Taking action

A little over a year ago, I joined youth from around the world in climate action marches. Climate change is not a vague, abstract threat over the horizon — it is an ongoing existential crisis, and climate scientists are in near-universal agreement that we will irreversibly damage our world if we don’t act now.

The good news is that we can still act. Pennsylvania is moving forward on a rule that would allow our state to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cost-efficient program that incentivizes power companies to reduce their carbon emissions through a cap-and-invest model. I spoke in support of RGGI at virtual public hearings earlier this month (Dec. 9, “Hearings Begin on Climate Change Initiative”) conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection because I believe it is a logical step we can take to act now.

RGGI is critical and timely for Pennsylvania, the thirdlargest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution in the nation. It

has proved successful in participating states, which have reinvested proceeds from RGGI in cleaner energy sources that help clean our air, create jobs and protect public health. RGGI also prioritizes investment in fossil fuel workers and their communities to facilitate a fair, sustainable transition that will position Pennsylvania as a competitive leader in the modern clean energy economy.

I urge the DEP to take gutsy, speedy action in support of RGGI to curtail emissions on behalf of all Pennsylvanians, including my generation and those yet to come.

SEIN LEE Mt. Lebanon