New Haven Independent

The Tuesday morning press conference to announce a proposal that the General Assembly pass a mandatory carbon cap took place at Barnard School, which has met strict environmental guidelines in construction and operation (and thereby earned the city’s first school LEED certification).

DeStefano began by announcing that since the federal government is not leading on this issue, states and municipalities have taken up the challenge. “New Haven has sought to do that,” he said, “by the kinds of fuels we purchase, the kinds of heating and cooling plants we put in our buildings, how we construct our buildings, the kind of car they let me drive [a Prius] and things like that.”

California, New Jersey and Hawaii already have adopted mandatory carbon emission limits, and several other states are considering the same.

Charles Rothenberger (pictured) of Connecticut Fund for the Environment said “back in 2004 the state passed one of the first voluntary carbon reduction measures to put Connecticut on a pathway to a sustainable future. Unfortunately, the one place we fell a little bit short is that those goals were voluntary, and we find those goals are slipping; we’re not doing quite as much as we need to to meet emissions levels that science tells us are essential if we’re going to combat the worst effects of global warming.” He added that it’s easy to focus on the problems, but it’s important to also focus on the solutions. “The solutions mean reduced energy cost, reducing our energy independence, improving public and human health.”

With no current legislators in the room, former state Rep. Jessie Stratton (pictured) stepped up to explain the goals of the legislation. She served as co-chair of the General Assembly’s Environment Committee for several years in the 1990s and now works for Environment Northeast. The cap would cut emissions to ten percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and by at least 80 percent by 2050. The bill would require an evaluation of global warming impacts on the state and a plan for adaptation strategies. “It’s a combination of the overview saying we need to look at all sectors of our economy, but also outlines things we can start to do tomorrow,” she said.

Asked about legislators’ response to the proposal, Stratton said activists have been meeting with lawmakers since last fall, including chairs of the many committees it must pass through, and that many have already agreed to co-sponsor it. “This is a big ask, but the response we’ve gotten is, ‘This is the time.’ People are really focusing on the necessity of doing something. So I’m very optimistic about our future in terms of getting it through the legislature.”

Martin Mador (pictured above at the podium) said he was speaking for the Sierra Club’s 10,000 members in Connecticut. He said citizen pressure must be brought to bear if a worthwhile bill is to emerge by the end of the session.

Barnard Vice Principal Sarah Rosner pointed out that students as young as three at her school are learning about the environment and how humans can contribute to sustainability. (Pictured are “carbon footprint” posters made by fourth graders.”

Principal Lisa Thomas (pictured) agreed, and said the kids take that information and that commitment home to their families - including her family, since she has a daughter in pre-K. “I can’t get away with too much at home, or I get reprimanded,” she said.

Other groups participating in the effort include Clean Water Action, Environment Connecticut, Environmental Defense and The Nature Conservancy.

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