Dear Governor Lamont,
First, we want to thank you for the tremendous efforts that you and your staff have put forth to help guide our state during the pandemic. Your leadership on Covid has been outstanding and we are grateful for your tireless efforts to help the residents of our state throughout this challenging ordeal.
IREJN is an interfaith network encompassing just about all of the major faith traditions (Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim). We are deeply concerned about climate change – the effects of which we are seeing on a regular basis, including Hurricane Henri, Tropical Storm Ida and even the tornadoes that touched down on Saturday, November 13. Sadly, this type of destructive extreme weather will become very commonplace as climate change worsens.
Because of the very real threat that the climate crisis poses to our state, nation, and world, we were deeply disappointed with your statement regarding the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI). TCI will improve our transportation system, improve air quality, create good-paying jobs, and address issues of equity that exist in Connecticut’s urban and rural communities.
We understand that inflation and the economy is of great concern at this time, but we believe that the fossil fuel industry is using the current situation to distract from the real issues of climate change, air pollution, and access to reliable, clean transportation.
We deeply regret the opponents’ misrepresentations about the projected TCI costs. These costs are minimal in comparison to the estimated $80 million per year that would be raised for Clean Energy upgrades, such as modernizing our public transportation. The Georgetown Climate Center (which helped to establish the regional TCI effort) has calculated a 5 cent per gallon increase in the price of gasoline. This converts to just $2.50 to $3.00 a month for the average 50-60 gallons per month driver, which will be reinvested to protect public health and environment, improve air quality, and create jobs. The bottom line is that we are not in control of the gas prices – we can’t control supply chain disruption or oil shortages created by the pandemic. Please do not allow them to use the current gas prices as a reason to delay climate action.
Transportation accounts for forty percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. We must address it from variety of perspectives, from improving access to clean renewable public transit to improving access to electric vehicles. TCI will also result in reduced air pollution, which is linked to 300 deaths per year and thousands of pediatric asthma cases.
As you recently traveled to the White House for the signing of President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, you know that opponents to that bill used the same arguments you are hearing now about TCI – it will be too expensive, etc. However, just as the bipartisan infrastructure bill is an important step towards addressing our climate-related transportation needs, so is TCI. Climate change is rapidly increasing and requires a comprehensive, integrated response. If we do not take action, the impacts will be severe – rising sea levels will devastate our beautiful coastline, drought will cripple CT’s small farmers, and heat waves will kill vulnerable people in low-income communities.
As a faith-based environmental organization, we also want to highlight the moral, ethical, and spiritual obligation to protect and preserve our planet and its inhabitants. Passing the Transportation Climate Initiative will protect public health and the environment, address climate change, and create green jobs in our state. It is the right thing to do.
We respectfully urge to support the Transportation Climate Initiative. IREJN representatives (as well as representatives from our environmental allies) would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your staff. Thank you so much for your time.
Very best regards,
Interreligious Eco-Justice Network Board of Directors
