Trending...
- Allen Field Co., Inc. Components Selected for Esko ArtiosCAD 3D Component Library
- 2026 Oscars Betting Odds: One Battle After Another Favored for Best Picture
- Emeritus Addresses Hospital Bed Shortages with Smart Storage Solutions
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Jan. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On behalf of Clean Air Carolina and the North Carolina Coastal Federation, the Southern Environmental Law Center filed a petition for rulemaking with the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission for the state to take action against harmful climate change by joining other states in a cooperative effort to reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
"With climate change already harming North Carolina, and science telling us we are running out of time to reduce our heat-trapping gas emissions, now is the time to take action," said Gudrun Thompson, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. "Whether we act now or delay determines our future as well as the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. This petition outlines a cost-effective solution that is proven to work and ready to go to protect North Carolina's economy, environment and people."
Action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is urgently needed as North Carolinians increasingly feel the impacts of climate change from flooding, slower storms that drop more rain, rising sea levels that are harming coastal areas, and warmer and more humid days and nights. Scientists warn of more dire consequences for North Carolina's economy, environment and people—including to people's health—if no action is taken or action is delayed.
More on ncarol.com
"A hotter climate causes more extreme weather and higher seas that drown our coast in major floods that occur all too routinely," said Todd Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. "Recovery from these disasters cost taxpayers billions of dollars almost every year. The commission needs to act with urgency to exercise its responsibility to protect and restore our coast from climate turmoil."
The petition filed with the commission outlines a comprehensive approach to limit and reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by participating in a regional emissions-trading program. The commission has 120 days to initiate rulemaking or deny the petition.
"Climate change is a health disaster for North Carolina, and one that will only get worse the longer we wait to act," said June Blotnick, executive director of Clean Air Carolina. "It's time we use proven, cost-effective strategies and coordinate with other states to efficiently reduce climate emissions across the eastern U.S., protecting the health of our communities and the environment."
Under the proposal filed with the commission, the state would establish a carbon dioxide emissions-trading program and participate in the existing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) implemented by states from New England south through Virginia. In such a program, if a power plant emits carbon dioxide, it has to buy an allowance for each ton of carbon dioxide pollution it produces. Allowances can be bought and sold in a regional auction, which helps to keep costs down. The number of available allowances is reduced over time to reduce pollution.
More on ncarol.com
States already participating in RGGI saw carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector drop 47% over the last decade as well as fewer premature deaths, hospital visits, and lost work or school days, associated with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, strokes, and heart attacks. A similar approach was successfully used a few decades ago when acid rain plagued the United States, harming and killing fish, wildlife, and forests. That issue is now largely in the past thanks to a cap-and-trade program for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, the primary causes of acid rain.
Participation in the regional program is a cost-effective and proven policy option to reduce carbon dioxide emissions consistent with Governor Cooper's Executive Order No. 80 and the Department of Environmental Quality's Clean Energy Plan, which sets a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector by 70% by 2030, reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
For more than 30 years, the Southern Environmental Law Center has used the power of the law to champion the environment of the Southeast. With over 80 attorneys and nine offices across the region, SELC is widely recognized as the Southeast's foremost environmental organization and regional leader. SELC works on a full range of environmental issues to protect our natural resources and the health and well-being of all the people in our region. www.SouthernEnvironment.org
SOURCE Southern Environmental Law Center
Related Links
www.southernenvironment.org
"With climate change already harming North Carolina, and science telling us we are running out of time to reduce our heat-trapping gas emissions, now is the time to take action," said Gudrun Thompson, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. "Whether we act now or delay determines our future as well as the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. This petition outlines a cost-effective solution that is proven to work and ready to go to protect North Carolina's economy, environment and people."
Action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is urgently needed as North Carolinians increasingly feel the impacts of climate change from flooding, slower storms that drop more rain, rising sea levels that are harming coastal areas, and warmer and more humid days and nights. Scientists warn of more dire consequences for North Carolina's economy, environment and people—including to people's health—if no action is taken or action is delayed.
More on ncarol.com
- RTC Communications Preliminarily Awarded $3.1 Million Federal BEAD Grant to Expand Fiber Broadband in Southern Indiana
- She's Been Ready for Weeks, He Starts in the Final 72 Hours – The Great Christmas Shopping Divide
- Following a Global Sell-Out, The World's No.1 Superstar™ Unveils a Fashion Line Rebrand
- 38 States Complete. 12 States Remain. California Man enters North Carolina on Historic Quest to Cross All 50 States on Foot
- IDCXS Exchange Founder Travels to Angola for Strategic Cooperation Talks
"A hotter climate causes more extreme weather and higher seas that drown our coast in major floods that occur all too routinely," said Todd Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. "Recovery from these disasters cost taxpayers billions of dollars almost every year. The commission needs to act with urgency to exercise its responsibility to protect and restore our coast from climate turmoil."
