With more frequent storms and floods, residents of Maine can expect to see more drownings, electrocutions, and other accidental deaths, as well as diarrhea from contaminated drinking water. Insects and rodents will multiply, increasing the incidence of diseases such as encephalitis and malaria. Sea level rise will impact Maine's coastal communities. Health costs will also rise as climate change takes its toll on Maine's large uninsured population and elderly residents on Medicare. The death rate for asthma has tripled over the past 20 years.
Decisive action is needed now to protect human health.
The number one priority is to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, especially by coal-burning power plants and automobiles. The report lays out specific opportunities for personal and political actions needed to achieve this goal. The report on Maine is the third report in a planned series of 18 state-specific reports in which PSR describes the effects that rising world temperatures will have on local communities.