Mixed Climate Reports Create Opportunities for Action

A recent report for the United States Energy Information Agency noted that, for the first time, approximately forty percent of the nation’s energy production is emissions-free. This is a significant milestone to say the least, buoyed by other optimistic reports suggesting we may be approaching the peak of global greenhouse gas emissions.

While this can certainly be interpreted as good news for those anxious about the future, these broad analyses of complex data are tempered by other reports casting uncertainty over what comes next in the wake of a brutal El Niño season.

In Connecticut, the story is even more mixed. Greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 to 2022 were up 7%—at least partially due to the economy coming back online following the pandemic. However, in our state 42% of those emissions are from transportation, far exceeding the 28% national average. Despite a significant decrease in emissions from energy production, Connecticut is not on track to meet its goals outlined in the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act.

All this comes as meaningful legislation at the State Capitol is at risk of further delay. House Bill 5004 is a climate-change bill with the objective to meaningfully “decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase community coping capacities to handle the impacts of climate change.” The bill recently had several key provisions removed by the House Appropriations Committee and faces an even more uncertain future. This all follows the previous year which saw no significant climate-focused legislation pass.

It’s not all doom-and-gloom—in fact volunteers, businesses, and citizens are working every day to enact meaningful change for our communities and their future. And a future with safer weather, cleaner air, and a healthier environment is all very much still within reach. But it’s up to us to engage with this issue and talk through its solution.

I encourage everyone to read up on pending legislation and proposed policies. If you agree with the aims, discuss them with friends, family, and neighbors; and call your legislator to voice support. If you have questions, then attend public hearings, reach out to your officials, and broaden your news diet. At the very least, seek out the data.

Climate change is a complicated, tenacious problem to solve; but it’s as much a local problem as it is a global one. As Connecticut residents, we have the enormous civic privilege of being able to exercise our voice, effort, and curiosity for the greater good.

No matter what you do, stay aware. Climate change isn’t something we can just scroll past.