From: Liza Ketchum <lizaketchum@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, June 3, 2019 11:37 AM
To: RPS, DOER (ENE)
Subject: Changes to the renewable portfolio standard
To
John Wassam,
It
has come to my attention that the governor wants to label the burning of wood
and waste as Class I renewables. This makes no sense. As you
must know, trees sequester carbon, while burning wood contributes CO2 to the
atmosphere. The theory that trees can be replanted ignores the fact that
trees take decades to mature. As I wrote in a letter that was published
in the Globe last year, we need to renew our forests and plant more
trees in order to meet the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act.
In addition, burning waste is dangerous and unhealthy. It risks
releasing mercury and other toxins into the air. As reported in numerous
medical studies, climate change is already causing an increase in childhood
asthma across the country. The incineration of waste would aggravate this
dangerous health crisis.
The
recent U.N. report on the climate, released this spring, warns that we have
just over a decade to enact the changes that will save our planet from
catastrophic damage. A million species are at risk of extinction—and the
health and welfare of humanity is at stake. Given our state’s proximity
to the ocean, with the risk of sea level rise, Governor Baker needs to take
bold action to reverse warming. We need to put our efforts into the
creation of more renewable energy—wind and solar—two industries that have
already created thousands of new jobs across the state. That would be a
win/win for the Commonwealth.
Thank
you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Liza
Ketchum
199
Coolidge Ave. Apt. 505
Watertown,
MA 02472
617-926-4507