November 27, 2007

Welcome to Environmental Advocates of New York’s online newsletter from the State Capital, your source for environmental news. We’ll update you every other week with tidbits and observations carefully gleaned from the halls of the Capitol.

The Changing Climate of Climate Change

It’s that time of year friends. Very soon you’ll be seeing every journalist’s (foreign and domestic) take on the year that almost was. In the interest of staying ahead of the pack, here’s a digest of how the U.S. climate change climate has changed, regardless of whether we’re talking about public attitudes, court decisions, or policy making.

April: The Supreme Court ruled (5 to 4 for those keeping score) that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate heat-trapping gases in auto emissions sending a very strong message to the Bush administration. For years the White House maintained that it didn’t have the right to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, and that even if it did, it wouldn’t.

August: U.S. Senators John Warner and Joseph Lieberman put forward a proposal that would create a cap-and-trade program to cut climate-altering emissions from the electric power, industrial and transportation sectors. This bipartisan proposal could be the foundation upon which federal climate change legislation is built and is scheduled to be brought before the full Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during the first week of December.

September: A coalition of states and green groups were victorious in a lawsuit defending California's right to regulate auto emissions. A federal judge ruled against U.S. automakers' attempt to block states from setting new rules to limit global warming pollution from cars. 

October: Closer to home, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released for public comment the formal rule to guide the state’s role in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first mandatory, multi-state program to stabilize and cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. For the record, the rule is mostly good, but there is room for improvement.

November: New York joined a multi-state lawsuit against the EPA for delaying its decision on whether to allow states to reduce car and truck emissions. The states want to sign on to California’s proposal that would require all new vehicles sold to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

The lawsuit was prompted because states need a waiver from the feds to implement the standards. And the EPA has held the California waiver request for nearly two years without making a decision. We’ll keep you posted. 

What the changing climate means

It’s impossible to say for sure, but it appears that the public, the courts, and elements of state policy making are moving in the right direction.  

Environmental Advocates of New York thinks that state and federal law need to catch up. D.C. seems to be thawing, and beginning to recognize that climate change is among our most serious environmental, economic and health (the list goes on) threats.

In New York State we know that the 10-state regional climate plan is only the beginning when it comes to what we can and should do to cut climate-altering pollution. Other changes we would like to see in state law include:

• Setting an economy-wide target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sources;
• Updating lighting efficiency standards and our laws that allow consumers to sell the excess electricity they generate (known as net metering);
• Expanding the size of all eligible net-metered systems from their current limits to no more than two thousand kilowatts and let all classes of customers take advantage of net metering; and
• Changing New York’s corporate welfare programs that discourage energy conservation.

 As always, we’ll keep you posted.

Ready, Set, RGGI: Mark Your Calendars

Now that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the formal rule to guide our role in the regional climate plan it’s time for New Yorkers to weigh in on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 

The DEC and New York State Energy & Research Development Authority are holding public hearings across the state. Check the listings below to find the hearing nearest you, or click here to send your own message to the DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis.  

For the record, Environmental Advocates of New York thinks the rule is a good first step to cutting our state’s global warming pollution. Click here to learn more. 

Join Us to Protect the Great Lakes

Join us on Saturday, December 1st to learn what New Yorkers can do to protect the health of Lakes Erie and Ontario, and all of the Great Lakes.

WHEN:  Sat., Dec.1, from 9:30am to 3:30pm

WHERE:  Niagara University, 5795 Lewiston Road, Lewiston, NY

WHO: The Healing Our Waters coalition is sponsoring the annual conference to restore the health of the lakes, along with Environmental Advocates of New York and others.

The conference will feature panel discussions by experts on invasive species and sewage, break-out sessions where participants can interact with panelists, and opportunities to meet folks from across the state fighting to preserve and protect the lakes. For details visit http://www.healingourwaters.org/.