We’re not doing enough on climate

To the Times: Re: “Running out of time on climate change” (July

4): Yes. That’s why a bill that will transition Pennsylvania to

100% clean energy by 2050 isn’t good enough. Of course, I’m happy to see any kind of climate action, but let’s not kid ourselves that climate action on a state level will be enough to avert “catastrophic” climate change, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

The international scientific community (IPCC) has made it clear that we will need to reach close to 100% clean energy nationally by 2030 if we are to have any hope of preventing climate disasters that would cost the U.S. over $160 trillion (Forbes, April 2019).

Clearly, state legislation on emissions cuts is the only option we have at the moment, but we need to be ready to pass clean energy legislation in Congress on day one of a new administration in 2021.

We now have a new, detailed, 38page version of the Green New Deal’s energy plan: The Evergreen Economy Plan, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions close to

100% by 2030, and it won’t have to cost us anything (vox.com).

Two-thirds of the cost would be paid for by private investment and the other third would be more than offset by a $500 billion annual increase in U.S. GDP (IPCC). That’s mainly because rapidly scaling up solar and wind energy will make them “essentially free” by

2030 (UBS, Financial Times, August

2018). The Evergreen plan would also create over eight million high-wage, local, permanent (40year) jobs. Lynn Goldfarb, Lancaster