The battle over climate change, carbon pollution, and America’s energy future is not confined to Congress. In fact, considerable progress is happening at the state and local level with 31 states, and DC, setting targets for renewable energy and over 1,000 mayors signing on to the US Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. The policy debate is also migrating from Washington to the states as the EPA prepares a carbon pollution standard and begins the implementation process. Will the efforts at the state and local levels develop solutions that achieve the goals of the Climate Action Plan? Or will the uncompromising attitudes of the national debate trickle down and further roadblock climate change action?
Featured speakers:
Vicki Arroyo, Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center, Georgetown University Law Center
James Brainard, Mayor, Carmel, Indiana
Jonathan Cohn, Senior Editor, The New Republic
Bob Dixson, Mayor, Greensburg, Kansas
Frank Foer, Editor, The New Republic
Joseph Goffman, Senior Counsel, Office of Air and Radiation, United States Environmental Protection Agency
Bill Ritter, Former Governor of Colorado and Director, Center for the New Energy Economy, Colorado State University
Tom Perriello, President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for American Progress Action Fund and Counselor to the Center for American Progress