 Power plants like Salem Harbor, above, will have to reduce their global warming emissions.
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At a news conference at UMass Boston on Jan. 17, Gov. Deval Patrick made good on a high-profile campaign promise by moving Massachusetts back into a regional global warming pact, called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The program was announced by seven Northeast governors in December 2005, but was rejected at the last minute by former Gov. Mitt Romney. RGGI establishes a cap-and-trade system for limiting global warming emissions from fossil fuel-burning power plants in the Northeast.
“This is an important step for climate protection, and a bold move by the governor,” said Environment Massachusetts Director Frank Gorke. “We are already seeing the impacts of global warming here in Massachusetts, and it is increasingly clear that we need swift action to solve this problem.”
Scientists expect global warming to cause rising sea levels, more extreme weather, more expensive storm damage and insurance coverage, and more heat waves, along with a host of other environmental problems.
“Climate experts are recommending that we cut global warming pollution 75 to 85 percent by the middle of this century if we hope to avoid the worst impacts of global warming,” added Gorke. “This regional agreement is one solution we can put in place now to get on the path toward a climate-friendly future.”
The program takes effect in 2009, and will result in approximately 10 percent pollution reductions from power plants by 2020. The outlines of the program were negotiated over the last several years by staff representing governors of Northeast states from Maine to Maryland. Patrick administration regulators are expected to start drafting detailed regulations over the next few months.
“This will work best if it becomes part of a comprehensive plan to tackle global warming,” concluded Gorke. “We’re now caught up to the rest of the Northeast. Environment Massachusetts is optimistic that we will soon retake our state’s historic leadership position on smart environmental policy. That means also taking the next several steps: capping all sources of global warming pollution, tackling emissions from increasing vehicle travel, replacing some of our oil consumption with renewable fuels, and boosting energy efficiency in buildings throughout the Commonwealth.” |
