Editorial: On Earth Day, we express gratitude for what we share

As the world turns its attention to the environment we share on this Earth Day, the tide of public opinion is turning toward decisive climate action. Statewide carbon-neutral goals, emerging carbon credit markets and incentive programs for renewable energies are quickly becoming the new reality.

In fact, there are even signs of a bipartisan willingness to fight climate change, even as there remain serious differences about how to go about it. Seventy-two percent of Americans now acknowledge the phenomenon, and 60% recognize that humans are the primary cause, according to Yale opinion polls from last year.

This public shift has set the stage for public policies like Gov. Josh Shapiro’s latest energy plan. The ambitious proposal, built from collaborations among politicians, industries, activists, and union tradespeople, gives emerging technologies a fair shot, supports the creation of renewable energy and fully embraces a “both/and” approach to one of our era’s most complex problems.