It\’s Getting Hot In Here

I have to agree with what author Bill McKibben had to say last Thursday about federal climate policy:

“The Obama administration has done more in its year and a half in office on climate change than all the other presidents of the global warming era combined. On the other hand, you know, I’ve drunk more beer than my twelve-year-old niece.”

The same could be said for climate policy in Massachusetts. Compared to a lot of places, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is ahead of the curve on climate change and green job creation. The average Bay State resident burns 13.24 tons of CO2 per year, 9th lowest in the United States. In the last 20 years, Massachusetts has lowered per capita CO2 emissions by about 1.6%. The trouble is, the laws of physics and chemistry don’t give points for effort. Either emissions will be reduced aggressively enough to avoid dangerous tipping points for the earth’s climate, or not.

According to the landmark “Copenhagen Diagnosis” released in December 2009, to “secure a decent chance of avoiding dangerous human interference with the climate system”, the world must reduce emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 85-90% below 1990 levels by 2050. In Massachusetts, that would mean getting from about 13.5 tons of CO2 per person per year in 1990 to around 8 tons by 2020 and 2 tons by 2050. Getting there is going to take courage.

Massachusetts Legislators don’t have to look far to see what leadership looks like. On March 4th a coalition of 32 organizations and businesses came together to form the Commonwealth Challenge. The campaign is producing results..

The Commonwealth Challenge is a statewide grassroots campaign to retrofit homes to save energy and challenge the State Legislature to create a task force to meet the goal of 100% clean electricity by 2020. The campaign draws the link between pollution and poverty – promoting family-supporting “green collar” jobs for local workers who may have barriers to employment while reducing carbon pollution.

With three days until Earth Day, 231 homeowners and residents have signed up to audit and retrofit their own home.

Next Step Living, an energy efficiency company based in Boston who has signed the Green Collar Hiring Pledge, estimates that the average Massachusetts resident will save $340 on their energy bills and reduce 800 pounds of carbon pollution every year just by taking the first steps to audit and air seal their home. Those who insulate their walls and attic, upgrade appliances, and take other advanced measures can save 25% or more of their CO2 output and energy costs per year. Next Step Living also estimates that for every 100 homes that receive an energy audit, one full-time green job will be created.

Relying solely on volunteers and a tiny budget, in seven weeks, the Commonwealth Challenge has enrolled enough people to:
* Reduce 184,800 lbs of CO2 per year
* Save $74,540/year on home energy bills
* Create 2 full-time green collar careers for local workers

Each year the rate-payer-funded MassSAVE energy efficiency program reaches about 10,000 residents through all of their programs including energy audits. Within this context, 231 people signing up for an audit in seven weeks is no small potatoes. Commonwealth Challenge volunteers knocked on doors, spoke at neighborhood meetings, attended fairs and festivals, engaged students and educators, and spread the word online.

On Thursday the Commonwealth Challenge will head to the Massachusetts State House to deliver the results of the campaign. The campaign will challenge U.S. Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown to put a price on carbon pollution this spring. Massachusetts residents will further challenge their State Senators and Representatives to pass “An Act to Create a Repower Massachusetts Emergency Task Force“. This bill, introduced by Senator Pacheco, Representative Brownsberger, and 17 co-sponsors on December 7th, 2009, following the bold efforts of The Leadership Campaign, would create a 14-member task force including governmental and community representatives, House and Senate leaders on climate change, representatives of the religious, student climate advocacy, and environmental justice communities, electric utilities, and local businesses. The aim of the task force would be to aggressively pursue the goal of 100% clean electricity by 2020 via appropriate economic incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy generation.

Whether or not political leaders rise to the challenge this spring, the people of Massachusetts will continue to get to work for clean energy solutions and green jobs. The question is, will elected representatives have the courage to lead aggressively enough to meet the scale of crises at hand? Will Massachusetts put a stiff price on carbon pollution, phase out fossil fuels, and build access to green collar careers for everyday people, or will the legislature stick with politics as usual and allow the crises to grow worse? Will they show courage?