NORTH CAROLINA

With rising gas and oil prices, the economy of North Carolina has taken a hit. Our reliance on dirty fuels is also contributing to global warming. If we sit idly by and do nothing, global warming will bring irreparable harm to our state. If we fail to act on global warming soon, North Carolina could lose more than 28,500 jobs. (i)

With thousands of miles of shoreline, North Carolina is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and the other environmental impacts of global warming. As sea levels rise due to global warming, North Carolina is likely to experience more frequent and more intense hurricanes. (ii)

The cause of both of these problems—economic downturn and ecosystem damage—is our reliance on fossil fuels. North Carolina gets a majority of its energy from coal.

By increasing our use of renewables and reducing our dependence on coal, North Carolina can make significant progress toward solving global warming while creating thousands of new, green jobs. (iii)

Already, North Carolina has the resources to produce over half of its energy from renewables! (iv)

Lawmakers in North Carolina have already taken measures to address global warming. Last year, the state mandated that 12.5% of consumer electricity be produced by renewable energy by 2021. The same bill also encourages energy efficiency and reduction of waste from industry and agriculture. (v)

But to continue an aggressive strategy, we need strong leadership.

SOURCES:

i. http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/site/c.enKIITNpEiG/b.3417259/

ii. http://www.nextgenerationearth.org/usstates/statelist/

iii. http://getenergyactive.org/fuel/state.htm

iv. http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/clean_energy/Plugging_In_Renewable_Energy.pdf

v. http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-in-depth/all_reports/race_to_the_top/rps.cfm