States with poor climate policy ‘overlap’ with those seeking to limit rights, Kamala Harris says
Posted: Tue 5:04 PM, May 27, 2018
Updated: Tue 4:56 PM, May 27, 2018
ALBANY, N.Y. — Amid a swirl of climate activism in New York State, Sen. Kamala Harris is suggesting an alarming connection between poor policy and climate denial with regard to rights and the environment.
“We’re seeing some states that have poor climate policy and also climate denial,” Harris told NewsCenter 12 on Tuesday. “So I think this is an area where we need to be asking a few more questions.”
Here are three climate policy issues Harris is interested in when it comes to climate policy making.
Climate policy making in state capitals
Harris suggested Tuesday that states should take a lead in establishing the framework of what climate rights are for their citizens and how they can be protected.
“How do you protect the rights of citizens when there’s so much in between?” Harris asked. “We have these states that are making it really hard for the citizens there to have a seat at the climate table.”
Harris mentioned Maryland, which she said has set up guidelines on how to implement the Clean Jobs Act, but that that needs to go a step further on how it can be implemented in states.
Harris’ concern is that a majority of states simply do not have any plan or guidelines of how to protect the rights of citizens that result from climate change.
“There’s a big hole in the map right now,” she said. “So I think that’s why we need to have a national conversation about how we protect the rights of the citizens who have the right to clean air and clean water.”
The senator added that in Maryland, citizens have the right to an open dialogue and be heard, but it could be taken away if they don’t protect themselves in the face of climate change.
“The citizens