Between 2010 and 2030, Maryland will spend as much as $432.2 billion on oil, coal, and other fossil fuels. That's 2.6 times the total earnings of all Maryland workers in 2007. At the same time, pollution from fossil fuels is the number one source of air and global warming pollution and a leading source of water pollution.
High spending on fossil fuels is largely driven by our dependence on oil, according to the analysis. Maryland is on track to spend as much as $18.7 billion on oil alone in 2030, 82 percent of the state’s total spending on fossil fuels.
“Maryland has been leading the effort to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,” said State Senator Verna Jones of Maryland’s 44th district. “With our collaboration in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and passage of Maryland’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act in 2009, we’re at the forefront of our nation’s transition to a revitalized, clean energy economy.”
“This Independence Day, we are calling on Congress to break our dependence on Big Oil and Dirty Coal,” said Will Brown of Environment Maryland. “Instead of allowing the costs of fossil fuels to continue to mount, Congress should repower America with clean, renewable energy that will create jobs and stop global warming.”
Nationally, in 2006, U.S. consumers and businesses spent $921 billion on fossil fuels – more than was spent on education or the military. The country is on track to spend between $23 trillion and $30 trillion on fossil fuels between 2010 and 2030, the high end of which is more than double the nation’s total economic output in 2007.
These figures do not include the untold damages to our environment, health, and society resulting from the production and use of fossil fuels – such as global warming, air and water pollution, mountaintop mining, and oil spills. “Every additional dollar we spend on fossil fuels just buys us more global warming pollution, more smog, and more asthma attacks,” continued Brown.
In contrast, moving to clean energy – wind turbines, solar panels, and energy-efficient homes and buildings – would save money, even excluding the additional benefits for the environment, health, and security. For instance, a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that transitioning to clean energy would cut costs in the Mid-Atlantic region by $1,120 per household annually and save consumers and business a total of $36 billion annually in 2030. In addition, clean energy creates jobs here at home, since clean energy projects tend to be labor intensive and cannot be outsourced.
“No matter your politics, our nation’s energy independence impacts us all. Clean energy is part of the solution and America’s energy future. Zero-emission solar electricity not only will help us meet our growing energy needs, it will be an economic engine for this country—creating good, local jobs,” noted Rida Bukhari-Rizvi, Policy Analyst in the Government Affairs division of Sun Edison, North America's largest solar energy services provider.
On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), historic legislation that creates a framework for moving to a clean energy economy and curbing global warming.
“We've made great progress on other environmental problems in the past with the sort of policies included in the bill that passed last Friday,” said Dr. Ben Hobbs, Environmental Management Professor at Johns Hopkins University. “In the 1990 Clean Air Act, the sulfur dioxide trading program codesigned by first Bush administration and environmentalists cut acid rain precursors by half at a cost much smaller than everyone anticipated.”
“We’re disappointed Rep. Bartlett voted against this bill, but we thank the rest of the Maryland delegation—in particular Rep. Frank Kratovil of Maryland’s 1st district—for supporting it,” said Brown. “Now is the time for bold and meaningful action on clean energy and global warming. The Senate must strengthen and pass this critical bill. We urge Senators Cardin and Mikulski to move quickly to enact strong solutions for a clean energy economy and stopping global warming.”
Environment Maryland’s report uses government data to quantify current and projected spending on fossil fuels nationally and by state. The High Cost of Fossil Fuels: Why America Can’t Afford to Depend on Dirty Energy, includes the following findings:
• Maryland will spend as much as $773 more per person every year on fossil fuels in 2030, if we stay on our current energy path.
• In 2006, Maryland spent $2,464 per capita on fossil fuels. In 2030, that figure is expected to rise to between $2,569 and $3,237 for every man, woman, and childe in the state, as much as a 31 percent increase.
The report is available online:
http://www.environmentmaryland.org/reports/global-warming/global-warming-program-reports/the-high-cost-of-fossil-fuels-why-america-cant-afford-to-depend-on-dirty-energy
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