When this edition of Environment Georgia’s newsletter hits your mailbox or inbox, the 110th Congress will be well underway and Georgia’s legislative session will be wrapping up. We highlight some of the legislation that both bodies are considering on page 3.

As Environment Georgia goes to work in both our state and federal capitols, I’m thinking about how our decision-makers will address global warming—by far our most pressing environmental threat. Interestingly, many leading American corporations such as Duke Energy and General Electric (though notably not Georgia Power) have beat many elected official to the punch by calling for a cap on global warming pollution.

In Georgia, I think we will see some small steps in the right direction—the governor has proposed a bill to help encourage bio-fuel development in the state. That’s good news because alternative fuels will be an important piece of the solution to the challenge of global warming.

I also expect that we’ll win a continuation of the Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday that encourages energy-efficiency, which is another crucial part of the solution.

Federally, we may see larger steps towards renewables through a Renewable Energy Standard (the legislation is profiled on page 3). According to a report released by Environment Georgia last fall, renewable energy is one of the most important steps we could take towards reducing global warming pollution.

If there’s one prediction I can make without hesitation, it’s that our progress will be made possible through your help and support. I’m happy that we’ll be facing these legislative challenges with you on our side, and I look forward to one day announcing the passage of laws that will put Georgia on the right track for our environment.

Jennette Gayer
Advocate, Environment Georgia