TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

My name is Chris D'Agostino, and I am a recent college graduate from Brandeis University. I care deeply about the issue of climate change because as a young person, I will live to see its increasingly harmful consequences. I would like to see a policy with a high, steadily increasing price that fully compensates rural and low/moderate income earners for any rising costs. With a federal government apathetic to the issue of climate change, it is essential that states move aggressively to reduce emissions in a socially equitable manner. Thank you for your time.

I wonder how this could affect rural communities like my own. Perhaps by developing a ride share program that would actually function? (We have had many discussions and a few failures over the years.) People have to drive up to 30-45 minutes just to buy groceries, or even gasoline! And we all drive vehicles that are far too large but can handle the extreme weather and rough road conditions. So much room for improvement!

Please cooperate to make efficient and clean transportation options widely available in the region. We have a responsibility to do what we can now to ensure that the risks of catastrophic climate change are mitigated. We know that continuing to pollute Earth’s atmosphere with greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels will cause more extreme flooding, drought, hurricanes, wildfires, heat, rapid sea level rise and the acidification of the oceans. Let’s reduce the risks to human and environmental health and to our economy by taking action now to scale down pollution from transportation. Thank you.

TCI is the most important thing to happen in New England for a long time. There is a great of talk and admissions about emissions, (nice turn of phrase, don't you think?) but actually tempering the huge carbon imprint that transportation represents has yet to be tackled. TCI is our starting point and the fear and reality of rising gas prices is a small price to pay to get this transition, upon which our survival rests, started.

It is imperative that we adopt TCI. Because of the way that Vermont acquires fuel from surrounding states which will be increasing the cost of Vermont's fuel. It is best to join TCI and receive the monetary benefits of the program to allow Vermont to invest in new programs that will further reduce our carbon footprint.

Connecticut’s largest GHG emitter is the transportation sector. And the state has a goal to reduce GHG by 45% by 2030. Thank you for that. But we can’t do this alone.

Please formally join the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), which will cap GHG emissions and place a fee on fossil fuel imports in the transportation sector (cap and trade). Fairfield County (in which I live) is in the lowest 5% of counties in the US for air quality. These GHG aren'’t all from Fairfield County emissions…air blows from other states.

Thank you for what you have done thus far, with regards climate change action and the regional design process. Now you must take action to set aggressive GHG emissions caps. I know you will get push-back, but don’t give in. The children of CT are relying on you. In fact, we all are. This is no longer a future problem. The problem is NOW. And I know you realize this.

And please keep equity at the forefront of your mind when you set into action these goals. Too often the less affluent communities are not considered. After all, Bridgeport, the largest and poorest city in CT is also in Fairfield County.

This bill will only further hinder progress in RI but taking even more money out of people's pockets.