HARRISBURG, July 1 – Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Climate Caucus issued this statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that limits the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions that cause climate change: “Yesterday, the Supreme Court voted to restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate the carbon emissions that are dangerously overheating our planet. This decision strips the congressionally authorized agency of the power to address the greatest threat of our time -- climate change. Going forward, the EPA will not have the authority to address any big and new environmental issues that arise without the authorization of a dysfunctional Congress to regulate in a particular sphere. In short, the Supreme Court has ensured that the EPA will be hamstrung in its efforts to protect our environment. “We agree with Justice Elena Kagan’s observation in her dissent that the U.S. Supreme Court, with this decision, has made itself the ‘decision maker on climate policy,’ supplanting the regulatory authority of the designated expert agency, the EPA. “Our world is under grave threat from climate change, beset by increasingly destructive hurricanes, fires, and coastal erosion causing mass migration and destabilizing the political order. Now more than ever, government agencies must be able to take action to protect and preserve our Read more
April is Earth Month, a time to recommit ourselves to making Pennsylvania – and our world – a place where sustainability and environmental preservation are a priority! Read more
Wildlife Habitat Protection Read more
“Taking a good look at conservation corridors would provide us with valuable information that would have benefits for both Pennsylvania residents and wildlife," Daley said. Read more
State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, will join PennEnvironment and wildlife experts Tuesday, April 5 on Zoom to discuss protecting Pennsylvania wildlife habitats. Read more
Pennsylvania must do better to address storm water flooding. Read more
Gov. Tom Wolf's address to Pennsylvania's General assembly on Feb. 8th will mark the official opening of negotiations on the commonwealth's 2022-23 fiscal year budget. Regrettably, this annual budget has shortchanged the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for many years. Read more
September 20-26, 2021, is Climate Week in Pennsylvania, and the bicameral, bipartisan Pennsylvania Legislative Climate Caucus is pleased to share this list of events, legislative actions, and resources around the need for climate action in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. Read more
Pa state Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, attended a House Policy Committee hearing held at the at the Delaware River Port Authority to listen to experts about how Pennsylvania can advance carbon sequestration technology to fight air pollution. Read more
HARRISBURG, April 20 – To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, state Rep. Chris Rabb has called for support of his legislation to transition Pennsylvania to 100% renewable energy by 2050. “Earth Day was founded in 1970 to bring awareness to environmental issues, and I could not think of a better way to truly honor the day than to take action to literally save our environment and our planet,” said Rabb, D-Phila. “Earth Day has long been a day when people plant trees, collect litter or take other small steps to help our planet. That action is a beautiful and important thing because we must all act to save our very existence. “But the Pennsylvania legislature has the power this Earth Day to take a huge step in helping our planet – a huge step in what will be a journey to save humanity from climate change – by working to enact my legislation and get our commonwealth to 100% renewable energy by 2050,” Rabb continued. “So, while you’re creating your action plan for how you celebrate this Earth Day, consider calling or emailing Pennsylvania legislators to urge them to enact my legislation, which I’m calling Go 100% Pennsylvania.” Pennsylvania residents can use this website to find their legislator. A list of members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is here , and a list of senators is here . Rabb, known for his climate activism and for regularly authoring and promoting progressive policies, Read more
Members of the PA Legislative Climate Caucus sent a letter urging the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to strengthen methane regulations in Pennsylvania. The attached letter, addressed to DEP Secretary McDonnell and cc’d to Governor Wolf and the members of the Environmental Hearing Board, calls for strengthening of DEP’s draft methane rule to include comprehensive controls that will mitigate methane emissions from oil and gas operations. Read more
Specifically, H.B. 461 would promote the purchase and use of WaterSense and Energy Star products by annually excluding those products from sales and use taxes from April 22 (Earth Day) through April 29. Read more
Letter to Gov. Wolf from the legislative Climate Caucus detailing requests to consider for his upcoming budget address. Read more
RGGI makes sense economically and environmentally. It will reduce air pollution, have a significant impact on climate change, and create jobs. We should all be supportive of that. Read more
Climate change is the most serious long-term threat to this planet, and Pennsylvania is a significant greenhouse gas producer. The most important thing Pennsylvania can do right now to combat climate change is to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Read more
During my time as a state representative, I’ve been a strong advocate for the benefits of breastfeeding, and I continue my work to protect employees who are breastfeeding and to generally focus more attention on this subject. Read more
Underwater melting of tidewater glaciers is occurring much faster than previously thought, according to a US study in Alaska. Read more
WASHINGTON — Climate change could cost Americans billions of dollars, destroy coastal communities and put agriculture, healthcare and military facilities at risk unless the government acts swiftly, experts warned Congress Wednesday. Read more
After Andy Ott, CEO of PJM Interconnection, stepped down last month, the power grid operator has received appeals from around the country to ensure its next leader prioritizes clean energy. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 18 – The state House of Representatives last week passed Rep. Danielle Friel Otten’s bill to allow Marsh Creek State Park to release a parcel of land adjacent to the Turnpike in exchange for land that would expand the park’s trail network and protect local wetlands and wildlife habitat. The land along the turnpike, consisting primarily of rock and road berm, was originally purchased with public Project 70 funds, so it cannot be sold or transferred unless it’s replaced with land of an equal or greater value. H.B. 387 would release that strip of land from Project 70 restrictions but transfer Project 70 protections to the new larger wooded, wetland parcel to be acquired by the park. “Under this plan, we’re showing that development doesn’t have to cost the county’s beautiful and important natural spaces,” said Otten, D-Chester. “This is a win for conservation, Chester County residents, and all Pennsylvanians.” The new parcel is part of a larger, 57-acre land preservation project coordinated among the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Natural Lands Trust, and the Turnpike Commission. The parcel of land released under the bill would allow the Turnpike Commission to widen the road. The bill now awaits consideration in the state Senate. Read more
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