DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — The Wolf Administration has introduced its 2021 Climate Action Plan.
The key to solving Pennsylvania's climate crisis is action now, not reaction later, according to Secretary Patrick McDonnell of the Department of Environmental Protection.
"That challenge can seem overwhelming, so where do we start?" he said. "Well, the Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan 2021 gives us that starting point."
In introducing the plan, the Wolf Administration also listed reasons why fighting climate change is so important in Pennsylvania.
The reasons include that Pennsylvania is the fifth-largest contributor of greenhouse gases in the United States, and the severe weather in Pennsylvania just keeps coming. Evidence of the severe weather came as the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused around $16 million in damage to the Commonwealth.
"We need to lower emissions, more and faster," McDonnell said. "Cutting carbon emissions is the first step. By 2025, the plan hopes to reduce emissions by 26% and 80% by 2050."
There's a total of 18 action items that will meet the greenhouse gas emission goals, including switching to more renewable energy like wind and solar and ramping up electric car use and energy-efficient public transportation.
The action plan also targets the 30% of Pennsylvanians in "environmental justice communities," or those who experience disproportionate effects of heatwaves and flooding.
"These susceptible communities are often disproportionately impacted, and they're often communities of color in low-income areas," Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protect Director of Environmental Justice Allison Acevedo said.
If fully executed, the plan will generate 42,000 new jobs a year, across sectors, by 2050. However, that requires collaboration within the Pennsylvania government and a lot of time and patience.
Representatives say it's more than worth it, however, as all Pennsylvanians continue to suffer the effects of a warming planet.
"Climate change is not exclusive," McDonnell said. "It does not pick and choose who it affects.”
The FOX43 meteorologist team produced a whole Climate Smart Series this summer about climate change in Pennsylvania, for more on that, click here.