March 26, 2008 New England states haven't met global warming goals Play video

(NECN: Colchester, VT) - A new report on climate change in New England contains good and bad news. There are indications that emissions in the region have started to go down, but the paper suggests, they are not dropping quickly or significantly enough to slow the momentum of global warming.

NECN’s Anya Huneke has details.

Script:

As a recent graduate of St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont, Zach Mangione is worried about the future. Not his career or his finances, but his planet.

Zach works for the Vermont Campus Energy Group, which promotes sustainability on school campuses. He is trying to mobilize more students to take action to address climate change.

”We're young - we're going to see the worst effects they're predicting….States in our region are not doing enough to meets the goals they set for themselves in 2001.”

Those goals are still a long reach away, according to a new report on global warming pollution in New England. The report, put out by the New England Climate Coalition, finds pollution has increased since governors in this region first made commitments in 2001 to reduce their states' carbon footprints. Rhode island was the only state to see emissions drop between 2001 and 2005.

James: “We're still not on track to meet the goals and reductions scientists say we have to meet if we want to avoid the worst climate impacts."

There is good news, though. Emissions did decrease in New England

According to the report, transportation accounts for the biggest jump in global warming pollution in New England since 2001. The reason behind it: people have been driving more miles in less fuel-efficient vehicles, such as SUVs and pick-up trucks.

In Vermont, transportation is the biggest contributor to global warming, but Rich Smith of the Vermont Department of Public Service says it is also the hardest one to address. He says the state has made headway, though, in other areas - most recently by passing legislation that supports new renewable energy and efficiency initiatives.

Mangione is encouraged by steps like this, but he worries it's not enough, and that time will eventually run out.