In a statement released yesterday, representatives from Maryland chapters of the SEIU, Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), as well as the MD Department of Labor and the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland, came out in support of the Maryland Global Warming Solutions Act. That’s quite an impressive coalition right there – and the timing couldn’t be better, with other unions getting louder and louder in voicing their opposition. Some excerpts from the statement:

America is making a transition to cleaner and more efficient energy use. The real question is will Maryland be part of the solution or simply buy its solutions from somewhere else. The Global Warming Solutions Act (SB 309/HB 712) puts the state on a competitive path through investment in our future. Investments in sectors that deal with energy efficiency and renewable energy are parts of a new and long lasting economy that cannot be outsourced.

In addition, there are incredible opportunities to foster the development of all new “green collar” jobs. These jobs will include installing high-performance appliances and machinery, retrofitting buildings that are leaking energy, building wastewater reclamation, and reusing materials, to name a few.

Maryland stands to create an entirely new arm to its economy and infrastructure. As the transition to clean energy occurs, we want to be part of creating it and profiting from the opportunity. The entire world is looking for solutions that Maryland can play a big role in providing.

When Governor O’Malley testified before the U.S. Senate on global warming, he said, “Economic progress at the cost of environmental sustainability is not progress at all. When given a choice between progress and regression, the people of Maryland always choose progress. Tomorrow can be better than today and each of us has a personal and moral responsibility to make it so.” The Global Warming Solutions Act encompasses that commitment to action, progress and economic development. Maryland deserves no less.

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