Environment


environmental-cleanup.jpgI am committed to preserving the health and safety of our natural environment, and will be an advocate in Annapolis for the sensible regulation of environmentally harmful practices that secure our planet for future generations.
  1. Global Climate Change
    1. Climate change is real and it is being driven by our addictive consumption of fossil fuels. The deleterious effects of climate change are many, and their implications for Maryland’s economy are real. Left unaddressed, Maryland will see rising sea levels severely impact our communities along with increasingly frequent and violent storms battering her coast. That is why I support major efforts to tackle this problem at the state level.
  2. Renewable Energy
    1. Thankfully, alternative technologies like wind and solar are becoming increasingly available, cost-effective, and viable in a wide array of markets; we must continue to incentivize the development and innovation of these technologies in the private sector, while also requiring that public utility companies provide a guaranteed market for renewable energy by increasing the proportion of total energy consumption derived from renewable resources.
  3. Strategic Energy Investment Fund 
    1. I support the current Climate Action Plan’s call for increasing the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 25% by 2020.
    2. I support ‘community renewable’ legislation, designed to reduce barriers to and increase support for local-distributed solar and other renewable energy projects.
  4. The Chesapeake Bay  
    1. The Chesapeake Bay is not only an important source of economic vitality and place of recreation for Maryland, it is above all a national treasure. Current efforts to protect and restore the Bay must be maintained and enhanced for the benefit of current and future generations of Marylanders. In particular, I support efforts to strengthen legislation and regulation to successfully implement Maryland's Watershed Implementation Plan in order to reach our Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) responsibilities.
  5. Smart Growth 
    1. I am a vocal supporter of Smart Growth, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), and mixed-use commercial/residential zoning. Our communities are expanding, and Montgomery County's population now exceeds one million. We must accommodate this growing population while making investments in public transit infrastructure that will facilitate movement without personal automobiles (which are increasingly unaffordable for the Millennial generation,  contribute to carbon emissions & climate change, as well as to some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation.) I have testified in front of the Montgomery County Council in favor of Bus Rapid Transit starting from Bethesda heading north towards Rockville, and have testified in favor of TOD and mixed-use C/R zoning before the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. As the President of the Luxmanor Citizens Association, I have held hearings with MCDOT and Council member Berliner’s office about the County’s FY2015 CIP sidewalk project along Tuckerman Lane, which resulted in widespread community input and consensus-building. I strongly support the presence of Capital Bikeshare in Montgomery County, as well as the continued focus on the development of walkable, livable, and bike-able communities.
  6. Waste Mitigation and Control 
    1. The promotion of advanced recycling programs, waste reduction, composting, and other measures as alternatives to incinerators and landfills across the state would benefit all, conserve resources, and reduce our impact on the environment. Programs such as the ‘bag tax’ in Montgomery County have been successful at reducing pollution of our waterways, e.g. Rock Creek Park, and have proven to be business-friendly as well, specifically by reducing the overhead costs to businesses that no longer need to purchase as many plastic bags as were required prior to implementation of the fee.