KY Could Join Climate Registry

Rep. Rob Wilkey, D-Scottsville and Majority Whip, introduced legislationin the House on Tuesday that would require state government to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The bill also calls for Kentucky to join the nationwide (and potentially global) Climate Registry. It's a collaboration of states, tribes, and other entities aimed at tracking and reporting greenhouse gases (GHGs for short). It's not a government agency or policy advocate, but the registry's founders are trying to unify several disparate reporting registries, establish commonly accepted ways of measuring GHGs, and perhaps be ahead of the curve should climate change legislation arise. It's been around for just barely a year. So far, 39 states have signed on. Kentucky and two of its neighbors, Indiana and W. Virginia, have not.If Rep. Wilkey's bill is signed into law, Kentucky would pay a modest annual membership fee, and have bi-annual reporting deadlines. Independent "verifiers" would double check that self-reporting. Registries like this one don't reduce GHGs. But becoming more aware of what's going into our atmosphere could lead to more efforts to curb it