Massachusetts Deserves a Governor & Lieutenant Governor Who Will Lead In the Fight Against Climate Change

Global warming poses an existential threat to humanity. How we respond now will reverberate for generations. Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will benefit from our preventative efforts today — or suffer from our inaction.

Donald Trump’s absurd denial of science, his reckless decision to pull out of the Paris agreement, and numerous federal policies that cater to fossil fuel interests are nothing short of disastrous.

With Trump taking us backwards, it is urgently necessary for states like Massachusetts to lead.

But we are not leading under Governor Baker and Karyn Polito. Beyond tepid public opposition to Trump’s reckless environmental policies, Baker’s record on energy and the environment has been mediocre. In April 2018, a consortium of environmental groups gave Baker and Polito a “C” rating because of budget cuts, severely understaffed state agencies, support for gas pipelines, and a poor record on toxic chemical reduction and water pollution control. The groups also called on Governor Baker to invest in renewable energy rather than siding with the utilities and the fossil fuel industry, from which he receives campaign contributions.

Massachusetts deserves a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor who will make combating climate change a priority, who will refuse to take campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry, and who will work with the legislature to:

• put a price on carbon emissions;
• remove arbitrary caps on solar energy;
• say no to more gas pipelines;
• invest in clean energy and rapidly transition away from fossil fuels; and
• fix our broken transportation system and make massive new investments in public transit, smart growth, and a 21st century transportation infrastructure

Last month, the Massachusetts Senate passed sweeping energy legislation that would once again make our state a national energy leader. The legislature should move quickly to enact this important measure, known as S.2545, An Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future, sponsored by Senators Marc Pacheco and Mike Barrett.

Combatting global climate change is a civilization-defining challenge. The consequences of pollution and climate change are felt most acutely by the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society. The climate crisis cries out for leadership at the state level — not half measures that placate the fossil fuel industry rather than protect the environment. As Lieutenant Governor, I will fight to protect the health of our state, our country, and our planet.

Quentin Palfrey is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts who has been endorsed by the Massachusetts Democratic Party. He previously served as Senior Advisor for Jobs & Competitiveness in President Obama’s White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and as Chief of the Health Care Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. More information about his campaign is available here: www.quentinpalfrey.com