New global warming plan for Illinois

Environment Illinois helps set course for state

On September 7, the 40-member Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group voted to recommend a comprehensive global warming response to Governor Blagojevich, which would, if implemented, cut Illinois’s emissions of global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. The plan relies on clean, renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean cars and clean fuels to meet the goal.
 
“This group of environmental, faith, business and academic leaders has been working together for 7 months to come up with a plan, and now we have a plan to recommend to the Governor,” said Environment Illinois Director Rebecca Stanfield, who was one of the members of the advisory group. “It’ll be up to our elected officials – both the Governor and the Illinois General Assembly – to turn the plan into reality.”
 
Last fall, Governor Blagojevich issued Executive Order 2006-11 creating the Illinois Climate Change Task Force. On February 14, 2007, Governor Blagojevich charged the task force with designing a plan to reduce Illinois’s emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and 60 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 at which time he stated:
 
“The impact of global warming in Illinois and around the globe could be devastating, and we can’t wait for the federal government to act because scientists worldwide have warned that we must address climate change within the next decade to avoid serious and irreversible consequences. . . By committing ourselves to action in Illinois, we can help minimize the effects of climate change and ensure our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy world full of opportunity.”
 
There are twenty-five policy measures that make up the plan. The most important are those that focus on the biggest sources of global warming pollution – power plants and cars. The plan recommends a mandatory cap on carbon dioxide from power plants, and mandatory clean car standards that will cut emission from the automobiles sold in Illinois by 30 percent. The Illinois EPA consultants who evaluated the plan said that it would not only meet the global warming objectives, but would do so while improving our economy—through increased gross state product, employment and disposable income for Illinois citizens.

Climate change is a global problem, but the solutions can start here in Illinois.