Environmental Group Sues State Of Vermont Over Greenhouse Emissions

The Conservation Law Foundation is suing Vermont
over its greenhouse emissions targets.

 An issue as wide ranging and ever present as climate change inevitably leads to one staple of American life: The lawsuit.  

Such as it is in Green Mountain State, where last week the environmental group Conservation Law Foundation last week sued Vermont because they said the state isn't doing enough to reduce carbon emissions. 

According to Seven Days: 

"The Conservation Law Foundation accuses the Agency of Natural Resources of not taking the steps necessary to ensure that Vermont is on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as required under the state's 2020 Global Warming Solutions Act."

Basically, the CLF doesn't really believe Vermont Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore, who says the state is likely to meet its 2025 emissions target, which is 26 percent below the 2005 level.

Seven Days goes on to explain:

"The environmental group argues that this claim is based on modeling that is 'technically and mathematically insufficient.' Honest modeling 'shows that Vermont is not, and by a significant margin, on track to achieve the 2025 Reduction Requirement, the group claimed it its sued, filed on Tuesday in Washington County Superior Court."

CLF announced its intent to sue back in July, but the state didn't participate in settlement discussions. 

As is always the case when there's lawsuits, the state's response was terse. "We received notice of CLF's lawsuit and will review it. We intend to defend the Agency of Natural Resources," said Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark in a statement released shortly after the suit was announced.

The lawsuit by CLF says that Vermont should increase rules and incentives for people to install heat pumps and buy electric vehicles.

As it stands now, Vermont does have rules that require an increasing share of new cars and light trucks sold in Vermont need to be electric. By 2035 all new vehicles of this type must be EVs. 

Even Moore agrees that Vermont won't hit its 2030 targets for emissions reductions, with the regulations now in place. One tricky thing:  A LOT of Vermont homes are heated by fuel oil or wood, both of which of course release greenhouse gases. So how do you fix that?

That topic looks like it will come up in the next Vermont legislative session, which starts in January. 

Vermont - and pretty much everybody - should probably get used to climate related lawsuits, as I imagine they will be a dime a dozen. If they aren't already.

The big Vermont lawsuits will probably come as a result of a new law enacted this past spring. It's a climate "superfund" law. The first in the nation law would make fossil fuel and other industries pay for climate-related disasters that are costing the state Big Bucks.

The fossil fuel industry and others are guaranteed to sue to try and stop the law, lest other states follow suit. (Other states ARE looking at similar legislation).

If your career goal is to be an environmental lawyer, you're going to have a busy life.