Stopping Global Warming

The consequences: stronger storms, severe droughts, and more

Global warming is the one of the most profound threats of our time — and we’re already starting to feel the effects.

In the past few years we’ve seen stronger, more frequent storms. Historic flooding from Vermont to Iowa. Snowmaggedon on the East Coast, increasingly destructive wildfires in the West.

Extreme weather could become “the new normal” as global warming wreaks havoc on our climate. Read our report, Global Warming and Extreme Weather, to learn more.

These dangers are cause for immediate action. But political posturing, partisan gridlock and the influence of powerful polluters has paralyzed our leaders in Washington.

States lead the way

Despite the lack of action in Washington, D.C., there is a way forward on global warming — and it starts at the local, state and regional level. Officials in the Northeast states are gearing up to make changes to the region’s landmark pollution program, which limits carbon pollution from power plants and invests in clean energy. Our state affiliates are working to defend the program where it’s threatened, and strengthen the program so that it cuts more pollution and generates more efficient, clean and renewable energy.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: A global warming program that works

In 2005, ten Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states joined together to establish one of the most important carbon pollution reduction programs in the country — the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

RGGI has broken important ground. It’s the first program in the United States to limit carbon pollution from power plants, sell permits to emit pollution and invest the revenues in energy efficiency and clean energy initiatives. Even more importantly, RGGI is a model for the country. It has demonstrated that other states, other regions and the nation as a whole could use a similar model to reduce emissions.

And so far, it has been a tremendous success. States participating in RGGI are investing 80 percent of the proceeds—more than $1 billion so far—in programs to improve energy efficiency and accelerate the development of renewable energy technologies. RGGI has already contributed to nearly $1 billion in consumer savings, 16,000 new jobs and economic growth in the 10 participating states.

RGGI under attack in Maine, N.H. and N.J.

Despite this promise, fossil fuel interests, led by Americans for Prosperity and other anti-regulatory ideologues, have convinced their allies in a number of states to support killing RGGI. As a result, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the New Hampshire House of Representatives and Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage have all announced their opposition to RGGI and have attempted to kill or weaken the program.

Backsliding on this landmark policy would have serious repercussions on these states’—and the nation’s—efforts to tackle global warming, and RGGI is only as effective as the participating states allow it to be.

Fortunately, in all of the RGGI states, there is strong public support for reducing pollution from power plants and shifting to clean energy. There is also a growing clean energy business sector that supports strengthening RGGI. The success stories involving RGGI-financed energy efficiency and clean energy measures are numerous. As a result there are a wide array of stakeholders, including local and state officials, organized labor, public health organizations and others.

We are working to convince state officials that RGGI is critical to meeting their energy and environmental goals. We have ramped up our efforts to mobilize strong public support for clean energy, to embolden supportive decision-makers seeking to strengthen RGGI and to undercut efforts by opponents to weaken the program or to convince states to withdraw. So far, we’ve succeeded

Fighting back in Maine, N.H. and N.J.

In New Hampshire and Maine, Environment New Hampshire Advocate Jessica O’Hare and Environment Maine Director Emily Figdor beat back efforts to kill RGGI by highlighting the clean energy benefits of the program, mobilizing our members and activists to contact legislators and attend hearings in support, and working closely with our allies in environmental, public health and national security groups.

In New Jersey, our work to get the Legislature to block Gov. Chris Christie from pulling out of RGGI is having an impact. But we must remain vigilant. So far, we have held the line on the rollbacks in those states, while laying the groundwork to strengthen the program in the coming year. (Pictures from NJ campaign)

With your support, we can make RGGI even stronger

Defending the program is not enough. We need to strengthen RGGI. Environment America and our state affiliates in Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maryland are mounting a region-wide campaign to strengthen the program. Our goal is to reduce current carbon emissions by 20% in 2020, 40% in 2030 and at least 80% by 2050.

In December, we worked with our allies to get 250 environmental groups, clean energy businesses and public health officials signed on to a set of principles to strengthen the program. We presented these principles to the top energy and environmental officials in the RGGI states. In January, state officials from Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont announced their intention to begin the process of retiring excess allowances, an important step toward strengthening the RGGI emissions cap.