As the new home of ConnPIRG's environmental work, Environment Connecticut can be contacted regarding this news release.
HARTFORD—ConnPIRG
and the Connecticut Climate Coalition marked the Hartford-area release
of the new global warming film “An Inconvenient Truth” by calling for
action to reduce global warming pollution nationally from current
levels within 10 years. The best science available indicates that
preventing the worst impacts of global warming requires reducing global
warming pollution by 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
“Global
warming threatens our nation’s prosperity, the quality of life in our
communities and our children’s future,” said ConnPIRG Advocate
Christopher Phelps. “The good news is that common-sense solutions are
available to substantially reduce global warming pollution.”
Connecticut
is among the states leading efforts to curb global warming pollution.
The state has adopted a climate change action plan that commits the
state to reducing emissions as much as 75% by 2050. The state has begun
to implement key emissions reduction policies such as Clean Car
tailpipe emissions standards, and is part of the Northeast states’
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative aimed at achieving a 10% reduction
in power plant emissions by 2020.
“Connecticut
is at the forefront of efforts to promote alternative energy use, raise
environmental standards and reduce global warming,” said Congresswoman
Rosa DeLauro. “Working through the appropriations process, I have
secured funding for Connecticut to implement climate control measures
such as the use of hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative energy source
and to maintain the State Energy Program, which promotes energy
conservation programs like the climate change action plan. The federal
government has a role to play in recognizing the impact of global
warming.”
While
individual states have taken steps to reduce emissions, the federal
government has failed to establish mandatory limits on global warming
pollution. Yet, U.S. emissions are rising swiftly. According to the
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), emissions rose 16% from
1990 to 2004, and are projected to increase another 46% over the next
20 years. The largest sources of global warming pollution are power
plants, cars and SUVs.
The
U.S. can use existing technology to make power plants and industry more
efficient, make cars go farther on a gallon of gasoline and shift to
cleaner technologies such as hybrid vehicles, clean biofuels, wind
energy, and solar power. These are “win-win” solutions according to
ConnPIRG, because they also increase use of clean, domestic energy,
reduce air pollution, and protect pristine wilderness from oil drilling
and mining.
Unfortunately,
oil companies – led by ExxonMobil – automakers, and most electric
utilities continue to fight common sense solutions to global warming,
Phelps pointed out. For instance, ExxonMobil has given over $15 million
since 1998 to groups working to undermine the broad scientific
consensus on the causes of, and solutions to, global warming.
“
We need real solutions to the problem of global warming and urge
Connecticut’s members of congress to lead the fight for mandatory
nationwide reductions in global warming pollution from today’s levels
within 10 years, 20% by 2020, and 60-80% by 2050.”
