Murphy, Blumenthal, State Legislative Leaders Demand Action to Address Global Warming on Earth Day

Press Release

Today, Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) was joined by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, state legislative leaders, and environmentalists on Earth Day to demand action to address global warming at both the federal and state level. Global warming pollution continues to rise in the United States, increasing 16 percent from 1990 to 2004; and the federal government projects that it will increase another 46 percent over the next twenty years.

"It's incredibly important to tackle global warming now. While President Bush has refused to acknowledge that global warming is a serious problem, states have tried to step in and fill the void. I applaud their efforts, and I am committed to pushing the federal government to be a partner, not a roadblock, in this effort," said Murphy, who is also the Co-Chair of the Congressional Land Conservation Caucus.

Murphy is working in Washington to move two pieces of legislation to address global warming. The first, the Safe Climate Act, would direct the federal government to take various steps to reduce U.S. emissions of the pollutants that cause global warming to 1990 levels by 2020. Murphy is also pushing the Right to Clean Vehicles Act, which would overturn the recent Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to deny California's effort to require stricter vehicle emissions standards. The bill would give Connecticut the authority to implement tailpipe emissions standards immediately and allow other states to opt-in in the future. Murphy was also a strong supporter of legislation signed into law to mandate the first fuel efficiency increase in 32 years, which will cut U.S. oil consumption by more than 4 million barrels a day by 2030.

Murphy was joined by state legislative leaders and environmental organizations, who have been leading the charge to pass a bill to establish mandatory greenhouse gas emission caps consistent with the goals enacted by the legislature in 2004. Their bill, HB 5600, is expected to be voted on soon.

"We are proud of Connecticut's leadership in addressing global warming issues. With the passage of HB 5600 and implementation of Congressman Murphy's initiatives on the federal level we can make a positive difference for the health and safety of our constituents," said Rep. Widlitz.

"Congressman Murphy shows tremendous leadership in supporting the Safe Climate Act and the Right to Clean Vehicles Act. This legislation, along with our Connecticut global warming bill, is an opportunity to invest in green technologies, grow our economy, and take meaningful action to reduce carbon emissions. Adopting sustainability standards are critical first steps in the fight against global warming," said Charles Rothenberger, staff attorney for Connecticut Fund for the Environment.

Murphy was also joined by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has been a leader on the need to address global warming, demonstrated by his recent announcement that he has filed a petition asking a federal court to end the EPA's defiance of the U.S. Supreme Court order that it take steps to regulate CO2 emitted from vehicles as a pollutant.

"The fight to preserve our planet - celebrated on Earth Day - must be global, on all fronts around the earth," Blumenthal said. "Our fight against environmental lawbreaking is against polluters and their enablers - including a lawbreaking federal government that disregards and disobeys environmental statutes with arrogance and alacrity."

"The EPA should be an Environmental Protection Agency - not Energy Profits Agency. Even after an explicit U.S. Supreme Court order, the EPA remains in dangerous denial of its legal duty to regulate CO2 emissions that cause global warming. Our coalition of attorneys general is vigorously pursuing our rights as states to ensure strong emissions standards for automobiles, meaningful pollution regulations for power plants and emissions standards for household furnaces and boilers," Blumenthal concluded.

Source