TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

The Transportation Climate Initiative is necessary but not sufficient policy to address the challenge of climate change mitigation.
All economic sectors must be represented to make real climate progress. Comprehensive carbon reduction measures are ready to implement in the next year-decade time frame. The political will must follow the public will to act on climate protection.

I am very concerned about the 2022 start, gradually phased implementation of TCI, and lagging outcome of consumer behavior change.

No time can be spared, with the climate bomb detonated in every part of the world. We can't escape the manifold and epic changes already baked into our physical, chemical and biological systems by excess carbon and greenhouse gas accumulation to date, much less buffer todays and tomorrows additional emissions.

At a minimum MA must adopt statewide comprehensive carbon pricing; targeted emission reductions to net zero asap; and no burning of carbon to supply "renewable" electricity. Even as MA and region negotiate a transportation agreement, all minds are simultaneously called to brainstorm and implement cross-sector emissions reduction.

TCI must not lull our regional authorities into complacency. In each jurisdiction we must act in concert with TCI planning, boldly and ambitiously, without delay. The time is past to dither. Legislation to bond this cost, rather than make direct investment in real time, is absurd and unconscienable. Blackrock financial just committed their trillions to sustainable investment; so must public investment be redirected. Business as usual cedes to business with future welfare included in the calculus.

We lead as individuals, communities, businesses and government. No waiting time exists. All exertion to reduce this highest risk to all, this existential threat to life in this geologic epoch, is belated. The house is on fire. Each day brings a new sense of emergency, in all parts of this imperiled life support system. We're in the ICU and heading into hospice.

TCI and climate protection needs to care for the vulnerable. An estimated billion animals died in Australia, over these past months of unprecedented change amidst a politically reckless, reeking, wreckage of landscape, habitat, and civilization. No corporate energy monetary profits can be justified, nor can their assets afford to redeem or compensate for THIS LOSS ALONE, the massive scale of wildfire extinction and destruction. The shame is what could have happened, what our kids future might have been, had leaders listened to scientists rather than campaign financier propagandists, since 1988. Stop politically blockading and braking clean energy progress.

The Massachusetts Joint TUE committee heard H.2810 Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions on Tuesday 1/14/20. This is the gold standard for equitable carbon pricing for TCI to follow. It addressed buildings carbon emissions, not just transportation. We need to move on both sectors, as we accelerate non-carbon emitting electricity generation, and decelerate conventional energy production, transmission, and market monopolization.

Please act on all aspects of greenhouse gas mitigation, before all is lost, here and everywhere.

I support policies that show short and long term planning for curbing the both the greenhouse gas levels rising and increased transportation/traffic woes due to use of fossil fuels. A scientist by training I understand hard limits and the damage resulting from a spiraling negative feedback loop. If repairs are not going to be made by regulatory fiat, and a market solution is more palatable to get the job done-then build the system to make it happen. Short term thinking is what got humanity here in the first place- choosing comfort, convenience and cheap over building century stable systems which require effort. Humans are not evolved to be good at long term planning. Like safety protocols LT planning requires training and reinforcement.
What feels like small actions by individuals aggregate into horde of people which has big impacts. I place "the everything is fine as long as I get mine" and "why worry, it hasn't happened before" crowd into the category of homeowners who refuse to budge for hurricane evacuations until its too late, panic and jam the roads, or need to be asked to write their social security numbers on their arms so the bodies can be identified after the storm surge.
Commenters outraged at paying any taxes should work harder at getting your government to stop blowing billions of dollars on needless wars and hundreds of millions on Trumps golf outings. Try and remember taxes should pay for bridges that stay up, usable transportation and the social infrastructure of civilized society. Good government does not come for free. Ignorance, bad data and ideas repeatedly proven wrong that won't stay dead, well, those are free but still manage to end up costing everyone.

I strongly support greater regulation of pollution coming from transportation. I believe in addition to this regulation, however, we need to focus on creating a larger, better, and more affordable public transit infrastructure to help combat single-person contribution to this issue.

Climate change is a man made situation caused by increased CO2 in the earth's atmosphere and reducing consumption of fossil fuels plays an integral part of the solution. Having a good public transportation system can reduce carbon emissions.

We have to come to terms with the fact that human beings are destroying our planet. We must start by seriously reducing our dependence on and use of fossil fuels.

Reducing pollution from transportation is important for human health and to combat climate change.

This increase will increase gas prices slowing the economy of central and northern Maine. I further believe this will lead to high home heating oil prices, food and other goods of our aging population. Please vote no on this issue.

Cleaning up our transportation system is a vital step in transforming our business-as-usual wastefulness into a sustainable economy for all.