and forest scientist, noted that state efforts to address the issue had ground to a halt during Paul LePage's governorship. "Some faces here that I haven't seen in about eight years,” Fernandez said. “We can continue our work."
After brief presentations on the state of Maine's ecosystems and their likely future, Mills said the council has overwhelming bipartisan support, and she called on members to recommend concrete actions to meet the challenge.
