Carroll County has joined the “cool” group.
It became the third of the “cool counties” in Maryland, after county commissioners voted 2-1 to make an effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions 2 percent every year for about the next 40.
The plan is to measure emissions in the county and then lower them steadily 80 percent by 2050.
“I?m deeply passionate about the change in climate simply because I care about my daughter?s future,” said Dan Andrews, a member of the county?s Environmental Advisory Committee. “Try to imagine Maryland?s climate changing to that of Georgia. That?s what?s going to happen.”
The EAC unanimously voted to recommend the commissioners approve the “cool counties” proposal, which does not require the county meet the goals, only that it “strive” to meet them.
Two years ago, the world sweltered through its hottest year, topping the previous record year in 1998, and one-third of the world?s coral reefs already have vanished, thanks to global warming, Anderson said as he rattled off environmental groups? statistics.
“I can?t tell you how many times I?ve looked over a landscape and said, ?Gee, I wish I could?ve seen that before we were here,? ” Commissioner Dean Minnich said. “I want to turn around what we?ve been doing to the environment. I don?t want to see a film on the Inner Harbor.”
Commissioner Michael Zimmer cast the dissenting vote, calling global warming “hype” largely brought on by Al Gore. He quoted a number of newspaper clippings, saying more scientific evidence is knocking down the “theory” of global warming.
“I?m as green as the next guy when it comes to practical policy initiatives,” Zimmer said. “Some might say, ?Zimmer, wake up, you?re at the tale end of this science.? But I might also be at the leading edge. We?ll just have to wait and see.”
Carroll joins Queen Anne?s and Montgomery counties as the only “cool counties,” although Howard, Frederick and Anne Arundel have similar agreements.
