“Rolling back critical public health protections in the midst of a pandemic is appalling,” said Emily Green, Senior Attorney at CLF. “The clean car standards are designed to protect our health while saving drivers money at the gas pump. This administration’s rejection of science and accountability knows no bounds, and we’ll continue to challenge this reckless rule change.”
“Congress must prioritize people over polluters,” said Bradley Campbell, President of Conservation Law Foundation. “The very communities that continue to suffer disproportionately high rates of disease at the hands of big oil are now directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Any relief legislation must be focused on helping these families and not bailing out big oil and gas.”
“While today’s guilty plea hopefully brings some element of closure in this disaster, the risks that fracked gas poses to our communities and our climate can only be addressed by breaking our addiction to fossil fuels,” said Greg Cunningham, Vice President & Director of CLF’s Clean Energy Climate Change program. “As the Commonwealth considers transferring the utility privileges held by Columbia Gas to a new owner, it must ensure that gas utilities are truly committed to safety and combatting the climate crisis. The funds from this settlement must be directed towards the historically marginalized communities that have been hit hardest by this disaster.”
Getting serious about climate change means getting serious about our gas use. It means all of us working together to build a clean energy future that doesn’t require the expensive and polluting buildout of more fracked gas. We don’t need it. And we can’t afford it.
UPDATE: Rhode Island has still not corrected how it measures dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. The State continues to dramatically underestimate the amount of methane – an extremely potent greenhouse gas – leaking from its pipes. To ensure Rhode Island makes real progress in cutting its carbon pollution, the legislature should adopt the Act On Climate 2020 bill – which would turn the State’s existing emission reduction goals into mandatory targets and hold the State accountable for achieving them.
From more severe storms to prolonged heat waves, climate change is here and it’s happening now. Luckily, clean energy solutions like solar panels can help both our planet and our economy.
Vermont’s legislature hit the ground running this year. Lawmakers are taking up critical bills to tackle climate change – bills that put the state on a path to slash polluting emissions while making sure rural communities and hardworking Vermonters prosper.
While Vermont has made strides advancing energy efficiency and renewable energy, we are falling behind in reducing toxic climate pollution from burning fossil fuels in our cars and homes. Passing the Vermont Global Warming Solutions Act will change that, putting us back on track to cutting our emissions and securing a brighter future.
“The climate crisis demands bold action and Vermont is long overdue,” said Jen Duggan, Vice President and Director of CLF Vermont. “We’re off track, but we can eliminate all carbon pollution by 2050 while building healthy and resilient communities. This legislation will make sure we reach our emissions goals and confront this crisis with everything we have.”
Winter snow and ice bring out Big Gas’s fearmongers. Why is the region’s electric grid operator among them?
