Raimondo???s governor???s conference confronted over inaction on climate change
BY STEVE AHLQUIST
When Justin Boyan of Climate Action Rhode Island asked the crowd gathered in the ???designated demonstration area??? outside the Rhode Island Convention Center how they would rate state level political leadership on their response to climate change, he was met with a unified voice of disapproval and boos.
Boyan agreed. ???It???s ridiculous! It???s crickets! Inaction! Platitudes, cowardice. At best half measures!???
The Rally for Action on Climate Change was held in response to the National Governor???s Association meeting being hosted by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. Almost all the Governors attending the conference, including Raimondo, actively support the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in their states despite the stark reality that our dependence on this energy source is killing the planet. The people gathered in protest want to change this.
Specifically, the demonstrators demanded ???urgent action to reduce carbon emissions. Governors must lead their states to:
- ???Plan an aggressive transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035
- ???Adopt carbon dividends to reward conservation
- ???Ban fracking and new fossil fuel infrastructure, including the power plant in northwestern RI and the liquefaction plant in Providence
- ???Support climate research, energy innovation, land preservation, and green jobs for a sustainable future.???
