Dear Editor:

Notwithstanding the hype, claims and fear generated by the $2 trillion global warming industrial complex, Wiscasset’s sewage treatment plant, with minor effort, can remain in place until 2076. At the present rate of increase the ocean should be about six inches higher when the USA celebrates its 300th anniversary

In the last 20,000 years, since the Last Glacial Maximum, the earth has been warming, and sea levels have risen about 400 feet. Sea level increased rapidly for the first 13,000 years then slowed dramatically. The present sea level is fairly consistent with the pattern seen in the last 6 interglacial cycles over the last 700,000 years. Present sea level sits comfortably inside the envelope of previous interglacial highstands.

The Dutch have been carefully reading and recording sea levels at six primary stations with roughly 130 years of data. The Brest station in France is also a respected source of measurement with records back to 1807. As a scientist I like the raw data without adding “correction factors” which have the potential to knowingly or unknowingly corrupt the data. By virtue of tens of thousands of data points systematically taken over many decades, any changes produced by wind, tides, and storms are averaged out and tend to normalize the trend without adjustments. After130 years of monitoring the Dutch data shows an increase of about 0.07 to 0.08 inches per year. The Brest data shows about 0.06 to 0.07 inches per year. Recently “correction factors” have been added and the new and approved rate is 0.12 inches per year. If that rate is maintained, sea level will be six inches higher in 50 years.

Presently the sewage treatment plant is operating at less than 1/3 of its capacity. Maine has committed almost $1 billion “fighting” global warming since 2019. Mainers are already paying some of the highest electrical costs in the country. Now Wiscasset residents are facing a $50 million project to move a plant that can serve us well in the foreseeable future. Let’s table this plan for 50 years and then reassess.

Joe Grant

Wiscasset