By Alison Cross Hartford Courant. Full story here.
The junior from Darien co-authored two bills in the General Assembly’s Environment Committee that would declare a climate emergency in Connecticut and transform plastic labeling to make recycling easier. Callagy is using his experience in the state legislature to advocate for more youth involvement in government.
“As a young student, it feels pretty imperative to take action now and not wait till later,” said Callagy. “I’m kind of young, but I feel like a lot of young climate activists are at the forefront of this effort.”
After meeting at the Essex Library, Callagy joined forces with State Rep. Christine Palm, geologist and environmentalist Roger Kuhns, and other members of the Connecticut branch of the Citizens Climate Lobby to draft the legislation.
Frustrated that plastic products were not clearly labeled for recycling, Callagy became inspired to write a bill. Callagy found that many plastic containers could not actually be recycled even though they were stamped with the classic green triangle made of arrows. “It’s really, really hard to tell what is and isn’t recyclable,” Callagy said. “The labeling can get really confusing I thought that that could be very hard to understand as a consumer.”
Callagy’s proposal in HB 6814 is to standardize and simplify the messaging. Recyclable products would receive a green “R”, compostable products would receive a corresponding green “C”. Non recyclable or compostable items would have a circle with a line running through it. Additionally, the bill would establish a grant program to encourage manufacturers to transition to non-plastic packaging alternatives.
Callagy continued collaborating with Palm and Kuhns to help write HB 6397, “An Act Concerning-Zero Carbon Emissions.”
The legislation would increase Connecticut’s access to federal funds by declaring a climate emergency in the state. The proposal incentivizes Connecticut’s transition to renewable energy sources and creates a Citizens Oversight Working Group to ensure that the state adheres to carbon reduction goals set in the Connecticut Global Warming Solutions Act and the Connecticut Integrated Resources Plan of 2021.
It would also force the state to divest its stocks and securities from any company that receives more than 10% of its revenue from the sale of fossil fuels — a move opposed by State Treasurer Erick Russell.
While municipalities across the country have declared climate emergencies, Hawaii remains the only U.S. state to have done so.
“If we were to pass HB 6397, we would be one of the few states that have taken feasible and tangible action to try to mitigate climate change effects,” Callagy said. “Specifically for the Zero Carbon Emissions , we’re trying to ensure that governments, and specifically Connecticut as a state, is a forefront activist for climate action.”
Callagy said that the accountability piece of the bill is crucial. Read the rest of the article here.