Meaningful climate legislation lacking in Connecticut

By Shannon Laun The Connecticut Mirror

Connecticut’s General Assembly has officially gone home after failing to pass a single piece of significant climate legislation.

As Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner

Katie Dykes and several legislators pointed out in exasperation, the failure to act came as smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed Hartford and the rest of the region, a harbinger of things to come if we continue failing to curb emissions.

Despite repeated claims to be a national climate leader, Connecticut is falling further and further behind our more ambitious neighbors including New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts in passing meaningful climate legislation. After months of effort by concerned legislators and virtually unanimous support from environmental advocates, bills that would strengthen the state’s climate law, shift new buildings and schools away from fossil fuel heating, and require a comprehensive roadmap to meet our climate goals all failed.

This is not the path we promised to take.

Fifteen years ago, Connecticut was a climate leader when the General Assembly first passed the Global Warming Solutions Act. This law currently requires Connecticut to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050. But Connecticut is not on track to meet either of these goals. Even worse, the state has pursued an accounting gimmick to cover up its lack of real progress.

Alarmingly, Connecticut only met its “ easy ” 2020 target (10 percent reduction from 1990 levels) by switching to a consumption-based methodology for the electric sector. Consumption-based accounting fails to include all the emissions from electricity generated in Connecticut that is exported to other states. But these emissions still exist and continue to harm the health of Connecticut communities. It’s deeply concerning that state leadership has chosen to obfuscate our lack of progress instead of taking meaningful action. There’s a real accountability problem here.

Unlike Connecticut officials, climate change isn’t just twiddling its thumbs; it’s affecting our health, our coast- line, our pocketbooks, and our environment in deeply adverse ways as we speak. Warmer winters are contributing to increased flooding and causing tick-borne illnesses to run rampant. Sea levels are rising rapidly, with communities along Long Island Sound expected to lose two to seven feet of coastline in the next 80 years. Storms fueled by changing weather patterns have caused $443 million in damage since 2010. And our continued reliance on gas and diesel cars and trucks leads to poor air quality that shows no signs of improving.

We can’t just wait around for the General Assembly to act legislators don’t return until February and then only for an abbreviated session. What we can do right now is drive real progress on some crucial but slow-moving regulatory efforts at DEEP.

We need to inject some urgency into the 2022 Compre- hensive Energy Strategy (CES), which will focus on decarbonizing the buildings sector. Buildings are the second largest source of emissions in Connecticut, but the state currently has no plan for reducing them. A final CES is urgently needed to guide our progress. But the CES is way behind schedule, with no action since DEEP held technical meetings in Fall 2022. This is the kind of foot-dragging that can’t continue if we are going to make any progress on our climate goals.

At the same time, DEEP continues to sit on draft regulations that would strengthen emission standards for cars and trucks in line with California and other climate leaders, including Vermont and Massachusetts. Transportation is the largest source of emissions in Connecticut. Yet DEEP is moving at a snail’s pace in proposing these regulations, even as our neighboring states act swiftly and decisively to finalize them.

Climate change isn’t waiting. It is putting a brown haze over the entire state, crumbling our coastline and flooding streets, threatening our health with declining air quality, and increasing mortality from heat in our inner cities. And, of course, the worst of these burdens are borne by those who can least afford it, making Connecticut’s climate problem an environmental justice problem as well.

Time is running out. Our state officials must take decisive action to reduce emissions now and reestablish Connecticut as a true climate leader.

Shannon Laun is vice president of the Conservation Law Foundation. This commentary originally appeared on the website of the Connecticut Mirror, at ctmirror.org.

Maintainer Ii

Legal Notice

TOWN OF NORTH HAVEN INLAND WETLANDS COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS OF THE TOWN OF NORTH HAVEN AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES:

Notice is hereby given that the Inland Wetlands Commission will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at the Mildred A. Wakeley Recreation and Community Center, 7 Linsley Street, in Room 2 at 7:00 PM., to consider the following application. A copy of this notice is filed in the Town Clerk’s Office.

