City Tackles Climate Change (28. October 2007, 13:25 by Whitney) ~ Be Green!
Last Thursday the City hosted “An Inconvenient Talk” for its day of Climate Action. Oceanographers Gary Lagerloef and Jonathan Lilly of Earth and Space Research, presented a very engaging discussion of climate change.
Mr. Lilly started the evening off with humor and explained how scientists only agree on three things, 1. My idea is better than yours, 2. The climate is getting warmer, and 3. The world is round (mostly). Mr. Lagerloef got into the gritty science of climate change and how the data is processed to come to these conclusions. It was very similar to Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” but more local and accessible.
The evening also featured Mayor Baarsma speaking about the city’s efforts to combat climate change after he signed the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. A key component was the formation of the Green Ribbon Task Force. It’s purpose is to create recommendations for the city to meet the standards of the Agreement. Ryan Mello, co-chair of the task force, was on hand to discuss their work. Several local environmental groups were also on hand.
The Green Ribbon Task Force will be unveiling their recommendations for public review in February and March. We’ll keep you posted as their town hall meetings get announced.
In the mean time, the Task Force meets on the third Monday of each month, and all meetings have a public comment period. The next one is on November 19.
When & Where
November 19, 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Fleet Operations Building
3639 S Pine St, Suite A
Commenting Is Closed
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Nice to see a focus on global warming.
However, no amount of biofuels, Prius driving, or other efforts are going to have anywhere near the effect of people living near they work in a more compact living environment.
From New Urban News:
At least three published studies in recent years have shown that new urban site design reduces vehicle trips and/or VMT by 20 percent or more. With the right infill location and transit access, even greater reductions are likely, the authors note. Shifting 60 percent of new growth to compact development by 2030 would have the same benefit as a 28 percent increase in US fuel efficiency, they estimate. If combined, these policies would produce an even greater benefit.
Here is Kuntler’s rant about a similar issue : the end of oil
Contrary to what a lot of utopian Democrats wish, it will never be prime-time for ethanol, bio-diesel, hydrogen, or twenty other nominees as replacements for gasoline — at least not the way we run things now. Driving a Prius might induce raptures of eco-moral superiority, but changing the zoning laws would produce a better outcome — and that’s just too hard.
It would be nice if the Democrats put forward some concrete policy ideas for moving this society away from extreme car dependence and continued suburban sprawl-building — for instance, a federal project to repair the passenger rail system that was once the envy of the world and is now so “****ed” up that the Bolivians would be ashamed of it
Speaking of Global warming.
Here’s Al Gore’s talk at TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference on global warming. He’s actually pretty funny and mocks himself while discussing global warming.
More information on the Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force is posted on the City’s Web site at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/greenribbon.
4 | Posted by Lorna Sutton | Oct 29, 01:11 PM
(I can’t believe I’m beating Erik B. to this…) If the city cares about reducing its carbon footprint as it grows, it will get rid of the parking requirement for new buildings.
5 | Posted by michael g. | Oct 29, 09:50 PM
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