It looked like Maryland was on track to pass solid climate legislation, but it was killed this week in the House Economic Matters Committee. The bill would have called for a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050, but it was squashed after lobbying by state industries as well as factory workers fearful for their jobs (likely driven to fear by those industries) dressed in "Save Our Jobs" T-shirts.
Kari Manlove of the Center for American Progress points out though that organized labor is increasingly endorsing action on climate change as a vehicle to create new jobs. The United Steelworkers is a part of the Apollo Alliance and the Blue Green Alliance nationally, and last week SEIU, UFCW, LIUNA voiced their support for the Maryland legislation. And just this week USW, Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council kicked off a national "Green Jobs for America" campaign. More and more labor unions are endorsing action on climate change, of course, because they know that action is inevitable. They also know that the ramifications of climate change threaten to eliminate many jobs as well, and that there's a value in protecting the planet as well as jobs. Action is not an option at this point, and in order to ensure that there are opportunities for blue collar workers and investment in new green jobs, they need to raise their voices about it now. At some point, industry will no longer be able to get by on fear-mongering and foot-dragging. Unfortunately, though, it appears to have won out in Maryland for now.
--Kate Sheppard
