PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: David Hauck, 301-270-5826 or Dave O’Leary,
301-580-8673
SIERRA CLUB APPLAUDS
The
Montgomery County Group of the Sierra Club today applauds the proposal to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the county 25% by 2020, which County
Councilman Roger Berliner drafted and a majority of other members of the
council support. Meeting this target would place
Elements of the proposal include requirements for the construction of more energy efficient buildings, programs to encourage the use of lower-carbon fuels and biofuels, and a commitment to consider climate protection in making decisions about new development. The wide range of these proposals reflects the fact that there is no silver bullet to prevent climate change; rather a variety of actions will need to be taken to reduce carbon emissions.
The Sierra Club encourages the County Council to recognize that, because vehicles generate one-third of all greenhouse gases, transportation and land use planning decisions should be made with an eye towards reducing dependence on cars, promoting public transportation and ending new developments that contribute to sprawl. Without this, reaching the 25% reduction goal will be much more difficult.
In addition, the Sierra Club believes the County’s global warming plan must include specific targets and thorough oversight to ensure that its implementation matches its vision. Because the energy efficiency measures in the proposal would be expensive, we encourage the Council to examine using dedicated sources of revenue to fund their implementation.
Hauck added, “Climate change is a grave threat to all of us, and while politicians have made a lot of great statements about it, too few have been willing to take action. The Montgomery County Council’s proposal is extremely promising and we hope they expedite the passage of this legislation.”
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