Coalition takes aim at emissions

In contrast to the South Carolina lawmakers who went to Washington last week to oppose taxes on carbon emissions, the Save the Lowcountry Campaign has rolled out billboard ads and a Web site aimed at convincing people the region will suffer tremendously if greenhouse gas emissions aren't sharply reduced.

The coalition's warnings about climate change, though dire, mirror widely accepted scientific findings about rising sea levels, habitat loss and coastal erosion resulting from climate change caused by human activities.

"This effort is to get people who live in the Lowcountry to become more aware of it, and get them to speak out to their congressional members," said Kenya V. Bryant, a public relations manager hired by the coalition.

"We're going to be doing some outreach with our congressional members throughout the year."

The coalition warns that the sea level could rise 19 inches this century because of climate change, the same estimate long used by the EPA. The sea level at Charleston rose 9 inches during the last century.

While the consortium wants to see federal action to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, a delegation of South Carolina lawmakers went to Washington last week to argue that the state needs more coal-fired electric plants and that carbon caps or taxes would unfairly harm state residents.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, a Charleston Republican, and five legislators who accompanied him delivered a report to the congressional delegation that says almost two-thirds of South Carolinians rely on coal for power and that South Carolinians have lower incomes than people in most other states.

"Putting a price on carbon will raise the price of electricity, there's no doubt about that, but you can offset that with efficiency and conservation," said Steve Moore, director of climate and energy at the Wildlife Federation in South Carolina. "In California they pay about twice as much for electricity, but they use half as much."

He also said that if Congress taxes carbon emissions, some money could be used to help those with low incomes to pay higher power bills.

The coalition includes: Audubon South Carolina, Carolina Climate Network, Conservation Voters of South Carolina, Kitchen Table Climate Study Group, PEW Environment Group, SC Association of Community Development Corporations, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.