Maine Mayor Samantha Paradis is Ready for More Young Leaders to Fight Climate Change

Maine mayor Samantha Paradis says young leaders are needed in climate change fight.

“It’s time that young people recognize that they have a real, moral obligation to run for office—for a lot of reasons,” she stated. “One that I have personally taken on as mayor is the challenge of climate change.”

The UN says we might have only 12 years to tackle climate change and limit the damage that would follow.

“I love Maine, the winters, hunting, and fishing in the Allagash, working the potato harvest, and being out on the bay lobstering,” said Paradis. “These are all foundations of our history, and continue to be important to us here in Maine, and all of these things are threatened by climate change.”

Paradis says that young people need to step up, run for office, get elected and demand that the government take action. Since taking office, Paradis has helped Belfast transition to 90% solar energy for municipal electricity use. She’s also helped create city climate change committee to study the effects of sea level rise, and has installed public electric vehicle chargers.

“We may just be one city, but imagine if young leaders across the country made the same changes in their cities,” she stated.

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