Statement of Environment Connecticut Program Director Christopher Phelps on HB 5600 An Act Concerning Connecticut Global Warming Solutions
Hartford - Global Warming is one of the most profound threats facing our nation today. Environment Connecticut applauds the bipartisan efforts by legislators in the House of Representatives for their support of the measure to ensure that our state is a leader in the effort to cut global warming pollution. The Global Warming Solutions Act is historic legislation that mandates cuts in Connecticut’s emissions of global warming pollution to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. Final passage of this bill would allow Connecticut to join states such as California, New Jersey, and Washington that have already enacted similar laws and set an example for other states and the federal government to follow.
Environment Connecticut, working with our colleagues at Environment America and state environment groups across the country, has tirelessly advocated common-sense solutions to the challenge of stopping global warming. While the Bush administration has taken a do-nothing approach to the issue, states from California, to New Jersey, and now Connecticut are achieving real progress.
We worked to implement the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade program to cut global warming pollution from power plant in the Northeast, and are fighting to clear the way for implementation of the California greenhouse gas tailpipe emission standards in Connecticut and other states.
In Washington, we’ve worked with congressional leaders, including Connecticut’s representatives, to support federal global warming legislation requiring our nation to cut global warming pollution 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
In
California,
New Jersey, and
Washington, we worked to convince those states to set the bar for the congress by enacting mandatory global warming pollution caps. We urge the state Senate to act quickly to pass HB 5600 and send it to Governor Rell for her signature so that
Connecticut can do its part in the fight to stop global warming.
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