Energy Program News

Columbus, Ohio- One day before Earth Day (April 22nd) 2009, Environment Ohio released a report that gives Ohio’s environment reason to celebrate. Ohio can start to transition to a clean energy economy, stop global warming and protect the environment with funding from President Obama’s proposed federal budget for 2010.

“We have a lot to celebrate this Earth Day,” stated Amy Gomberg, Program Director with Environment Ohio. “President Obama’s budget means a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous future for Ohio,”

The report, Vision 2010: President Obama’s Budget, Clean Energy and the Environment, estimates the proportion of the president’s proposed Fiscal Year 2010 federal budget that would be used to transition to clean energy by requiring global warming polluters to pay, clean up toxic waste, prevent water pollution, and spur clean energy businesses in Ohio.

Environment Ohio presented a map highlighting locations of clean energy industries and sewage treatment facilities that could benefit from the investments in President Obama’s budget. The proposed budget sets the stage for a new energy plan for America that caps global warming pollution and drives the transformation to a clean energy economy. The map and report illustrated the following benefits for Ohio.

• 137 sewage treatment plants that exceeded clean water permits in 2005 could be eligible for a statewide total of $112 million in funding for repairs and upgrades;
  
• $24.4 billion over 10 years from making polluters pay for global warming pollution, if the revenues are apportioned by population;
  
• $950 million in Ohio taxpayer dollars that will no longer subsidize profits for Big Oil;

Environment Ohio pointed out that the latest global warming science means even deeper cuts in pollution in the next 10 years than the ones in the president’s budget will be required to prevent the catastrophic warming.

“Reducing carbon pollution to the levels demanded by the science will drive Ohio’s green energy economy, put Ohioans back to work in clean energy jobs, and spare our children and grandchildren from the world they’ll inherit if carbon pollution continues to increase at current rates,” said Gomberg.

The U.S. EPA gives Ohioans another reason to celebrate this earth day.

Last Friday, April 17th 2009, the U.S. EPA made an historic announcement concluding that carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants, which come mostly from burning fossil fuels, are a threat to public health and welfare. Two years ago, the Supreme Court ordered the EPA to determine if global warming pollution threatens public health or welfare – a conclusion supported by a worldwide scientific consensus.

Last week’s action came in response to that decision and set the stage for the EPA to take long-overdue steps to reduce global warming pollution from cars, power plants, and other large pollution sources under the Clean Air Act.

“We hope that Ohio’ congressional delegation works to pass policies that will drive the renewable energy industry in Ohio by putting a cap on carbon pollution and ensuring that polluters pay for their pollution,” concluded Gomberg.

Ohio’s Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13-Akron) and Congressman Zack Space (OH-18-Dover) both sit on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee. This committee has started hearing testimony on energy and climate policies this week.

“As we approach Earth Day, Congress needs to hear from clean energy entrepreneurs, mayors and mothers, and all people who know the time to transition to a clean energy economy, protect our environment and reduce the emissions that cause climate change is now,” added Jim Wentz, with the National Wildlife Federation and the League of Ohio Sportsmen.

Click here to view the full report.

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Environment Ohio is a statewide, citizen-based non-profit, environmental organization. To learn more, please visit www.environmentohio.org

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