Global Warming Solutions
Global warming is the most pressing environmental problem facing the planet today — and pollution here in Pennsylvania is making the problem worse. PennEnvironment is working aggressively to promote commonsense solutions to this profound challenge.
Global warming’s potential impacts on Pennsylvania, the nation and the world are expected to be destructive and far-reaching. In Pennsylvania, global warming could mean more heat-related deaths, more extreme weather like the floods, droughts and severe winter storms we’ve experienced in recent years, and severe damage to fishing streams throughout the state.
America’s third-biggest global warming polluter
To make matters worse, Pennsylvania is a huge source of the problem. Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for its global warming pollution, only behind California and Texas. This is due to our large fleet of dirty coal-fired power plants, and sprawling development that requires extensive driving from place to place.
Luckily, there are simple, commonsense clean energy solutions at our fingertips that will help us to tackle this profound problem before it’s too late. This will allow us to sharply reduce our global warming pollution in Pennsylvania, while repowering our economy with clean energy jobs.
From green buildings to clean cars, solutions are at hand
Now, we need to put these solutions to work.
PennEnvironment is working at the state and national level to implement these solutions. Working side by side with our citizen members and activists, PennEnvironment’s staff are working to make sure that we can tackle climate change.
From advocating for new policies that will promote green building technology, wind and solar power, and cleaner cars, to requiring the biggest polluters to clean up their acts, we can tackle global warming head-on and win.
Key Facts
- Pennsylvania is the nation's third worst global warming polluter.
- In 2001, transportation sources accounted for 27% of Pennsylvania’s carbon dioxide emissions.
- By promoting and creating wind power off Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie shoreline, we could produce enough power for up to 800,000 homes and create 2,400 new jobs.
- Almost half of the energy used in the United States is to power our buildings. This is 10% of worldwide energy consumption.
- Taking public transportation reduces our carbon footprint by 50%, while reducing our reliance on oil.
- From 2010 to 2011, jobs in the solar sector grew 10 times faster than the rest of the economy.