“Climate change is coming in a fast and furious way to the Connecticut shoreline in general and our own district in particular,” said Madeleine Leveille, Green Party candidate for 35th District state representative. “Summers are getting hotter, and winters are getting colder. The intensity of storms during both cold weather and hot weather is gradually but very definitely increasing. Changes in water level, temperature and storm intensity will have a fundamental impact on the people of this district and their lifestyles.”

These changes will affect all of the people living in the State House district that includes Clinton, Killingworth, and part of Westbrook, affecting the economy and the activities of everyone who lives in this district, according to Leveille.

“We need to immediately begin a serious planning process at the level of our state government to prepare the Connecticut shoreline for gradual but substantial environmental changes. With leadership from our shoreline towns and coordination and funding from the state government, there is every reason to believe that we can creatively adapt to these environmental changes and maintain a pleasant and beautiful lifestyle near the water rather than succumbing to a rout-like retreat from the shoreline,” Leveille said. “We need to raise and harden the infrastructure at the state, town and homeowner levels. Modifications to roads and structures will be necessary. No single town or even group of towns will be able to make more than limited headway on these measures by themselves. We need coordination at the state level if we are to have success. If elected as your state representative, I will insist on coordinated planning to protect our shoreline.”