Transcript Borrero - Air Resources Engineering Center

Policy to the People
Global Warming…
Public Understanding, Local Challenges &
Opportunities, Government Response, and
City of Atlanta Supporting Efforts
Presented by:
Luz Borrero, Deputy Chief Operating Officer
City of Atlanta
1
Global Warming
Public Understanding
Is global warming already happening?
Yes
Understanding of global warming
Very well
Fairly well
Not well
U.S.
Canada
Britain
54%
71
65
16
54
30
21
52
27
16
59
25
Gallop Poll (11/8/2005)
2
Global Warming
How Serious Is It?
If nothing is done to reduce global warming
problem will it be for the U.S./world?
Very serious
Somewhat serious
Not so serious
Not at all
No opinion
in the future, how serious a
49%/57%
34/28
10/8
6/5
2/2
Which would you rather see the federal government do: require companies
and individuals to do things to reduce global warming, offer tax cuts to
encourage these things, or do nothing to influence these things?
Require
52%
Encourage
38
Do nothing
8
No opinion
2
ABC NEWS/STANFORD UNIVERSITY/TIME (3/2006)
Global Warming
When Will it Happen?
Do you believe you will see the effects of global climate change in your lifetime?
Yes
61%
No
31
Don’t know/refused
8
In what time frame do you think you will see the effects of global climate change?
30 years from today
5%
20 years from today
9
10 years from today
12
We are already seeing the effects
72
Don’t know/refused
3
ORCAS/Harris Interactive Poll (9/23-26/2005)
4
Local Challenges
and Opportunities
1. Population Growth
•
2.3 million more people by 2030 in the Atlanta Metro Region
•
2030 estimated population of six million
2. Limited funding
3. Lack of comprehensive regional transit plan
4. Lack of sufficient support for existing transit systems (i.e.
MARTA)
5. New, more stringent air quality standards
ORCAS/Harris Interactive Poll (9/23-26/2005)
5
Local Challenges
and Opportunities
1. Most Popular Destination
•
For 10 of 13 counties: Fulton – City of Atlanta
2. Average travel time to work in the region increased 20.2% to
31.2 minutes in 2000
•
4th highest percent change in the nation
3. 2005 smog season ozone level exceeded federal standard:
•
13 days for the eight-hour standard
4. Region is facing implementation of more stringent 8-hour
ozone standard and fine particulate matter standard
6
Government Response…
U.S. Climate Change Agreement
Agreement strives to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global
warming pollution by taking actions including:
• Promoting transportation options
• Adopting and enforcing land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve
green and open space, and create dense, walkable urban communities
• Making energy efficiency a priority
• Practicing and promoting sustainable building practices
• Increasing recycling rates
• Helping educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional
associations, business and industry about importance of reducing global
warming pollution
Mayor Shirley Franklin signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Change Agreement May
2005
As of April 28, 2006, 227 mayors from 40 states representing a total population
of over 44 million citizens had signed the agreement
Government Response…
Models
• Charlotte, North Carolina is converting its municipal fleet to hybrid
cars
• Salt Lake City is upgrading its traffic lights with more efficient bulbs,
saving 500 tons of heat trapping gas, and over $50,000 a year on the
city's energy bill
• In Twin Falls, Idaho local officials are making the city's 11 schools
more energy efficient and saving $3.5 million in the process
• Examples of Cities investing in renewable energy include:
• In Waverly, Iowa the local utility is paying farmers to install wind
turbines on their land
• Fort Collins, Colorado has committed to meeting 15% of its energy
needs with renewable sources by 2017, mainly with wind power
• The San Diego Unified School District is replacing the roofs on
many of its buildings with solar roofing material. The district
anticipates $6.9 million in total cost-savings over 20 years
City of Atlanta…
Supporting Efforts
•Promote transportation and transit options
• Supports Marta financially
• Partner with Clean Air Campaign; Gold Member since 1998
• Beltline will connect neighborhoods, activity centers and attractions by way of multi-use
trails and transit
•Adopt and enforce land-use policies to reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and
create denser, walkable urban communities
• $105M Opportunity Bond Program to acquire land for new recreation amenities and
infrastructure improvements, greenspace, and construction of trails
•Make energy efficiency a priority
• Energy Audit of City Facilities: Conservation Program created $500,000 savings from indepth electricity rate analysis
•Promote sustainable building practices
• Sustainability Ordinance: Promotes environmental stewardship and green building practices
• Xeriscape roof-top garden installed at City Hall
•Increase recycling rates
• Charter member of ATLanta Recycles
• Provides curbside recycling to 87,000 residences
•Educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions..
• Worked with students and teachers to create butterfly gardens
• Provided educational sessions for high school students on clean water and healthy streams
Conclusion…
•
Local Governments represent a concentration of resources and have great potential to be
change agents by encouraging innovative and sustainable practices
•
Local Governments have fewer barriers to developing environmental policy compared to
other levels of government
•
The Cities for Climate Protection Program was set up in 1993 by the International Council for
Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) to provide local governments with a framework for
developing a strategic agenda on how to address climate change. So far 623 cities from all
over the world have joined the program representing 8% of the greenhouse emissions
globally
•
As of April 6, 2006 224 US Mayors from 39 states representing a total population of
43.9 million citizens have signed the US Climate Protection Agreement to enact
policies and programs to meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels
to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012,
•
The agreement includes efforts to reduce the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels and
accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and fuel-efficient
technologies such as:
•
Energy conservation
•
Methane recovery for energy generation
•
Waste to energy
•
Wind and solar energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehicles, and biofuels.
10