Recently, state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, voted against a harmful attempt to keep Pennsylvania from joining one of the most successful climate programs in the country, and for this, I am proud to call myself one of his constituents. The effects of the climate crisis are becoming more obvious every day, and climate change makes air pollution worse. Our dirty air puts our health in jeopardy, with higher chances of heart-related disease, respiratory illness and more.

Luckily, Pennsylvania has the potential to participate in the multi-state, bipartisan Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which would reduce climate pollution from power plants. With RGGI, Pennsylvania would decrease its carbon emissions by 227 million tons by 2030. This program will reduce our state’s climate impact and help improve our air quality. Cleaner air can lead to improved health all over the state.

Pennsylvania moving toward implementing RGGI is a vital step in our fight against the climate crisis and making our state an energy leader of the future, so we need to participate now. I want to thank Costa for supporting climate action and RGGI by voting “no” on SCRRR1 and representing his district well.

Asha-Anne Tyagi

Shadyside

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