Brunner Island Steam Electric Station in York County, currently burning coal.
Pennsylvania is on the verge of participating in a Regional Climate Plan
By Thomas Au
In late 2019, Governor Wolf signed an executive order to move Pennsylvania toward joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a program implemented by a coalition of eleven neighboring states with the goal of reducing greenhouse gases from major emitting facilities. This initiative would help Pennsylvania in achieving its overall climate goals of reducing state greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
Governor Wolf stated that RGGI is one of our state’s best opportunities to cut carbon pollution and mitigate our effect on climate change. Under RGGI, large power plants must buy decreasing allowances for each ton of CO2 they emit. DEP estimates RGGI participation will prevent between 97-227 million tons of carbon emissions between 2022 and 2030.
There are a multitude of benefits in joining RGGI, including reducing air pollution, a focus on equity and justice, job creation, and more. Funds collected from emission fees can be used to reduce air pollution or to create new jobs through green investment. The eleven states that are currently implementing this initiative have documented net positive benefits to their economies and residents, including lower energy costs.
As might be expected, supporters of the fossil fuel industry are trying to get legislation to block PA from joining this program. The General Assembly can pass a disapproval resolution of the Governor’s RGGI rule. However, the General Assembly must obtain a two-thirds majority to overcome a Governor’s veto. SB 119 and HB 637 are two bills that would require legislative approval before allowing Pennsylvania to participate in RGGI, essentially halting the current process to join. SB 119 has already passed the Senate. These bills provide two more opportunities for the legislature to try to derail the RGGI initiative.
Sierra Club members should remind legislators that RGGI is a positive step forward to curb climate-destroying pollution. Sierra Club and other organizations have been offering training to all who wish to engage in lobbying the General Assembly on this issue. For more information and actions you can take, please contact us through the GVP website contact tab at www.sierraclub.org/pennsylvania/governor-pinchot/contact-us.
Group Chair’s Corner
In 2021 the Governor Pinchot Group (GVP) began participation in the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Riparian Rangers program. The Alliance’s goal is to restore the streams and rivers within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to help improve the health of the impaired Chesapeake Bay. Creating riparian buffers (forested areas along each side of a stream) is one way that the Alliance works to improve water quality within the watershed. The Riparian Rangers Program provides much-needed maintenance on riparian buffer tree planting sites for the first three years after planting. GVP is currently performing this maintenance on a site near Elizabethtown. Maintenance duties include:
● Straightening and securing tree shelters and checking bird nets
● Removing any plants inside the tree shelters and invasive species
● Marking tree mortalities and helping to replant the site each fall when possible
Thank you, Bob Rebuck Chair Sierra Club Governor Pinchot Group
Annual GVP River Cleanup
On September 12, Robin Broderick led the annual GVP River Cleanup. Seventeen people volunteered on the water and two more people volunteered to help on land. We filled up eight canoes with trash and learned more about the wildlife on the islands from Professor Gene Wingert. It was a great day. Hope you can join us for next year's River Cleanup on Sunday, Sept 11, 2022.
Fall Foliage Hike
On October 24, Governor Pinchot Group’s (GVP) newest Outing Leader, Carrie Fleming, led the Fall Foliage Hike. Our group of 14 hiked on the Appalachian Trail to Shock Rock with views of Powell's Valley to the north and to Table Rock with views of Clarks Valley to the south. Although the brilliant colors of fall hadn’t yet arrived, we all enjoyed and learned about the outdoors. Unfortunately, one of our encounters included three invasive species which are shown in the picture of the tree. The tree is Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), the insect is the adult Spotted Lanternfly, and the dried-up vines are Mile-a-Minute (Persicaria perfoliate). The GVP website currently has an article on the Spotted Lanternfly.
