States carrying environmental load

4/22/08
The course of national environmental policy may change along with the administration in Washington, but for now, the outlook is clear. It’s up to the states to get anything done.
That much is obvious after seven years of inaction and some seriously misguided policy proposals. Instead of simply calling a program “Clear Skies” or “Healthy Forests,” it would be nice to actually achieve those outcomes instead of continuing to dither.
As another Earth Day arrives on the heels of a conference of governors at Yale University last week on the climate crisis, it’s important to take stock of where we stand. All three remaining presidential contenders have shown at least some interest in pursuing policies that will curb emissions and limit our greenhouse gas output. But the real leadership is coming from the statehouses.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California has pushed for tougher vehicle emission standards than those required by the federal government, but the White House has pushed back. Benefiting no one other than corporate owners, Washington is denying California and all states in agreement, including Connecticut, the right to set strict rules.
Our own Gov. M. Jodi Rell has been out front on this issue, to her credit. We’re a relatively small state, but it will take everyone working together to achieve anything real. Though the emissions standard is on hold, there are hundreds of smaller ways the states are taking the lead.
President Bush has finally gotten around to announcing emissions reduction standards, but in announcing a multigenerational plan when he has only months left in office, it’s more of a formality than anything. Once the next president is sworn in next January, whoever it is, the environment must be near the top of the national agenda.
Every day, we’re pumping tons of carbon emissions into the fragile atmosphere, and the point of no return that leads to climate catastrophe could be closer than we think. Unless everyone in the world can find a way to move 20 miles inland, it’s probably a good idea to get serious about this.
For now, it’s up to state leaders. But we’ll need much more than that to accomplish anything significant.