Climate Action Plan Advisory Group (CAPAG) presents their recommendations to the Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change today. They have been doing analysis and providing recommendations for leaders in many states. The president and CEO of CAPAG, Tom Peterson, says the biggest factor affecting the environment in North Carolina is high growth, which brings additional emissions. Halting growth will be part of their solution.
They are looking at various categories to impose recommendations (with restrictions on personal freedoms and a high price tag).
Their NC climate plan will impact the following categories:
- Heat and power, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. (See SB 3 provisions and the estimated $500 million cost, expect even more!)
- Transportation and land use, including location efficiency, how you use your car, and renewable fuels. (Look for restrictions and fees, penalties and taxes regulating how goods and people are moved across our state)
- Land protection and conservation practices (hold on to your property rights)
- Waste recovery and recycling (watch out for new fees and fines)
- State and local government (read this as subsidies, a.k.a. Tax increases)
- Adaptation (new rules and regulations and more government interference)
This commission is expected to present recommendations to the General Assembly for consideration during the short session. See Daren’s report for the skinny on the CAPAG recommendations that the Commission will consider.
Update: Of the nine legislators serving on the Commission, only four even bothered to come to the meeting. Kind of makes one wonder how seriously they’ll consider the recommendations made by CAPAG. Even scarier is will they adopt the recommendations without fully understanding the consequences – both intended and unintended?
