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No matter what President Trump does, states have a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. [Comin' in Hot]( [View Online]( You've reached the limit FACT: California's air would contain 15 percent more pollutants in 2020 than it does today if it weren't for Cap and Trade, which limits carbon emissions. -[California Environmental Protection Agency]( [fb]( [tw]( So, this happened. The Trump Administration has spent much of this year exiting the [Paris Climate Agreement]( and repealing environmental regulations like [clean power]( and [clean water rules](. But that hasn't stopped many cities and states across the country from fighting climate change and making real progress with a solution that's supported by both Democrats and Republicans. Cap and Trade programs, which put a limit on the amount of carbon that can be released, a percentage of which emitters than bid for in auctions, have been particularly successful in the northeast, as well as California. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the cap and trade compact including the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, [has so far been a success]( lowering emissions without adversely impacting the economy or increasing energy rates. Because of the RGGI, carbon emissions are down 37 percent since 2008 across the region. Governors in the region, including five Republicans are coming together to explore how to reduce carbon emissions even further. A big part of that would be adding more states to the agreement, known by its abbreviation RGGI. [New Jersey]( and [Virginia]( look increasingly likely to enter the RGGI in the coming years, as 2017 candidates for governor in both races support entering the pact. The west coast has been active in promoting Cap and Trade as well. California is doubling down on its plan, as Gov. Jerry Brown reached a bipartisan agreement last week to extend that state's plan until 2030. A bill to create a program [advanced through a state senate committee in Oregon in April]( and is still under debate. The program aims to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Even some Washington Republicans are coming out in favor of taxing carbon, calling it the "[conservative climate solution]( because it is what they consider to be based on "free market principles." So what does this mean for our energy bills and the air we breathe? Why you should care... Cleaner air: In a sign of the California program's success at cutting emissions, only 11 percent of the available carbon cap-waiver permits were sold last year, meaning companies are releasing less carbon. Cap and trade results in less carbon emissions. That means cleaner air, [which means less illnesses like asthma and heart disease.]( "We've reduced greenhouse gases so much that businesses don't need all the available allowances," Frank Wolak, an energy economist at Stanford, [told the Los Angeles Times](. Your electric bills aren't going up as many predicted: In the states covered by the RGGI, electricity costs [have fallen 3.4 percent since the cap and trade bill has taken effect](. That's not all to do with renewable energy—cheap natural gas from fracking helped lower prices. Even still, it shows that the cap and trade program hasn't resulted in massive energy bill increases that [many predicted](. ...and what you can do. With one minute: How clean is your region’s electricity? Find out with [Environmental Defense Fund and tell your power utility]( that you want cleaner, healthier, and safer energy now. Brewin' elsewhere. - Environment: The United Kingdom is dealing with an air pollution crisis causing between 20,000 and 40,000 premature deaths per year. To help combat the problem, the transportation secretary announced a plan to [phase out and ban all new diesel and gas powered cars by 2040.]( - Human rights and social justice: In a series of Tweets earlier this week, President Trump announced that he was planning to [ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military](. By Thursday, however, the country's highest military officer, Gen. Joseph Dunford, said they are still allowed to serve. - Health: Arizona Senator John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, was one of three Republican senators to vote against a "skinny repeal" of Obamacare. The [measure died late Thursday night on a vote of 49-51]( with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declaring that it was "time to move on," from the health care issue. - Education: Expanding "school choice" has been at the center of the Trump Administration's education agenda. [The NAACP is against the plan]( saying that it won't help improve inadequate education. They argue for more charter school regulation, a ban on for-profit charters and more funding for traditional public schools. - Culture: Confederate, a new HBO show by the creators of Game of Thrones has received backlash because it depicts a world in which the [southern, slave-owning states successfully seceded from the union](. Many are concerned that the show could romanticize the confederacy. [AIS]( In Theaters Today! Want to know what you can do to help solve the climate change crisis? Join our partners in taking action. [AIS]( Stay up to date with the latest news and actions you can take regarding climate change, by [joining the "An Inconvenient Sequel" community]( on Facebook or take even more actions at [InconvenientSequel.com](. (Our To Do list is now clickable! Go ahead, try it!) [Participant To Do List] [Participant To Do List]( [Participant To Do List]( [Participant To Do List]( [Participant To Do List]( [Participant To Do List] Like this email? [Forward to a friend](mailto:?subject=FW: You've reached the limit&body=I was reading this newsletter from Participant and thought you would enjoy it as well.%0A%0ANo matter what President Trump does, states have a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. %0A%0ARead more: or share on [Facebook]( or [Twitter](. Feedback? Reply and let us know what you think. [participant media]( [Participant Media]( is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. 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