Defending the Environment
But defending the environment means more than preserving its natural beauty; the health of our environment is integral to the health and success of our families, businesses, and ultimately, our state.
For too long, many people believed that environmental consciousness and economic growth were incompatible. However, as a number of major economic trends—instability and high prices in global oil markets, a desire to be free from foreign energy sources, and widespread acceptance of global warming—have placed increased demand on finding alternative sources of energy, it has become increasingly evident that investments in the environment and the economy can be mutually reinforcing.
As state treasurer, Richard pressured corporations to acknowledge the reality of climate change and adapt to the coming challenges. As governor, he will defend our natural resources and prepare our state to take advantage of the new economic opportunities presented by the emerging renewable energy industry.
In this section:
Fighting Global Warming
Our Energy Future
Farmland Preservation
Water Conservation and Quality
Fighting Global Warming
As state treasurer, Richard used the resources at his disposal to pressure large corporations into acknowledging the reality of climate change and join the fight to reverse the effects of global warming. His efforts include:
- Spearheading an effort by a group of leading US investors to form a Climate Watch list, identifying 10 companies as lagging behind their peers in response to climate change. Moore targeted ConocoPhillips in particular, demanding the oil behemoth put a sustainability section in its annual report quantifying how it is responding to rising competitive and regulatory pressure to develop renewable energy sources. ConocoPhillips has subsequently acknowledged that human activity is contributing to climate change. It is also supporting legislation requiring mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Watch the video:
- Supporting shareholder resolutions demanding environmental sustainability reporting from such companies as ExxonMobil, General Motors, and Liberty Property Trust. These reports can be completed for a reasonable expense and provide shareholders and potential investors with a wealth of information about the long-term viability of companies.
- Joining an international coalition of investors, representing $31 trillion in assets, to seek disclosure of carbon emissions from the world’s largest companies. Seventy-two percent of Fortune 500 companies responded to the coalition’s questionnaire in 2006 and their responses are posted at The Carbon Disclosure Project’s website.
- Convening the 2003 and 2005 Institutional Investor Summits on Climate Risk. At the most recent Summit, institutional investors representing more than $3 trillion in assets developed strategies to encourage companies to better report their environmental impact, as well as report the impact that global warming could have on their business models.
- Working with the Investor Network on Climate Risk to ask the top 30 insurance companies to provide information on their climate risk policies. Richard’s philosophy is that when you begin to attach a dollar value to the risk posed by climate change, businesses and other actors will better realize the ways in which climate change can affect their bottom lines.
- Calling on the federal government to enact legislation that addresses global climate change along with other investors representing $4 trillion in assets.
Our Energy Future
The way we produce and use energy is exacting a huge cost from our wallets and from our environment. Our current trajectory is unsustainable. North Carolina imports virtually all of its energy resources—coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, and other sources—with total energy expenditures estimated at more than $23 billion annually. As prices skyrocket, families and businesses are struggling with higher gas prices and energy bills.
Simultaneously, our environment is paying a heavy price for our energy production and consumption. Global warming is a defining problem that challenges all of humanity. Here in North Carolina, the specter of increased adverse weather events, especially hurricanes, as well as rising sea levels is particularly frightening. As secretary of crime control and public safety during hurricanes Fran and Floyd, as well as numerous other natural disasters, Richard knows how devastating these storms can be. Our energy production and use is also causing deterioration of the air in many parts of the state. Air pollution lessens the natural splendor of our parks and poses health risks to many North Carolinians, including the 600,000 who now suffer from asthma.
Washington has sadly failed to show leadership and take meaningful action on the energy issue at the national and international level. Fortunately, North Carolina has already taken strong steps in this area with the passage of the Clean Smokestacks Act in 2002 and the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard in 2007.
But much more action is needed to address the issue of energy in North Carolina. The price of most energy sources is unlikely to fall and the need for action to protect our climate and natural beauty is clear. This situation is a challenge that presents North Carolina with great opportunity. We can become a national leader in conservation and alternative energy, creating new businesses and an agricultural model that will ensure the prosperity of rural North Carolina for years to come.
Click here to read the full plan.
Farm land Preservation
Between 2003 and 2006, North Carolina lost three hundred thousand acres of farmland. In 2006 alone, we lost one thousand farms, more than any state in the nation. Renewable energy markets and technological advancements in biofuels are promising, but ultimately meaningless without the natural resources necessary to take advantage of them.
Thankfully, the General Assembly has worked to reverse this trend by including an $8 million appropriation for farmland preservation this year. But Richard believes that we need to do more; the best way to preserve farmland is to make sure farming is a profitable business.
One of the ways he plans to do that is by dramatically expanding our state Farm to School Program, giving farmers the opportunity to ship produce to schools and hospitals within days of harvesting. North Carolina has approximately 1.4 million children in schools and thousands of patients at our state hospitals. They should be eating fresh, healthy, and safe food products produced here in North Carolina, not imported canned food. North Carolina has a proud agricultural history, but Richard believes it must also be part of our future.
Additionally, Richard will use tax policy to incentivize easements and other targeted land conservation that will help to protect our water sources. In particular, we must preserve wetlands and flood plains that are vital to keep our water supply clean and abundant.
Water Conservation and Quality
According to the N.C. Rural Center’s Water 2030 report, public water systems lose more than 35 billion gallons, or 11 percent, of treated water each year due to leaks, unmetered connections, and other situations. This is enough water to supply the entire Charlotte-Mecklenburg region for a full year. Yet less than a third of all systems support a regular leak detection program and only a quarter have conducted even a single leak detection study. Thirty-seven public water systems report they cannot account for over 30% of their expended water.
Richard’s administration will partner with our public water systems most in need to conduct a water loss audit and make the most cost effective improvements to cut their water loss. These include adjusting water system pressure, replacing meter sizes, creating an active leak detection program, revising system flushing programs, and improving communication within different departments to reduce water loss.
Identifying and stopping water loss in our public water systems is an easy first step in addressing the drought. Richard’s history of working with local governments through the Local Government Commission provides him a unique understanding of how to work cooperatively with cities and counties in addressing their pressing infrastructure needs, from school construction to water systems.
Moreover, Richard believes we can encourage conservation through tiered pricing systems. His administration will explore a cap and trade system within public water systems that will encourage conservation while recognizing that many public water systems continue to generate revenues for their communities.
February 21, 2008
