Carper joins environmentalists in effort to curb climate change
Following a report released Wednesday regarding climate change in Delaware, Senator Tom Carper joined Environment America in Dover to urge Governor Carney to step up efforts to curb carbon emissions.
"We are responsible as citizens. It's our planet. We live here. And it's our obligation to take care of it.," said Carper, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The top of discussion was the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, known as "RGGI." Delaware and Maryland are two of nine members in the mid-atlantic and northeast region.
The meeting comes at a time when the federal government, led by the Trump administration, continues to roll back regulations on emissions.
"The president on Tuesday issued an executive order rolling back the Clean Power Plan, which is the first ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants," said Lindsey Mendelson, member of Environment America. "And right now Senator Carper is working to defend that progress on the federal level, and because there is not as much space or room for progress at the federal level, it's more important than ever that Delaware steps up its leadership."
The program in question forces polluters to buy permits for their pollution. The money goes directly toward clean energy, energy efficiency and consumer benefit programs. Since it became effective on January 1, 2009, environmental advocates say the state of Delaware, and the region as a whole, have seen a dramatic shift in the climate.
"This program has actually cut pollution in half over the past decade, and generated over $99 million in investments into clean energy," said Mendelson.
The report, co-authored by Frontier Group, concludes by doubling the strength of RGGI compared to staying put, could allow the region to avoid an additional 100 million tons of pollution while Delaware would be investing an extra $850 million over the next decade.
RGGI is nearing the end of its third 3-year control period, ending December 31. The next auction date for CO2 emissions is set for July 7.
