Bill would make
the Commonwealth a Leader in Global Warming Solutions
Boston- Last night the House of Representatives unanimously
passed a revised version of the Global Warming Solutions Act, a bill that will
make Massachusetts a national leader in implementing global warming solutions
and commit the state to making the pollution reductions that scientists say are
necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.
Speaker DiMasi and Secretary of Energy and Environmental
Affairs, Ian Bowles developed the revised global warming bill. The bill will now head to the Senate, which
has already approved a similar measure and is expected to act quickly on this
new version.
“Late last night the Massachusetts State House joined the
Senate in passing landmark global warming legislation. This bill, along with the Green Communities
Act-- which was recently signed into law-- shows that Massachusetts is
committed to making our state the hub of clean energy and global warming
solutions” said Ben Wright, Global Warming Advocate with Environment
Massachusetts. “We applaud the bold leadership
of the Governor, Speaker DiMasi, Senate President Murray, Senator Pacheco and
the hundreds of house and senate members that made this bill possible. Today’s action comes not a moment too soon."
The bill empowers the Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs to regulate green house gasses from all sources across
the commonwealth, mandates a reduction of 80% below 1990 levels by the year
2050 and instructs the administration to develop a shorter-term goal of between
10% and 25% below 1990 levels by they year 2020 as well as targets for 2030 and
2040.
“With the news reporting another major ice sheet breaking
off the arctic shelf and in the light of continued federal inaction on this
critical issue, today’s action by the house sends a loud and clear message to
the rest of the country, and the rest of the world, that Massachusetts will be
part of the solution” said Wright.
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Environment
Massachusetts is a Statewide Environmental Organization with 25,000 members
across the commonwealth working for clean air, clean water and open spaces.
