WE, your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Maine now assembled in the First Regular Session, most respectfully present and petition the President of the United States and the United States Congress as follows:

WHEREAS,  the year 2016 was the hottest year in the modern temperature record; and

WHEREAS,  there is increasing consensus among scientists and economists that there will be serious economic consequences if we fail to reduce global carbon emissions quickly; and

WHEREAS,  a changing climate will irreversibly damage the global economy; and

WHEREAS,  if left unaddressed, the consequences of a rising global temperature have the potential to adversely affect all Americans, hitting vulnerable populations hardest, hurting working families and harming productivity in middle class job sectors such as construction, agriculture and tourism, among others; and

WHEREAS,  there has been an increase in extreme weather events across the United States that have affected supply chains, consumer behaviors and local economies; and

WHEREAS,  the Paris Agreement provides a pathway forward to limit temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius; and

WHEREAS,  the Paris Agreement sends a powerful signal to the world that climate change is an immediate problem facing the planet; and

WHEREAS,  if the United States withdraws from the Paris Agreement, the United States will face an international diplomatic backlash and will cede leadership on climate change and renewable energy issues to China; now, therefore, be it