Ohio’s green energy future

Ohio has the renewable energy potential, technological know-how and manufacturing base to build a green energy economy. Currently, Ohio spends billions of dollars each year to import costly and polluting fossil fuels. We need a new energy future that is clean, homegrown, job-intensive and good for the environment.

• Environment Ohio supports a Solar Schools Initiative that would install solar roofs on every public high school within five years. Additionally, the state should remove any barriers to solar installations on our schools, homes and businesses.

• Environment Ohio supports investing in clean energy production by increasing the Advanced Energy Fund and making it a permanent source of funding for new clean energy projects.

• Environment Ohio supports fair and equitable taxes on wind farms, which will encourage wind energy development and benefit all Ohioans.

Protect and restore Lake Erie

Lake Erie is part of Ohio’s heritage and arguably our most valuable resource. But because of out-of-date sewage infrastructure, industrial pollution and unregulated use, Lake Erie is in need of increased protection.

• Environment Ohio supports protecting public health from sewage pollution by requiring all sewage treatment plants to report discharges of untreated sewage to the Ohio EPA and make information about sewage-contaminated waters available to the public in a timely manner.

• Environment Ohio supports using Lake Erie’s waters efficiently, and ensuring that any water withdrawals do not harm our natural resources. The Legislature should protect Lake Erie by implementing the Great Lakes Water Compact.

Ohio’s energy efficient future

Much of the energy that we use in our homes, businesses and even automobiles is wasted because of inefficient, out-of-date technologies. We can reduce pollution, save money and become more energy independent by increasing the efficiency of the buildings where we live and work, and the vehicles we depend on.

• Environment Ohio supports updating Ohio’s building codes to make new buildings 30 percent more efficient in the next decade.

• Environment Ohio supports investment in transportation alternatives and vehicle and fuel technologies that will reduce our carbon emissions by using fuel more efficiently.

Protect parks, forests and open space

Ohio’s state parks, forests and nature preserves are crucial to our recreational economy and provide a free and safe environment for Ohio families. Unfortunately, these resources are at risk due to a lack of funding and industry proposals to open them up for logging and drilling.

• Environment Ohio supports the permanent protection of Lake Erie and Ohio’s state nature preserves and parks through a legislative ban on any oil or gas drilling in these sensitive natural areas.

• Environment Ohio supports adequate funding for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to ensure that our state parks, waterways and forests are sustainably managed and accessible to all citizens.