A note from Executive Director, Kim Coble on Abell Foundation Report

Maryland was once a leader in addressing climate but has fallen behind other states, including Massachusetts. Now, the Abell Foundation has issued an important new report that outlines steps Maryland must take “…to re-establish itself as a national leader as it responds to the repercussions of a warming climate.” 

We urge you to take a look at the Abell Foundation’s report, Turning Up the Heat on Cooling Down the Planet: Comparing the Climate Leadership Actions of Maryland and Massachusetts. And if you haven’t already, please consider also reviewing Maryland LCV’s recently released Governor’s Report Card and 2021 Environmental Scorecard. These scorecards outline in detail the inadequate response of our elected leaders to the climate crisis. Along with the Abell Foundation’s report, they provide a clarion call to Maryland’s politicians to act urgently to meet today’s climate challenges. 

I hope you will enjoy these reports and share them widely with your networks. The 2022 legislative session and our state-wides elections are just around the corner. Now is the time to call for Maryland’s elected officials to do more to meaningfully combat the climate crisis and protect our environmental health. 

As always, thank you for your support. We look forward to continuing to work with you on behalf of Maryland’s land, air, water, and communities.

Sincerely, 

Kim Coble

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sasha Galbreath, Sasha.Galbreath@mail.house.gov

Congressman David Trone, Interior Secretary Haaland to Visit National Parks, and Host Roundtable Focused on Climate Change and Environmental Justice

On Monday, November 29, 2021, Congressman David Trone and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will visit Maryland’s Sixth District to tour the C&O Canal National Historical Park.

The visit will highlight infrastructure and the Build Back Better agenda, especially as it relates to climate change and equity. The visit will close with a roundtable discussion with environmental justice groups focused on how climate change adversely affects underserved communities.

This visit comes on the heels of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s passage, and the U.S. House’s passage of the Build Back Better Act last week.

This is the Secretary’s first visit to Maryland’s Sixth District with Congressman Trone.

If you are interested in attending one or more events, please RSVP to Sasha Galbreath at Sasha.Galbreath@mail.house.gov to get specific information (e.g., location) about the event(s).

LOGISTICAL INFORMATION: Monday Nov 29

Details are subject to change

9:00am – 10:15am – Visit to C&O Canal

(10:00AM-10:15AM PRESS AVAIL)

Where: C&O Canal

What: Park Superintendent Tina Cappetta will take Sec. Haaland and Rep. Trone on a tour of the Cushwa Basin and the recently-restored Conococheague Aqueduct.

12:45pm – 2:15pm – Climate Change and Environmental Justice Roundtable

(1:45PM-2:15PM PRESS AVAIL)

Where: Rockville, Maryland

What: Rep. Trone will host Sec. Haaland for a roundtable with Maryland environmental groups focused on climate change and its impact on underserved communities.

Roundtable participants include:

• Ramon Palencia-Calvo, Deputy Executive Director, Maryland League of Conservation Voters
• Jennifer Driban,Vice President and Chief Mission Officer, National Aquarium
• Curtis Bennett,Director of Equity and Community Engagement, National Aquarium
• Tianna Bogart,Associate Professor, Frostburg State University Climate Science Studies
• Josh Tulkin, State Director, Maryland Sierra Club
• Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy, We ACT for Environmental Justice
• Keisha Sedlacek,Federal Legislative and Policy Attorney, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Keith Colston, Director, Ethnic Commissions, Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives
• Lisa Tissley,Communications Specialist, Maryland Department of the Environment (On behalf of the MDE Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities)

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It will address generations of systemic racism and environmental inequity by investing billions of dollars removing lead water pipes, cleaning up toxic Superfund sites and creating pathways to good-paying, clean energy careers in underserved communities and communities of color through a new Civilian Conservation Corps. 

The post Maryland League of Conservation Voters hails House passage of Biden Build Back Better bill, calls for swift Senate action appeared first on Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 18, 2021

Inadequate Response to Climate Crisis Drags Down Scores for Governor Hogan and Maryland General Assembly in 2021 Scorecards

Annapolis, MD — Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly were called out for their poor response to growing climate threats in the new report cards issued by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (Maryland LCV). 

The Governor’s Report Card [link], which assessed Governor Hogan’s environmental legacy between 2015 and 2021, reflected a mixed record marked by inconsistent environmental leadership and a failure to adequately staff environmental compliance offices. Hogan gets higher marks for his energy policy, especially where he supported legislative actions.

“The threats from climate change are accelerating globally, and Maryland is particularly vulnerable because we have 265,000 acres of land less than five feet above sea level,” said Maryland LCV Executive Director Kim Coble. “Marylanders want the state to take aggressive action on climate change, and Governor Hogan’s inconsistent leadership on climate, especially in the transportation sector, as well as a poor record on enforcement, unfortunately overshadows positive environmental steps his administration took over the past seven years.”

The Governor’s Report Card reviews in detail the environmental actions taken by the Hogan administration from 2015 to date, including controversies around highway expansion and public transportation, offshore wind development near Ocean City, various pipeline proposals, and efforts to protect open space and oyster fisheries. 

