Pa. needs to be a part of climate initiative

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, RButler, and Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, are on a crusade to stop Gov. Tom Wolf’s executive order to enroll Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a coalition of 10 northeastern states with the goal of cutting CO2 emissions enough to maintain a livable planet for people in the future.

Mr. Metcalfe believes climate change is a hoax despite evidence to the contrary. To try to prove his point, he had three notorious climate deniers testify at the Environmental and Energy Committee late last year. Those deniers are Gregory Wrightstone, David Legates and worst of all, Mark Morano.

The fact is, 91 climatologists from 40 nations based their conclusions on 6,000 peer-reviewed studies for the United Nations’ current climate assessment report. The essence of that report says we must cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and to zero by 2050 if we want a livable planet. That’s a formidable task which means we must stop extracting and consuming fossil fuels rapidly.

Climate change is creating more extreme storms. Pennsylvania paid dearly in 2018 with over $160 million in flood damage. Sea level is rising and threatening the Philadelphia airport and surrounding areas, putting $430 million in property values at risk.

The fossil industry in the U.S. receives around $20 billion in subsidies each year. The coal industry gets 20% of that, or $4 billion. In a freemarket economy, a business that requires a $4 billion shot in the arm to stay solvent is a business that should close.

If Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Yaw, both “public servants,” were really serving their constituents, they would be working to bring in futuristic jobs instead of trying to beat the dead-horse coal industry back to life. The natural gas industry finished off that horse with a cheaper energy source, and renewable energy will replace natural gas.

Instead of being a suck-up for fossil industry campaign money, they should show true concern for their constituents by promoting clean energy jobs.

RICHARD WHITEFORD

Downingtown, Pa.

The writer is a board member of the World Information Transfer.