1. #I23-08 Application of The Slate School, Inc, Applicant & Owner, relative to 5100 Ridge Road, (Map 97, Lot 2), seeking a Site Plan Referral. Plan Entitled: Proposed Parking Plan, 5100 Ridge Road, North Haven, Connecticut. Prepared by: SLR International Corporation. Dated: June 5, 2023. Scale: 1”= 20’. R-40 Zoning District.

FRANK H. BUMSTED, CHAIRMAN R262778

TOP CASH PAID For any Toyota any condition, running or not, crashed okay. Will take other makes and models. (203) 600-4431.

TOP CASH PAID

For Junk or unwanted vehicles, Toyota’s etc. Please call Mike @ 203284-8562 8am-5pm.

LOOKING FOR:

1-st piece inspector, QC manager, Shop manager, programmer, Swiss screw machine setup and operator.

Contact: gary@bnaerospace. com or at 860-665-0134

The Town of Wallingford is seeking qualified applicants for Maintainer II. Applicants must possess 2 years’ experience as a laborer in construction work involving the operation and care of trucks and other mechanical equipment, or two (2) years training in one of the skilled trades and one (1) year of experience in construction operations, or an equivalent combination of experience and training. Must possess and maintain a valid (CDL) Class B to operate equipment of which a copy must be provided with your application. Wages: $23.73 - $27.82 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefit package that includes medical insurance and pension plan. A complete job announcement and application may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page and can be mailed to the Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492, or emailed to: wlfdhr@ wallingfordct.gov by the closing date of July 31, 2023. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Wallingford Public Schools

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Is seeking candidates for a part-time Municipal Bid Writer/ Project Manager. Ten years experience in one or more of the following areas: Architectural/Drafting (State of CT license a plus), Engineering (State of CT license a plus), Construction Project Management; State of CT driver’s license and transportation; $30 per hour. Please visit our website @ www.wallingford.k12.ct.us to complete our on-line application as soon as possible. EOE

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ANTIQUES WANTEDComic books, toys, adv. signs, military items, motorcyles, mini bikes, etc. All items considered, appraisal & estate sale services, incl. clean-outs. 40 years exp. Call or text, Gary at 203-237-4124.

GRASSY HILL AUCTIONS, - an Estate Sale, Liquidation, Attic & Basement Cleanout Company is Always Buying and providing services all over Connecticut. These are just a FEW of the things we are looking for: Antiques, Collectibles, Old/ Vintage Toys, Musical Instruments (Saxophones, Trumpets, Violins, Flutes, Clarinets, Trombone & SO MUCH MORE) Advertising Items, Wristwatches (Broken or Not), Pocket Watches, Tools (Machinist, Woodworking, & MORE) Doorstops, Clocks, Oil Paintings, Old Signs, Old Photographs, Old Postcards, Brewery Items, Hunting & Fishing, PEZ Dispensers, Costume Jewelry, Broken Jewelry, Gold & Silver Jewelry, Gold & Silver Coins, Military Items, Swords & Bayonets, Helmets & Patches, Medals & Uniforms, Pocket Knives, Lighters & Pipes, Fountain Pens, Mechanical Pencils, Fraternal Order Items, Religious Items, Industrial Items, Winchester Items, Sikorsky Items, Pratt & Whitney Items, Colt Items, Native American Items, Vintage Electronics, Slot Cars, Toy Trucks, Matchbox & Hotwheels, Barbie’s, Folk Art, Statues, Bronzes, Trains, Cameras, Mid Century Modern Furniture, Straight Razors, Shaving Items, Political Items, Comic Books, Sports Cards & Autographs…& THE LIST GOES ON! So please give us a call at your earliest convenience.

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DON’T WORK

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GOOD RATES BEST SERVICE

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