Maryland LCV’s legislative Environmental Scorecard [link] assesses the performance of each of the legislative chambers and also gives individual scores to all legislators based on their votes or inaction on priority environmental issues over the past year’s legislative session, with a particular focus on climate and environmental justice issues.

The report found that the legislature’s most notable failure, for the second year in a row, was its inability to successfully pass comprehensive climate legislation during the 2020-2021 legislative session. Their efforts elsewhere, however, were more positive.

The Climate Solutions Now Act, comprehensive legislation that would have set an ambitious statewide carbon emissions reduction goal, passed both chambers during the session. However, legislators’ inability to resolve policy disagreements prevented the bill from reaching the Governor’s desk.

“As our planet warms, our communities suffer while our elected officials fail to advance meaningful climate policy,” said Coble. “We are seeing more frequent heat waves and intense storms, and direct results in nuisance flooding in our communities and more code red pollution days. Climate change affects all of us, but our low-wealth communities and Black and Brown communities are at particular risk, bearing the brunt of these effects now. In the face of these threats, it is simply unacceptable that our legislators, once again, were not able to take meaningful action to address the climate crisis.” 

Coble applauded, however, the passage of the Transit Safety and Investment Act, as well as the Zero-Emission Bus Transition Act. “These two bills take meaningful steps to enhance the health and economy of our students, seniors, low-wealth Marylander, and a significant number of health care workers who rely on public transportation in their everyday lives.  We applaud these important legislative accomplishments.”  Governor Hogan vetoed the Transit Safety and Investment Act. “The commitment of the legislature to this issue is a stark contrast to the actions of the Governor. We look forward to an override of this veto.”

The full Environmental Scorecard also gives scores to individual legislators and breaks out their votes for each of the state’s regions. Both the Governor’s Report Card and the legislative Environmental Scorecard, as well as the legislative lifetime scores, can be viewed at Maryland LCV’s website at www.MDLCV.org

“We acknowledge and are grateful for Governor Hogan, delegates, senators, and their staff’s hard work and leadership as the state has faced tremendous challenges over the past two years from COVID-19 and other national concerns, ” said Coble. “But in the final analysis, all Marylanders should be disappointed that we have still not taken significant steps to make Maryland more resilient to climate change impacts that we are already facing. And when election season rolls around, we need to make it a priority that Maryland becomes a leader in achieving equitable climate solutions.”

To respond more effectively to the climate crisis, Coble outlined key steps for legislators and the next administration, including: 

• Prioritizing reductions from the two largest sources of  greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Maryland–buildings and transportation–by ensuring state buildings and transportation systems (including transit systems, school buses, vehicles, and trucks) are at “net zero” emissions by 2040 and infrastructure spending supports the state’s GHG reduction commitment; 
• Addressing the disproportionate impact from GHG emissions on low-wealth communities, many of which are Black and Brown communities, by ensuring the meaningful  participation of impacted community members in funding and environmental justice decisions; 
• Responding and adapting to and mitigating climate impacts should be seen as top priorities for state leaders, as evidenced by budget and procurement allocation and a cabinet-level Climate Office. 

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Maryland League of Conservation Voters is a state-wide, nonpartisan organization that uses political action and education to protect our  land, air, water and communities. The organization is known for educating lawmakers and holding them accountable for their leadership and votes on key environmental issues. Maryland LCV’s annual scorecard, along with their other reports, help inform voters about their legislators’ records.

The post Inadequate Response to Climate Crisis Drags Down Scores for Governor Hogan and Maryland General Assembly in 2021 Scorecards appeared first on Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

PRESS ADVISORY
November 16, 2021

Contact: Dannielle Lipinski, dlipinski@mdlcv.org

Thursday, November 18 at 12pm:
Maryland LCV Presents 2021 Legislative Environmental Scorecard and
7-year Report Card for Governor Hogan

Inadequate Response to Climate Crisis Drags Down Scores for Governor Hogan and Maryland General Assembly

Annapolis, MD — On November 18 at 12pm join Maryland LCV as they present their signature annual legislative environmental scorecard and their Governor’s Report Card for the entire seven-year tenure of Larry Hogan. 

The publications outline and stress a new reality: the existential threat of the climate crisis demands urgent and meaningful action from our elected officials at all levels. The impacts of climate change are increasingly apparent in Maryland, where flooding and increasingly intense storms and heatwaves jeopardize communities from the Eastern Shore to Western Maryland. 

Find out what our 2021 environmental scorecard and Governor’s report card say about Maryland’s leadership to meet the challenges of today’s climate crisis. 

WHEN: Tele-conference on November 18th at 12pm 

WHERE: contact Dannielle Lipinski if you are press for information.

WHO: Kim Coble, Executive Director
Lynn Heller, Maryland LCV Board Chair

**key staff will be available during the call to answer press questions

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Maryland League of Conservation Voters is a state-wide, nonpartisan organization that uses political action and education to protect our  land, air, water and communities. The organization is known for educating lawmakers and holding them accountable for their leadership and votes on key environmental issues. Maryland LCV’s annual scorecard, along with their other reports, help inform voters about their legislators’ records.

