“Critical Crisis” – PA Auditor General calls for action now on climate change

Harrisburg, PA – Climate protests being demonstrated around the world are sponsored by the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Action Summit, which start Monday.

In Harrisburg, the climate change “strike” was held Friday on the steps of the Pennsylvania Capitol. Environmental activists accuse Pennsylvania political leaders of ignoring climate change.

Candidates of PA’s 10th Congressional District made guest appearances at the protest in Harrisburg.

Climate change is a “critical crisis,” said Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, addressing the crowd. “Beyond the health and environmental catastrophe, there is a real financial cost to taxpayers for not taking action,” he said.

DePasquale’s department is holding hearings across the state to address funding needed for the crisis, and working on reviewing the impact of climate change, giving an example of changes he’s found in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s budget.

• Auditor General DePasquale Calls for State-Level Action on Climate Change to Save Lives – Prepare for Rising Costs  

“PennDOT has $40 million set aside for landslides,” DePasquale said. “It used to be just enough for their entire fiscal year, but because of the climate crisis we are in, that doesn’t get them out of the Pittsburgh region by April of one calendar year. That’s how many more landslides we have every single year.”

“The public is changing on this issue,” he said. “But we need to change [the General Assembly] and Washington, D.C.”

DePasquale also noted that when he ran for state auditor general, he said he would conduct the state’s first clean water audit to see how fracking is affecting water.

According to a republican Congressional candidate from the 10th District, Bobby Jeffries, ‪”PA10 candidate Tom Brier for Congress [is] fear-mongering about climate change & pushing radical Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez like measures. Pennsylvanians can’t afford their looney ideas.”

Jeffries followed up by stating, “Where I stand on energy / climate can be found in this article. Platitudes and incoherent ramblings like we’ve seen from Al Gore and AOC won’t solve anything. It’s great for campaigning though!”