Issue Position: Environmental Protection

Issue Position

It is our responsibility to be good stewards of our environment. My priorities include preserving our environment are the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is not only an ecological treasure, but is depended on by the majority of our State for food, jobs, and much, much more. I will continue to vote to increase funding and support policies to restore the Chesapeake Bay and do what is necessary to limit run-off and waste that goes into it.

I will also help our State to invest in alternative energy infrastructure. Maryland has an opportunity to lead the nation in revolutionizing our energy structure to one that is cleaner and less dependant on foreign oil. This includes developing our own source of offshore wind, promoting research into wind, solar, and other renewables, and encouraging a shift to efficient energy uses in our every day lives.

I have helped pass legislation to regulate greenhouse gases, increase energy efficiency of buildings, require the use of environmentally friendly construction material standards for new buildings to help prevent pollutants from entering our environment and the Bay, and devote more resources to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. I stood up on behalf of the University of Maryland's Law School to make sure that they were not punished for their pursuit of a lawsuit against the polluting chicken farmer industry.

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