The petition filed with the commission outlines a comprehensive approach to limit and reduce heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by participating in a regional emissions-trading program. The commission has 120 days to initiate rulemaking or deny the petition.
"Climate change is a health disaster for North Carolina, and one that will only get worse the longer we wait to act," said June Blotnick, executive director of Clean Air Carolina. "It's time we use proven, cost-effective strategies and coordinate with other states to efficiently reduce climate emissions across the eastern U.S., protecting the health of our communities and the environment."
Under the proposal filed with the commission, the state would establish a carbon dioxide emissions-trading program and participate in the existing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) implemented by states from New England south through Virginia. In such a program, if a power plant emits carbon dioxide, it has to buy an allowance for each ton of carbon dioxide pollution it produces. Allowances can be bought and sold in a regional auction, which helps to keep costs down. The number of available allowances is reduced over time to reduce pollution.
More on ncarol.com
- 2026 NBA Mock Draft: New Wave of Franchise Talent Emerges in Early Lottery Projections
- Bad Bunny Leads 2026 Grammys Album of the Year Odds, Lady Gaga Emerges as Top Challenger
- Metro Detroit teen Lola Winters turns viral TikTok fame into a sold-out clothing brand
- ReedSmith® Celebrates Innovative Founders at TCVN's Survivor™ XII at SoCal Startup Day
- The global race for next-gen precious metals recovery is accelerating: $AABB is positioning itself with it's Revolutionary rGO Gold Recovery System
States already participating in RGGI saw carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector drop 47% over the last decade as well as fewer premature deaths, hospital visits, and lost work or school days, associated with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, strokes, and heart attacks. A similar approach was successfully used a few decades ago when acid rain plagued the United States, harming and killing fish, wildlife, and forests. That issue is now largely in the past thanks to a cap-and-trade program for nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, the primary causes of acid rain.
Participation in the regional program is a cost-effective and proven policy option to reduce carbon dioxide emissions consistent with Governor Cooper's Executive Order No. 80 and the Department of Environmental Quality's Clean Energy Plan, which sets a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector by 70% by 2030, reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
For more than 30 years, the Southern Environmental Law Center has used the power of the law to champion the environment of the Southeast. With over 80 attorneys and nine offices across the region, SELC is widely recognized as the Southeast's foremost environmental organization and regional leader. SELC works on a full range of environmental issues to protect our natural resources and the health and well-being of all the people in our region. www.SouthernEnvironment.org
SOURCE Southern Environmental Law Center
Related Links
www.southernenvironment.org
0 Comments
Latest on ncarol.com
- From November 24th to 27th, Fuqing Invites You to Join Us at BIG 5 to Jointly Build a New Future for Middle Eastern Architecture
- Dispelling Holiday Suicide Myth: CDC Data Shows Suicide Rates Lowest in December; International Survivors of Suicide Day Emphasizes Need for Action
- Lake Norman Philharmonic - Free Holiday Concert
- Stratum Nutrition's OVOLUX™ Named 2025 "Collagen Ingredient of the Year" by Beauty Innovation Awards
- Sons of Liberty Museum Unveils "America at 250" Mobile Exhibit on Veterans Day 2025
- Revenue Expansion, Regulatory Momentum, and a Leadership Position in the $750 Million Suicidal Depression: NRx Pharmaceuticals (N A S D A Q: NRXP)
- Bent Danholm Releases New Video Breaking Down the Rising Debate Over 50-Year Mortgages
- New Smile Now Introduces RAYFace 3D Scanner to Advance Digital Surgery
- Ali Alijanian, DDS Featured in The Profitable Dentist Magazine
- My Utmost for His Highest — Oswald Chambers
- "Meet the Eatmons" Offer Financial Advice ahead of the Holidays
- CCHR: Study Finds Involuntary Commitment Fails to Prevent Suicide, Raises Risk
- Slotozilla's Q3 2025: SBC Lisbon Outcomes and Partnership Expansion
- Historic Announcement for the Global Car Rental Industry
- Siembra Brings 18 Latinx Artists Together in Brooklyn Exhibition
- Gramercy Tech Launches StoryStream
- Turbo vs. Experts: Tracking OddsTrader's AI Performance at the NFL's Midpoint
- Outreaching.io Appoints Rameez Ghayas Usmani as CEO, Recognized as Best HARO Link Building Expert in the United States
- Winzele: A Trusted Isolation Transformer Manufacturer
- Luxury Mediterranean Estate in Gotha Sells for $1.52 Million, Closing $45,000 Over Asking