43 MT Public Officials: “So Much is at Stake”
Monday, December 16, 2013
BILLINGS, Mont. - More than 40 public officials in Montana have added their names to a list of several hundred colleagues around the country in support of the President's National Climate Action Plan. The letter highlights energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate adaptation, and carbon pollution controls.
State Senator Mike Phillips of Bozeman signed on. He's also a long-time wildlife ecologist who said he's witnessed the way some of the state's fish and wildlife are responding as the climate changes. In Montana, it means more arid conditions.
"There is simply no doubt that our economy and our outdoor activities will be jeopardized if we don't take steps to redress this pressing problem of climate change."
Most of those who signed are Democratic state lawmakers. Some city councilors and commissioners signed, too.
Billings State Representative Margie MacDonald said Montana has already taken a big step to address climate change with the renewable energy standard. She added that more needs to be done because so much is at stake, and there's also potential.
"We've got creative people. We've got engineers. We've got entrepreneurs," she said. "This problem lends itself to that kind of thinking, the 'can-do' attitude, and I think that's what this is going to take."
More than 300 public officials from around the country have signed the letter so far.
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