Statewide Action Recap: Dec 5, 2023
Our Statewide Action on Health, Housing, & Climate on Dec 5th was a success!
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our energizing action on December 5! There were leaders from AIM, PATH, ACT, Sierra Club and Interfaith Power and Light present with Delegates, Senators and Maryland Energy Administration Director Pinsky. We held engaging listening sessions on climate connected to housing, green jobs, health, and geothermal energy.
The action kicked off with clergy and leaders sharing how their Muslim, Jewish and Christian traditions support action on climate change.
Two leaders from AIM shared how they are testing NO2 levels in people's homes, and finding that within 20 minutes of turning on a gas stove, they are frequently measuring dangerous levels of NO2 in people's homes. NO2 causes respiratory illness and affects brain development in children. People in the audience held up signs sharing the 250+ levels of NO2 we have measured in people's homes. The cards were red, yellow and green to indicate how the compared to the EPA's standards for safe, risky and dangerous.
What followed was listening sessions with all participants, asking them how good green jobs, healthier homes, and climate justice might make a real difference in their communities. We shared the results with the Maryland Energy Administration, which will influence how they decide to use the Inflation Reduction Act Funding from the Federal Government.
We then asked for the specific commitments from Director Pinsky, Delegates and Senators, and they committed to the following:
1. From MEA Director Pinsky to use 60-75% of the $132M of federal Inflation Reduction Act funding for housing upgrades for low-income housing (this is significantly more than the 40% required) and to work with tenants and landlords to create a pipeline of multi-family housing for energy upgrades.
2. Commitments from Senator Feldman, Chair of the Environment, Education and Energy Committee as well as Delegates Charkoudian, Qi and Queen to work with us to pass strong EmPOWER reform. We are pushing for $298M/year in energy efficiency upgrades to households, particularly low-income households, and funding to support moving from gas to electric appliances.
Our members also made commitments to participate in a Climate, Health, and Housing Advocacy Day in Annapolis on February 21 to speak with our Delegates and Senators. Sign up here to join us on February 21!
