In the waning hours of the 2024 Connecticut General Assembly session, a robust climate change bill — HB 5004 — died, a victim of legislative gamesmanship. And so our legislators let slip our latest opportunity to forcefully acknowledge the climate change threat and reduce its impacts.
Time is running out to meaningfully deal with climate change — and the Connecticut General Assembly did our state and our environment no favors by squandering so much of the little time we have left.
HB 5004 was a multi-featured piece of legislation that, in sum, called for climate change measures including advancing and implementing the state’s goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the phasing out of the use of natural gas, investment in renewable energy and green economy startup businesses, incentivizing sustainable purchasing by local governments and the enhancement of nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change.
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Carefully crafted by the Connecticut House, the bill had passed that chamber 94-56. But it was not even taken up by the Senate.
We are far past the point where as a state — and a nation and a planet — we can afford to put off until another day consideration of climate change’s existential challenges. In fact, in recent years it has become clear that the Earth is getting hotter at an accelerating rate — diminishing even further our opportunities to redirect the trend.
We of Third Act Connecticut feel keenly the urgency of these times. In alignment with the national Third Act organization — comprising concerned individuals age 60 and over acting on behalf of the climate and democracy — we are working to encourage divestiture of carbon-based assets by the state’s banks and insurance companies; reduce federal support for fossil fuel exports, and nurture environmental responsibility, equity and justice by the state’s public utilities.
We are profoundly motivated by the awareness that, as elders, none of us has any time to waste when it comes to making a difference, on behalf of our children and grandchildren.
Connecticut has long been a climate change leader. We must restore that leadership role, setting an example for the rest of our nation — and doing all we can to safeguard our environment for the generations that will follow us.
We are deeply disappointed by the inaction of the Connecticut General Assembly. But at the same time, for us, despair is not an option. We will simply redouble our efforts — and continue to take every opportunity to remind our legislators that, going forward, meeting this moment is their duty.
Davida Foy Crabtree and George Stone are Co-Chairs of Third Act Connecticut.