The Conservation Law Foundation, a New England-based environmental group, issued a report today calling for an overhaul of the region's transportation and energy systems to slow climate change.

CLF calls for five major steps in Maine and the other New England states during the next five years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The steps are:

• Use at least 75 percent of transportation funds to expand public transit and give people the opportunity to drive less.

• Invest at least $1 billion in new energy efficiency and conservation measures for homes and businesses.

• Build 2,000 megawatts of new wind power.

• Shut down at least two of the region's coal-fired power plants or convert them to cleaner, low-carbon fuels.

• Enact legislation in each New England state mandating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and requiring reviews of climate impacts in state planning and permitting decisions.

"Over the next decade Maine must fundamentally shift how we heat and cool our homes and businesses, how we travel to our jobs, and how we develop our communities if we are to prevent the calamitous impacts of climate change," Sean Mahoney, director of CLF's Brunswick office said in a written release. "The time to start is now."

CLF's new report is available online at www.newenglandclimatesolutions.org.