By Greg Harman
If there was any question as to what “America First” meant when it came to the subject of climate change, the world got its thumb-in-the-eye answer on June 1 when Trump announced plans to extricate the United States from the hard-won Paris Accord, a voluntary agreement in which 200 nations committed to solve the global climate crisis together. The afternoon of that announcement, concerned San Antonians started making calls. “Is there a protest tonight?” “Is anyone going downtown?” As with people all over the world, residents of the nation's seventh largest city were in distress. Trump had already paved over years of indigenous resistance at Standing Rock and flipped the switch on Energy Transfer Partner's Dakota Access pipeline, revived the the previously defeated Keystone XL,, and appointed a raft of climate deniers to key posts across the new administration. But this announcement was the signal the nation needed to rally. Cities across the country went into rapid response. To Trump's message that we represented “Pittsburgh not Paris,” the people of Pittsburgh shot back, hoisting signs that read “Pittsburgh AND Paris.” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced on June 2 that his city would continue to honor the vision of the Paris Agreement and announced plans to move to 100 renewable energy by 2035. Like wildfire, mayors across the nation followed suit. In Texas, the mayors of Dallas, Austin, and Houston took action and joined the movement, that has to-date gained support from more than 300 U.S. cities.
In San Antonio, two mayoral candidates caught in a tight runoff election—incumbent Ivy Taylor and challenger, then councilmember Ron Nirenberg, were reluctant to come on board. But on the day that the Sierra Club helped launch what became a three-week campaign to get the city on board, Nirenberg shifted his stance—news that was read to the gathering outside city council chambers by long-time Alamo Sierra Club volunteer Russell Seal. In a matter of 48 hours the movement for climate justice in San Antonio had rallied more than two dozen organizations representing local labor, justice, business, environmental, and indigenous groups. Representatives of the faith community soon followed. We rallied around two demands:
1. The San Antonio mayor join the mayors of Houston, Dallas, and Austin—and nearly 300 of their colleagues from around the country—in committing to adopt, honor, and uphold the the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement, a pledge by nearly 200 nations to work together to avert climate catastrophe.
2. Our mayor and city council commit to fund and help develop a community-led Climate Action Plan that works with our residents, advancing their interests—particularly those who face the most threat from rising temperatures and extreme weather—and to put our city on a path to 100-percent renewable power ASAP.
The Votes Are In
New Mayor Nirenberg bravely placed the resolution up for a full vote on the new council's first agenda. The resolution was supported by Treviño (D1), Shaw (D2), Viagran (D3), Saldaña (D4), Gonzales (D5), Sandoval (D7), and Courage (D9). District 10's Clayton Perry voted to table the item until August, saying that in all his campaigning, no one had approached him with any climate-related concerns. District 6's Brockhouse immediately seconded Perry's motion, but the effort was overruled. After objecting to what he described as a lack of consultation on the matter, Brockhouse fell in line behind the rest of the body. District 8's Peláez was not present for the vote.
The resolution, which required exactly eight affirmative votes, calls broadly on the city to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and “joins other U.S. cities in the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda network in adopting and supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement.” It further commits San Antonio “to exploring the potential benefits and costs of adopting policies and programs that promote the long-term goal of greenhouse gas emissions reduction while maximizing economic and social co-benefits of such action.”
The People Are The Victors
When victory came on Thursday, June 22, 2017, our coalition of climate change had an impressively diverse constellation of interests, with many organizations allied that have not traditionally organized together. That in itself is a huge win. The expectations in this city for our council are high. The enthusiasm generated by this win is palpable. And we expect to see quick movement toward the creation of a climate action later this summer. The world can not wait.
With deep respect to the people of San Antonio and the elected leaders who answer to you, here is a current list of those who have come out in support of the campaign for climate justice in San Anto:
Kalpulli Ameyaltonal Tejaztlan
Sierra Club (Alamo and Lone Star Chapter)
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
Stone in the Stream/Roca en el Rio
Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance
American Indian Movement, C-TX
Pro-Immigrant Coalition/Coalicion Pro-Inmigrante
Martinez Street Women’s Center
Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence