Gubernatorial Candidates Urged To Address Climate Change

The advocacy group “Environment Northeast” sent a memo today, to all of the candidates for governor asking them, if elected, to make reducing greenhouse gas emissions a priority. WNPR’s Nancy Cohen reports.

The memo starts by saying Connecticut has taken “significant steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” But it goes on to say: “In recent years the state’s commitment to addressing climate change has faltered.”

The memo calls for re-energizing the Governor’s Steering Committee on Climate Change, which is made up of leaders from several state agencies. Jesse Stratton of Environment Northeast says the committee hasn’t done a whole lot recently.

"A new governor needs to reinvigorate the Steering Committee on Climate Change to assure that actions are taken to enforce existing law, which is actually pretty good, and to just try to shine a light on an area that we think has really been neglected,"

The Steering Committee did release a report this spring on the impacts of global warming on farming, natural resources and public health. Stratton also says Connecticut could do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at state facilities, to reduce emissions from fuels used in cars and trucks and to lower the cap in the regional greenhouse gas cap and trade program. This is the second memo Environment Northeast has sent to the candidates for Governor. The first focused on energy efficiency.

For WNPR I’m Nancy Cohen.