I want to thank all the leading scientists, renewable energy business leaders and climate change policy experts I met with a few weeks ago at the Maryland Climate Change Summit. The insight they provided will be invaluable as we work together to address the potentially devastating effects of climate change. At the summit we released Maryland's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, the blueprint for reaching our goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 25 percent by 2020. The time to act is now. Maryland is vulnerable. The Bay is vulnerable.
Already, sea levels along our 3,200 miles of coastlines are rising three times faster than the global average. Thirteen islands in the Chesapeake have been swallowed up. As things stand, we lose 580 acres of our State's lands to erosion each year. And, if unaddressed, climate change will bring more severe storms that wash more pollution into our streams, rivers and the Bay. Warmer water temperatures would reduce the levels of oxygen needed by fish and other aquatic life. Animal species would be lost.
But as we address climate change, we help the Bay. As we limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, we continue to reduce the nitrogen emissions that account for about a third of the Bay's nitrogen pollution problem. Similarly, when we grow smarter we help protect the Bay by reducing vehicle miles traveled and preserving rural lands that naturally control stormwater runoff. And, of course, limiting sea level rise protects our shorelines.
Together, as Marylanders, we have increased the availability of green jobs, raised fuel economy standards, implemented tax incentives to promote green energy systems locally, and we are working to advance solar energy, on-shore wind and off-shore wind. We are making an impact locally to help create a solution globally. Climate Change is real. Scientists agree. It is harmful and human caused. Now is the time to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland and beyond. Together, we can make a difference.
Learn more about Maryland's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act Plan and what you can do to make a difference at climatechange.maryland.gov.
Sincerely,
