Action for Clean Air, a Healthy Climate

Take action to reduce pollution that harms our health and worsens climate change. It's time to power our buildings and transportation with clean, renewable energy.

Clean Air

We have the ability to power our society with 100% renewable energy from the sun, the wind and the warmth of the Earth. One step to realizing that vision is making sure our homes, workplaces and other buildings are ready to use the renewable energy we harness.

We have a ways to go. In 2019, three out of every four American homes still relied on fossil fuels for heating, hot water or to run appliances. That fossil fuel dependence contributes to a host of environmental and public health problems, including global warming.

Thank your legislators for supporting clean air, and a healthy climate

Thank your legislators for supporting clean air, and a healthy climate

The Climate Solution Now Act (SB528) will reduce pollution from transportation and buildings, protecting public health and the planet.  With this new law, Maryland is taking a big step toward a cleaner, greener future in the next week.

Send a thank you!

At a time when renewable energy sources are more widely available and more affordable than ever, making sure our buildings can run on electricity created from the power of the sun and the wind is the next phase of America’s clean energy journey.

Switching to clean, efficient and electric technologies like heat pumps for space and water heating and induction cook stoves can lead to less indoor and outdoor air pollution which means cleaner air for us to breathe. It also means less water pollution, reduced energy waste which can lead to more affordable utility bills, and greener communities overall. 

Every day that we don’t switch to clean, electric energy use in our buildings and transportation is an opportunity wasted. Fossil fuel systems have long lifetimes, so any new systems installed in the next few years will keep us locked into another decade or so of dirty energy. It’s time to start relying on efficient, electric appliances that will protect our air, water, land and climate.

The Climate Solutions Now Act offers Maryland policymakers a clear path to reducing harmful emissions that pollute our air and climate, and will help transition our communities to clean, green renewable energy. The new law, SB528, will advance specific steps to help make sure more of Maryland’s buildings and transportation are ready to run on clean energy. Specifically, the legislation would:

  • Sets goals for 60% global warming emissions reductions by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2045.

  • Create a Building Emissions Performance Standard for buildings 25,000 sq. ft and larger to reduce emissions from state-owned buildings to net-zero by 2035and privately-owned buildings to net-zero by 2040, and creates a pilot program for net-zero schools. 

  • Establish a Building Energy Transition Implementation Task Force to study and make recommendations regarding the reduction of global warming pollution from buildings and retrofits of existing buildings through tax credits, subsidies, and other state support.

  • Help transition state government vehicles and school buses to electric vehicles.

  • Incentivise Community Solar for low and moderate income customers through tax incentives.

Add your voice for clean energy buildings and transportation. Take action here to email your state lawmakers thank them for passing the Climate Solutions Now Act. 

 

More resources:

What it’s like to install a heat pump?

Clean energy tech explained: induction stove

Clean energy tech explained: heat pump hot water heater

Clean energy tech explained: heat pump

Ten Ways Your Community Can Go All-electric

Paid for by Environment America, Inc., Treasurer Dan Jacobson

Topics
Authors

Johanna Neumann

Senior Director, Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, Environment America

Johanna directs strategy and staff for Environment America's energy campaigns at the local, state and national level. In her prior positions, she led the campaign to ban smoking in all Maryland workplaces, helped stop the construction of a new nuclear reactor on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and helped build the support necessary to pass the EmPOWER Maryland Act, which set a goal of reducing the state’s per capita electricity use by 15 percent. She also currently serves on the board of Community Action Works. Johanna lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with her family, where she enjoys growing dahlias, biking and the occasional game of goaltimate. 

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