Vermont to join climate alliance

[karynnj]

Source: Seven Days

Vermont will join a coalition of states intent on countering President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement, Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday.

The governors of three states — New York, California and Washington — announced Thursday plans to form the U.S. Climate Alliance, an effort meant to achieve the Paris agreement’s goals of reducing carbon emissions.

Late Friday afternoon, after lawmakers and environmental activists called for Vermont to play a part, Scott announced the state will also join the coalition.
<snip>
On Wednesday, the governor said he and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a fellow Republican, sent Trump a letter urging him not to withdraw. Then on Thursday, Scott issued a statement that criticized the withdrawal decision and he promised to continue working toward reducing carbon emissions.


Read more: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2017/06/02/lawmakers-to-push-vermont-to-join-climate-change-coalition

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Vermont is tiny compared to the states already in, but the more states that announce they are joining, the better. I wonder how soon the rest of the Northeast will join.

Vermont was already belonged to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (REGI) which started when the federal government was not doing enough to reduce carbon. I would not be surprised if all 10 of the REGI states join as the REGI goals are comparable.

It is also clear that even before Wednesday, rejoining REGI was a goal of the NJ Democrats likely to get the nomination for Governor this year. Christie took NJ out of REGI. Trump's action simply makes this an even bigger issue that could really hurt the Republicans in the "old money Republican" areas of NJ, where the environment could become a big issue.

[Blue_Adept]

1. I can't imagine Maine joining. But most of New England otherwise.

Still just waiting for the region and New York to secede so we can build a proper wall.

[still_one]

2. This will become a huge deal if more and more states sign on

[calimary]

3. I'd heard that Massachusetts had made it four states in there, along with CA, NY, & WA.

I HOPE more states join in.

This GOP SOB has turned us into a pariah nation. By the time we're finally rid of him, we won't have a friend in the world. Well, I suppose you could say "maybe except Russia". But Russia is NOT our friend. What Putin wants is NOT anything good for America. What Putin wants is for America to turn into a pariah nation that nobody else wants to ally with anymore, that's isolated and no longer much of a factor in the world, that's lost influence and clout and the moral leadership for which we HAD been internationally recognized. Putin wants a toothless weakling and increasingly irrelevant America that he can lead around by the nose. And he now has that.

[mainer]

4. Hardly surprising. Oregon and CT probably next to join.

[MichMan]

5. Any discussion of how they will reduce emissions? nm

Will be interesting to see what policies are enacted to reduce carbon emissions in these states.

[karynnj]

9. Look at the wiki entry for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initivive

The 10 REGI states already have a cap and trade that has been in effect since 2008. It started in 2005. CA has incredibly ambitious goals and I think the PNW does too.

[LakeArenal]

6. Thanks to those state govenors... Count Wisconsin out... sigh..

[fromVT]

7. 4 New England states are in

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/massachusetts/articles/2017-06-02/4-new-england-states-join-paris-climate-goal-alliance

Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. MA and NH have Republican governors.

[murielm99]

8. When we get rid of Rauner,

Illinois will be in.

[oasis]

10. Up yours, Polluter in Chief.