Some of the most progressive policies in our nation - including civil rights, labor and environmental laws - were first enacted at the state level, years or even decades before the federal government followed suit. Joining with other states, Maryland acted to improve energy efficiency on appliances and regulate car emissions before the federal government did something.
People in Maryland are concerned about far-off problems such as ice caps melting, polar bears dying and disasters like Hurricane Katrina striking. But they are also increasingly troubled at the signs of global warming they see every day, such as shorelines being rapidly lost and wildlife being affected by changing habitat and migration. Memories of Tropical Storm Isabel - the Inner Harbor flooded, the days without power, the unsafe drinking water - remain fresh.
Maryland has an enormous responsibility - some would say a moral responsibility - to take action on global warming and make the state a national leader on one of the most critical issues of our time. The effects of global warming on our fragile state won't wait, and neither should we.
