Protecting the Environment

I would like to see Pennsylvania move into the forefront of states in our efforts to protect the environment. This makes good sense, not only for our own health and wellbeing, but because a determined effort to take the lead in environmental protection can serve our economy. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the state that, with our coal fields and iron and steel factories, pioneered in industrial production became in the 21^st century a pioneer in advanced, and environmentally friendly, technology

Reducing Automobile Emissions

The first thing we need to do is catch up with those ahead of us: We need to follow the lead of some of our neighboring states and adopt a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program modeled after that found in California. This program would require automobile companies to sell a set, and growing, percentage of ZEV cars each year.

Buying and Making Energy Efficient Products

Then we need to encourage Pennsylvanians to purchase, and businesses to produce, energy efficient products of all kinds. We should reduce or eliminate the sales tax on products that can certain standards of energy efficiency. We might start with those products that meet the Energy Star standards. But we should quickly set our standards even higher and give more substantial tax breaks to those products that meet these standards.

We also need to begin supporting businesses that can provide energy efficient products and zero emission cars. We should be developing an infrastructure for alternative fuels for our cars. We can encourage this development with tax credit and grants for fuel production and distribution facilities. We can also support investments in alternative energy sources, alternative fuel vehicles, and in equipment that reduces pollution.

Raising our Standards

We also need to make sure that the standards we use to protect our water and air are as high as they can be given the technology available to us. Market-based reforms, together with gradually declining limits on the production of pollution can encourage a flexible effective pollution control. But they have to be used judiciously to insure that they don’t allow too much pollution in particular areas of the state.

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