In the recent House climate vote, the Maryland Congressional delegation broke largely in favor of protecting our climate. Seven out of eight of our Congressional representatives or about 90 percent of the delegation stood up for climate and clean energy action by voting yes on the American Clean Energy and Security Act. That statistic puts Maryland among the top ten states in terms of percentage of the state Congressional delegation that voted yes on the bill.
Besides begging the question why peak-oil-Cassandra Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD-06) decided to vote against the best chance our country has had in years to break our dependence on oil, this vote stands as a testament to the Maryland Congressional delegation’s appreciation of the severity of the threat that climate change poses to Maryland.
Marylanders should count themselves lucky to have leaders that are so plugged in. As we at CCAN are always quick to point out, Maryland is the third most vulnerable state in the country to sea level rise, and few states are more in need of federal leaders who understand the need for federal climate action.
This fact is underscored by a recent study which shows that the forecast for climate impacts on Maryland is direr than previously predicted.
According to the EPA study, Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region, there is growing evidence that sea level rise in Mid Atlantic states like Maryland is accelerating, and that the combination of rising seas and stronger storms could result in unforeseen tipping points for vulnerable wetlands and islands.
Preventing this dire forecast from unfolding will require bold action from the federal government, so it’s heartening that our leaders are acting in their constituents’ best interests. However, as I wrote in a post last week, and Mike Tidwell emphasized in a recent letter, while the ACES bill is a baby step in the right direction, the solutions it offers fall far short of what is truly required to slow climate change and protect the Bay.
We need a stronger bill from the Senate, and that means we need our Maryland Senators to not just match but better the level of leadership exhibited by Maryland’s Congressional delegation. The time for climate heroes has passed; now’s the time for climate superheroes. Of course our elected officials’ legislative muscle is only ever as strong as our voices. So get on the phone to Senators Mikulski and Cardin today to help pump them up!
