The North Carolina Legislature was very busy in 2006, but I want to point out some of the good things they accomplished:
Session Law 2006-206 requires a committee to study the feasibility of reducing the state's energy and water usage by 20% by January 1, 2012. The study report is due in February 2007. The legislation also requires the state to develop a plan to implement a 2005 law that requires the state to reduce petroleum usage by transitioning to alternative fuels by January 1, 2010.
Sticking with the theme of unexpected allies, evangelical Christians may turn out to be one of the strongest political forces to pressure the Bush administration to get serious about climate change. A recent survey of evangelicals showed that almost 75% support causes to reduce global warming and 70% believe global warming will pose a serious threat to future generations. 50% even said that steps to curb climate change need to be taken today even if there is a high economic cost. Evangelicals felt strongly that God has commanded humanity to take care of the earth and that government and business care too much about money.
What: Kilowatt Ours Film Showing
When: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Where: NC Museum of Natural Sciences - Raleigh
Cost: ITS FREE!
Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth gave me all kinds of crazy nightmares - from penguins chasing me because they were seriously pissed off about the melting ice, to watching my liquor stash float away with my house because the polar caps collapsed and flooded Raleigh. The movie did inspire me to do something about climate change. However, I think the film missed an opportunity by not throwing out some everyday solutions.
Raleighing.com is reporting that there will be a new farmer's market downtown at the City Market starting Wednesday July 12. This gives our community another option in buying local produce which also reduces greenhouse gases (see June 25 entry).
Raleigh is really laying the foundation for a vibrant downtown community with farmer's markets, grocery stores, dense residential development, restaurants, and shops all within walking distance of each other.
North Carolina is known for being a relatively progressive state and leads the South in many policy areas. So why doesn't North Carolina have a renewable energy portfolio standard yet? Twenty other states do. A renewable energy portfolio standard is a state policy that requires electric companies to provide a certain percentage of their power supply from renewable sources. Maine currently requires 30%, New York requires 24% by 2013, and even a red state like Montana requires 15% by 2015.
My monthly totals for carbon savings are in for June. See the Carbon Tracker link at www.theraleighproject.com. This month, I saved an astonishing 2,650 pounds of carbon from entering the atmosphere! Even after one month of tracking the carbon savings, it is striking how much savings can be achieved by switching to green power.
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