Activists, lobbyists and legislators rally to cut emissions

By Scott Sayare on Thu, Jul 3, 2008 2:13 pm

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A crowd of about a hundred ex-hippie environmentalists, optimistic lobbyists, state congressmen in ties and business suits, and concerned citizens from five to 75 crowded the State House steps yesterday in support of the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA). Armed with posters, megaphones, and an acoustic guitar, they called for the House of Representatives to vote on and pass the far-reaching carbon emissions bill, which has already been approved by the state senate.

The GWSA would create carbon emissions caps for Massachusetts in order to reduce the state’s annual CO2 emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050. The act would regulate carbon emissions across all sectors of the state economy, including transportation.

“This is a big piece of legislation. This is paradigm-shifting,” said Rob Garrity, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN), who spoke at the rally.

Earlier in the day, Governor Patrick signed into law the Green Communities Act, widely hailed as ground-breaking energy legislation, which requires utilities and electrical providers to invest significantly in energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy projects. Speakers at the demonstration at the State House praised the Green Communities Act, but agreed on the need for the Commonwealth to go further, especially in regulating emissions from the transportation sector.

“We are certainly not done,” said State Representative Frank Smizik, of Brookline, House Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Natural Resources. “We need an economy-wide cap on emissions.”

According to EPA statistics, the transportation sector is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in Massachusetts, accounting for 36 percent of the state’s CO2 emissions in 2004, the most recent year for which comprehensive data are available. That year, electrical production generated 29 percent of the state’s CO2 emissions.

State Senator Marc Pacheco, who sponsored the GWSA in the senate, indicated that more than 110 members of the house, a strong majority, had signed a letter supporting the passage of the bill in the house.

Despite widespread support for the bill, some disagreement exists over its specific content, said Pacheco.

“The administration is not totally sold on what number they want to support,” he explained, referring to the emissions reduction goals proposed in the bill.

According to Winston Vaughn, field organizer for the advocacy group Environment Massachusetts, the delay on a house vote has more to with time constraints than opposition to the act.

“The legislature has been really focused on getting the energy bill done,” he said. “This is not a really controversial bill,” he noted, in reference to the GWSA.

The act has been awaiting a house vote since passing in the senate on March 6.

Speaker of the House Salvatore F. DiMasi’s office declined to comment on the GWSA or the likelihood of a house vote on the bill in the near future.

Legislators and advocates at yesterday’s demonstration were hopeful that the house would vote on and pass the GWSA and send it Governor Patrick for signing before the close of the current legislative session, which concludes at the end of July.

“I’m guardedly hopeful, guardedly optimistic,” said Garrity.

Asked how he would respond if the house does not vote on the bill in the next few weeks, Garrity vowed he would be back campaigning next session.

“We’ll do it again,” he said.