While the “Green New Deal”, proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is far from being a reality, states with the newly inducted governors are aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote energy efficiency with their ambitious plans, according to New York Times’s article, “A ‘Green New Deal is Far from Reality, but Climate Action is Picking up in the States”.
Democratic governors who are newly elected in Michigan, Illinois, and New Mexico have joined the United States Climate Alliance. The alliance consists of 19 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and they vow to uphold the Paris climate agreement and cover 1/3 of the U.S’s greenhouse gas emission.
Their work seems small, yet is admirable. States can be testing grounds of climate policies to see which ones work and which ones don’t. By supporting renewable energy and environmental protection, they are paving way for the federal government to enact federal laws to address the issue of climate change.
One of the policies that the governors support is to require people to use more renewable electricity. In Maine, newly elected Democrat Gov. Janet Mills, vows to provide incentives for rooftop solar energy usage and to boost wind power in Maine. Similarly, in New Mexico, Democrat Gov. Michelle Grisham backs a bill that requires electric utilities to use renewable sources as 50 % of their power by 2030. States like California and Hawaii have already set a deadline for utilities to meet the target of getting 100% of the electricity from renewable energy sources. Governors of Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois are pursuing similar goals.
Besides renewable energy usage, states aim to reduce pollution from cars. Nine Eastern states and the District of Columbia announced a plan to put a price on emissions from fuels and invest in lower-carbon solutions in transportation.
I think it is very admirable and hopeful for so many states to decide to take actions against climate change. Despite numerous incidents where President Trump neglects pollution and climate change, the states provide hope for the next generations. I am hoping to see more states coming out and deciding to take actions on a statewide level, and a massive federal action that could potentially change the way we consume energy in the future after Trump’s term.
Caring for the Air 