By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | More dangerously hot days are predicted for much of the Southeast, including South Carolina, according to a 2019 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
To learn more about how South Carolina and the Southeast could be affected by climate change, a webinar is being held 1 p.m. Aug. 27 by the Southeastern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and the Union of Concerned Scientists. More info.
Ahead of the webinar, Statehouse Report reached out to SACE S.C. liaison Chris Carnevale of Charleston for a brief Q&A.
Q: Why does this report matter to South Carolina?
Carnevale: “The report matters because it points out that without mitigative action, global warming is expected to greatly increase the number of dangerously hot days in South Carolina, effectively lowering our quality of life, damaging our economy — particularly as days are too hot for outdoor work, and posing serious health risks to South Carolinians. The report also shows that with committed action to reduce pollution that causes global warming, the worst effects are largely avoidable.”
Q: Why should S.C. lawmakers listen in?
Carnevale: “S.C. lawmakers should listen in to learn about the increasing risk of extreme heat in our state, what the impacts of the heat are, and what can be done to avoid the worst impacts.”
Q: What is South Carolina getting right, right now, on climate change?
Carnevale: “Our economy is at an incredible point in time when the lowest cost energy sources are also the best for the environment. With the dramatic cost reductions in solar and wind energy in recent years, they now beat coal and even natural gas on price and most certainly beat them on the environmental benefits. South Carolina has made tremendous progress in recent years in beginning to capture the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy and much more progress is yet to come with the implementation of the Energy Freedom Act, passed into law this year. This momentum will serve as a solid foundation for building a 21st century energy system.”
Q: What are some examples of things being done now in other states that South Carolina should consider?
Carnevale: “South Carolina does not have a state strategy to address climate change, let alone even have work underway to gain a comprehensive understanding of what the impacts to our state are. Republican and Democratic leaders around the Southeast are taking important steps that can serve as models: Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis just hired a Chief Resilience Officer for the state to prepare for the “environmental, physical and economic impacts of sea level rise” while North Carolina Democratic Gov.Roy Cooper issued an executive order committing the state to reduce climate pollution and adopting clean energy, which is resulting in an overarching state clean energy plan. It’s also critically important to understand that local governments can do a lot to address climate change, regardless of what actions the state or federal government take. For example, Columbia has committed to transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy while Charleston and Anderson have climate pollution reduction goals.”
In other news:
S.C. teachers average 46 unpaid workdays per year, survey says. A survey by grassroots teacher group SCforEd says teachers are working an average of 46 unpaid days each year, with 92 percent of teachers saying they worked on weekends. According to a press release from the organization, the most common types of work that teachers reported doing on weekends were lesson planning and grading. Over the summer break, teachers reported spending time on lesson planning, cleaning and organizing their classrooms, as well as participating in professional development and training. Nearly 60 percent of teachers said they had a second job. The percent of second-job holders increases in some affluent school districts, like Anderson 2 at more than 75 percent and Lexington 2 at more than 80 percent, while several small, rural school districts like Dillon and Greenwood 52 reported 100 percent of respondents with second jobs.
Eleven S.C. communities use fines to makeup 10 percent of revenue. A new report by Governing, a magazine covering state and local government policies, has found that 11 South Carolina small towns see more than 10 percent of their general fund revenues coming from levying fines such as traffic tickets. One of those small towns, Jamestown in Berkeley County, gets more than 64 percent of its revenue from fines — the highest in the state. Read more.
Floodwater Commission convenes Monday. The S.C. Floodwater Commission will have its third quarter meeting with public input meeting Aug. 26 at Cheraw State Park. More info.
Updated SCVotes.org site launched. A new look will greet potential voters at the state’s Election Commission website. The commission says the site is more secure and more accessible. See it here.
High accolades for top tourism director in S.C. Duane Parrish of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has been named national State Tourism Director of the Year for 2019 by the U.S. Travel Association.
2020 candidate calendar
Throughout the campaign season, we are working to keep South Carolina informed of candidate events in the state. Have an event you want us to know about? Email us at 2020news@statehousereport.com.
Pence, Sanford to attend GOP barbecue. U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan’s Faith and Freedom Barbecue in Anderson will feature a keynote speech from Vice President Mike Pence. The event is 6 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center. Former S.C. congressman and governor Mark Sanford, who is mulling a Republican primary challenge of President Donald Trump, will also attend. More info. Pence will also speak at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Sargent Metal Fabricators on Airport Road in Anderson. More info. The Democratic campaigns for former Vice President Joe Biden and one of his chief primary opponents California Sen. Kamala Harris will hold counter-events to Pence’s visit. More info.
Sanford heads to Iowa. Former Republican Gov. Mark Sanford will head to Iowa next week as he continues to explore his presidential bid. He will be in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 28.
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