The post Maryland LCV Presents 2021 Legislative Environmental Scorecard and 7-year Report Card for Governor Hogan appeared first on Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

The post Thank your legislators for their support of public transit funding. Now it’s time to urge them to override Hogan’s veto of this much needed funding! appeared first on Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

Maryland LCV’s statement on the Build Back Better Act
October 28, 2021

“Today, after thousands of Marylanders and millions across the nation called, knocked on doors, and demanded action, the President has announced a framework with the strongest action the United States has ever taken to combat the climate crisis. This framework represents years of work from frontline communities and others to put the U.S. on the path to cutting our climate pollution in half by 2030, invest directly in communities of color too often left behind, and create good-paying union jobs. Congress must swiftly pass the Build Back Better Act and send it to President Biden to sign into law.

Together with federal executive orders and state and local legislation, the Build Back Better Act will ensure we meet our climate goals. This is a historic day for people and the planet. We expect Maryland’s entire delegation to support this framework that improves the lives of every Marylander and eagerly await a final vote in Congress.”

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Ørsted and Maryland partner for a sustainable future

By David Hardy, CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America

It is a privilege to join the Maryland League of Conservation Voters in celebrating Maryland’s environmental changemakers. As CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America, the global offshore wind leader, I have been inspired by how the State of Maryland and Maryland LCV make change a reality in the fight to stop climate change. By supporting ambitious renewable energy policies like offshore wind, you put Maryland on the map as a decisive leader in the fight for a sustainable energy future. 

As the developer of Skipjack Wind 1 in Maryland, one of the first awarded Offshore Wind Projects in Maryland, Ørsted feels a special responsibility to help Maryland reach its goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. We developed the world’s first offshore wind farm 30 years ago, supply green power to 15 million people, and create true value for local communities everywhere we work – one turbine rotation at a time. We own and operate America’s first offshore farm in Rhode Island and, in 2020, installed the first-ever offshore wind turbines in federal waters off the coast of Virginia. We are pioneers in this space, and want to help Maryland lead, as well.

Science tells us we must address global warming soon to avoid irreversible consequences, and net human carbon emissions must reach zero by 2050. 

Combating climate change lies at the core of Ørsted’s mission. We have undertaken an historic transformation in our business model from a highly intensive user of fossil fuels to an almost 100% renewable energy company. And we are on track to be a carbon neutral company by 2025. 

This makes us uniquely suited to partner with Maryland. To help the state reach its clean energy goals, Ørsted is developing Skipjack Wind 1, a 120 megawatt wind farm 20 miles off the Maryland coast. Skipjack Wind 1 will power 40,000 homes in the region, create nearly 1,400 jobs for Maryland workers, and generate more than $200 million in local economic investment. 

Ørsted builds, owns, and operates its wind farms for their full life cycle, and has for 30 years. So, the commitments we make to Maryland and its citizens are for the long term. 

For instance, we broke ground in 2019 on Maryland’s first offshore wind staging center at Tradepoint Atlantic, making the former steel manufacturing site a hub for 21st century renewable energy growth. Local small businesses performed critical welding work at the site, and historically underemployed East Baltimore residents learned new trade skills they can utilize for decades to come. We have plans for much more local economic development, which we will announce soon.

In addition to Skipjack Wind 1, Ørsted recently proposed a new project – Skipjack Wind 2 – which will power 250,000 homes in the Delmarva region. This ambitious project will bring sustainable jobs and economic impact to the Baltimore region with the establishment of an advanced sub-sea array cable manufacturing facility at Tradepoint Atlantic. As the first of its kind in the U.S., this facility will not only serve a majority of our large 4 gigawatt portfolio of projects, but also the broader—and rapidly developing—American offshore wind industry. All told, our two projects would generate a $625 million investment in Maryland and accelerate Maryland’s progress towards its climate goals. 

Ørsted is committed to the communities in which we operate. Everyone, especially underserved communities, should have access to the incredible promise of this new American industry. As part of Skipjack Wind 2, we will invest $10 million in Maryland’s STEM education programs so that local students can compete for offshore wind jobs. Our agreement with the Baltimore – D.C. Metro Building and Construction Trades Council ensures organized labor is part of our plans for onshore and offshore construction. We will build the nation’s first carbon neutral Operations and Maintenance (O&M) facility in Maryland, creating a model for our industry and long-term local Eastern Shore jobs. 

Helping Maryland reach its renewable energy goals is an obligation we take seriously. Stopping climate change will not be easy, but that should not stop businesses, NGOs, and governments from taking decisive action now to secure a sustainable future. 

That’s what changemaking is all about. We are proud to partner with Maryland and the changemakers at Maryland LCV to create more clean energy and thousands of green jobs for Maryland residents – one rotation at a time.  

David Hardy is CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America, developer of Skipjack Wind 1 and Skipjack Wind 2 in Maryland. 

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