Global Warming News

As the new home of RIPIRG's environmental work, Environment Rhode Island can be contacted regarding this news release.

Providence -- As the governors of the six new England states come together this weekend in Mystic, Connecticut, for their annual meeting, a new report released today by Clean Water Action and Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group (RIPIRG) has found that they are not on track to hit pollution reduction goals set two years ago.

In 2001, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers made a landmark commitment to cut global warming pollution in the region. But the new analysis of the policies put in place to date concludes that the region will see less than one-third of the promised pollution reductions unless further steps are taken to clean up cars, power plants, and other sources.

The report, Global Warming and New England: Progress, Opportunities and Challenges After Two Years of the Regional Climate Change Action Plan, assesses progress of the individual states toward developing their climate action plans, a key component of the 2001 agreement. Rhode Island is leading the region in developing plans to curtail the pollution that causes global warming. However, much of this work was done during former Governor Almond's administration and the Carcieri administration has yet to publicly embrace the Rhode Island Climate Change Action Plan.

"The good news is that the governors' commitment of 2001 is generating progress here in Rhode Island. The Department of Environmental Management has shown real leadership in developing our climate action plan," said Sheila Dormody, Rhode Island director of Clean Water Action. "The bad news is that, across New England, the work being done to reduce global warming pollution is far less than what we need to protect New England's health, economy and environment."

In an attempt to address what many policy makers and experts consider to be a growing threat to health, economic and environmental stability in the region, the governors committed to cut global warming pollution back to 1990 levels by 2010, and 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. They also agreed to cut pollution 75-85 percent in the long term, which is the level of cuts scientists currently predict will be necessary to mitigate human effects on the climate.

"While Rhode Island has developed a very comprehensive and aggressive plan for reducing climate change, we need to focus on implementation," stated Kate Canada, advocate for RIPIRG. "It is not enough to talk about reducing climate change—Rhode Island must start now in order to preserve our shoreline, our tourism economy and overall quality of life."

The report also calculates projected emission reductions from regional commitments made by the governors over the last two years. These measures include boosting the efficiency of power plants, improving conservation programs, and purchasing high-efficiency appliances like LED traffic lights.

"As the federal government is doing little to reduce carbon dioxide emissions," said Brad Marston, Professor of Physics at Brown University in testimony to the Rhode Island General Assembly in support of a renewable energy bill, "it is up to the states to lead the way."

The New England Climate Coalition, representing over 150 health, energy, environmental and faith groups region-wide, has united around a 10 point platform of policies needed to significantly reduce emissions of global warming pollutants further outlined in the report. Regionally, the coalition urges the governors to adopt the following policies coming out of the regional meeting next week:

• Aggressively promote a regional cap on carbon pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants that features actual emission reductions and does not provide additional subsidies for nuclear reactors.

• Establish a system of mandatory reporting and comprehensive inventories of carbon dioxide and other global warming emissions by 2005.

In Rhode Island, the coalition includes a dozen organizations signed on to the climate principals. In addition to RIPIRG and Clean Water Action, the supporters range from traditional environmental groups like the Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter to the Rhode Island Medical Society. The coalition is calling on Governor Carcieri to:

• Endorse the Rhode Island Climate Action Plan and the proposals to reduce climate change in Rhode Island.

• Lead by example and increase energy efficiency 25 percent by 2010 in state government.

• Adopt the California Low Emission Vehicle Program II for all new cars sold in Rhode Island.

• Support requiring 20 percent of Rhode Island's energy to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Rhode Island's Climate Change Action Plan is available at www.state.ri.us/dem/programs/bpoladm/stratpp/greenhos.htm