By Rebecca Franke
Often slipping by with too little notice, communities throughout the world, including here in California, are declaring climate emergencies. They recognize that waiting for national governments to take the lead isn't sufficient. And coasting along with "someday, not now" nonchalance no longer cuts it. We've reached the point where "climate change" is not an accurate description of our situation and only obscures the fact that all life on this planet is already on the receiving end today of a destabilized climate.
Thankfully, we still have time to mobilize and accelerate local and regional support for comprehensive, immediate, and sustained action to help limit the worst impacts of a global temperature increase of 1.5°C (2.7°F). That is what's driving cities inside and outside the Bay Area to declare climate emergencies; cities which include San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Davis, and Chico. Los Angeles skipped a resolution, and moved to create the "Climate Emergency Mobilization Department" to coordinate climate action across the city.
While declaring a climate emergency is an extraordinary step, your help is needed to turn such declarations into action; here’s what you can do:
- Share your sense of urgency with others, especially your elected officials. Instead of accepting the notion that it will take decades to make a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gases, urge city officials to look at how to mobilize departments, staff, resources, programs, regulatory legislation, incentives, and constituent/community participation to implement solutions beginning right now…this year!
- Ask elected officials to immediately review climate action plans, zeroing in on high impact actions. Buildings and transportation are the top producers of greenhouse gases in California, offering the highest payback for investment in mitigation.
- Look at the actions other cities are undertaking as possible models to replicate locally. Great ideas are sprouting throughout California, in other states, and around the world. For instance, in 2017 San Francisco became the first U.S. city to mandate solar and living roofs on most new construction. Buffalo, New York was the first major U.S. city to eliminate a minimum number of parking spaces for new residential and commercial developments citywide. And Copenhagen, Denmark is aiming to be the first major city to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutrality by 2025.
- Work across political boundaries with your neighbors, other cities, and regional agencies to move more quickly to address the climate crisis. For example, environmental groups, including the Sierra Club's SF Bay Chapter, are joining together to organize a Climate Emergency Mobilization Summit for this Fall. It will bring together municipalities and regulatory bodies across the nine Bay Area counties to advocate for specific policies and explicit commitments to transition as quickly as possible from fossil fuels.
- Ask your city council member or elected representative what they are doing to respond to our climate emergency. If your city has passed a declaration, now's the time to get involved in its implementation. If your city hasn't done so, then it's time to meet with your council person to begin the process. The SF Bay Chapter has put together a one-stop source of information. Here you can find additional background on the climate emergency, sample resolutions, and a downloadable spreadsheet full of best practices for reducing greenhouse gases. Which ones could you take to your city government?
The Climate Emergency Mobilization Summit presents yet another way to become involved, working with your elected officials and staff to ensure your city is well represented. Volunteer for any of the many activities which go with moving your local government from a “business as usual” focus to a true sense of emergency. Watch this space for further details on the Summit and consider attending meetings of the Energy & Climate Change Committee to remain current on the planning for this event and on the many additional activities in which Committee volunteers are involved.
Sign Up To Volunteer:
Register your interest in helping out on the Climate Emergency Mobilization Summit and other climate emergency work at bit.ly/ClimateEmergencyVolunteer and we’ll get back to you with volunteer opportunities.
Photo: Courtesy Takver via Flickr Creative Commons.