State Senator Edward Meyer
May 5, 2008
Meyer Leads Senate Passage of Connecticut Global Warming Bill
Bill mandates reductions in Connecticut’s greenhouse gas emissions
State Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford), the co-chairman of the Environment Committee, today led the passage in the Senate of a bill that creates a timeline and targets through 2050 for Connecticut to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, thereby helping to make Connecticut a national leader in protecting the environment.
House Bill 5600, AN ACT CONCERNING CONNECTICUT GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS, unanimously passed the Senate 35-0 today after overwhelmingly passing the House 131-16 on April 28. The bill now goes to the governor for her signature.
"Today is a banner day for Connecticut's environment," said Sen. Meyer. "We have not only set some tough and environmentally sensitive goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our state, we have created the 'teeth' to accomplish them with a series of new state initiatives. State residents and legislative leaders should be proud of their commitment to making Connecticut a healthier state for us and our children and our grandchildren to enjoy."
Current state law seeks to reduce state greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by January 1, 2010 and to 10% below 1990 levels by January 1, 2020. Current law also sets a default reduction goal of between 75% and 85% below 2001 levels by 2050.
The new bill passed today eliminates that 2010 goal and instead requires Connecticut to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to at least 10% below 1990 levels by January 1, 2020, and to at least 80% below 2001 levels by January 1, 2050.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has estimated that in 1990, Connecticut emitted greenhouse gases in the amount of 40.8 million metric tons of 'carbon dioxide equivalent,' which is a way to measure how different gases have the same effect on the atmosphere as CO2.
The leading contributor of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion is transportation (40 percent) followed by electricity generation (22 percent) and residential generation (19 percent). Greenhouse gases are mostly comprised of carbon dioxide, a gas which is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels. Other greenhouse gases include:
- methane (the principle component of natural gas)
- nitrous oxide (which is emitted by bacteria in soils and oceans, but which nitrogen fertilizers and cow, chicken and pig waste contribute greatly to
- sulfur hexafluoride (a gas used by the electrical industry to insulate high-voltage circuit breakers and switchgear)
- hydrofluorocarbons (often used as a propellant or a solvent) and per fluorocarbons (often used in the medical field or as a replacement for banned refrigerants)
Sen. Meyer commended a feature of the bill which will study and make recommendations concerning the impact of global warming on our homes, businesses and towns. He pointed to the influence of Guilford scientist Sid Gale in bringing t
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Senator Meyer’s |
Listing of Senator Meyer’s recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
Press Aide Lawrence Cook |
