By Brian J. Hill, President & CEO, Pennsylvania Environmental Council

As we continue through the summer, the temperature outside is not the only thing heating up. The debate continues in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Congress over legislation to promote renewable energy generation, increase biofuel production, provide energy efficiency incentives for our homes and workplaces, and, on the whole, address climate change by reducing our increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

This last point is especially relevant to Pennsylvania, which generates approximately 1 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. In 2000, Pennsylvania generated 305 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Unless we take action now, our emissions will rise to 383 million metric tons by 2025. That puts our state alongside the top 25 emitting nations in the world.

Climate change will affect virtually every facet of our life: the crops we raise, the severity of storms and droughts we get, the kinds of forests and wildlife we see, the cars we drive, and how we develop our land. Because our state is a major contributor to the problem, we must take responsibility for finding solutions.

Two years ago, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council convened a group of stakeholders representing business, capital investment, agriculture, energy generation and environmental interests to develop a "climate change roadmap" for our state. Released this month, the roadmap shows solutions and opportunities for Pennsylvania that can make it a national leader in addressing climate change.

The roadmap sets a goal for Pennsylvania of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2025, from 2000 levels. To achieve that goal, the roadmap makes 38 specific recommendations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in several sectors.

The recommendations include common-sense steps such as increasing the use of renewable sources of energy, increasing transportation and building energy efficiencies, and taking advantage of natural assets to offset greenhouse gas emissions by increasing reforestation and using our native geology to sequester carbon dioxide emitted by our coal-fired power plants and other sources.

In addition, the roadmap presents energy efficiency recommendations that would put energy use more directly in the hands of consumers.

Thomas Edison once noted, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Clearly, addressing climate change will require hard work, but it also presents opportunities. Many of the recommendations in the climate roadmap present economic opportunities for Pennsylvania and our citizens because they would create industries, business and jobs.

Recent polls in Pennsylvania and across the country demonstrate that a majority of people support policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy.

Sen. Ted Erickson (R-Delaware) and Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) have introduced bipartisan legislation that would create a climate change action plan for Pennsylvania. In the near future, Gov. Ed Rendell will present his strategy for taking steps to address climate change, some of which are included in his "energy independence" initiative and under consideration in the General Assembly. A special legislative session on energy will be held in September.

The time to act is now. We hope the General Assembly and the governor will use the stakeholder-driven recommendations of the "climate change roadmap" for Pennsylvania as the foundation for a climate change strategy that not only addresses this critical issue, but one that unlocks the economic opportunities as well.

Link: PA Environmental Council Unveils Stakeholder-Drive Climate Change Roadmap

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council promotes the protection and restoration of the natural and built environments through innovation, collaboration, education and advocacy with the private sector, government, individuals and communities as partners to improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.

The Council was founded in 1970 and serves the entire state through offices in Meadville, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. For more information visit www.pecpa.org or call 717-230-8044.

8/3/2007