The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Legislation was passed in April 2006 that required Maryland to join the RGGI cooperative by June 2007. The Healthy Air Act legislation set the stage for Mayland to institute a mandatory cap and trade system for global warming pollution emitted from power plants. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative requires carbon dioxide emissions to be stabilized by 2015, with a 10% reduction by 2019, and eventually achieve sharp reductions in all greenhouse gases.

Other states under the program are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are observing the process and are likely to join in the future.

www.nwf.org/globalwarming