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The green people are back
"Our transit campaign envisions a transit-first, walkable and bikeable future."
Jana Clark at the lectern
Climate change activists were vocal again Wednesday morning (April 8), this time gathering in front of the County Administration Center to promote their goals for a new county climate plan days after asking mayor Kevin Faulconer to fund the city's own ambitious climate goals.
The county officially rescinded its existing climate plan, drafted in 2012, later in the day.
Last year, the county lost its California Supreme Court bid for an appeal to a Sierra Club lawsuit, which argued it contained violations of the California Environmental Quality Act.
A second lawsuit, brought by the Cleveland National Forest Foundation against the San Diego Association of Governments, claiming its own Regional Transit Plan violates the act and gubernatorial executive orders by actually calling for an increase, rather than reduction in pollution, will be heard by high court in the coming months after the governmental organization lost its prior appeal.
Those watching the case closely say it could set a precedent in identifying what rules municipalities in the state must follow in dealing with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
"It's absolutely critical that we begin now to make the shift toward transit-based infill development," said Jana Clark of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation at the Wednesday gathering. "Our transit campaign envisions a transit-first, walkable and bikeable future — and not way into the future, we're talking within the next decade."
Other goals green activists would like to see implemented into the county plan include increased reliance on clean energy sources and energy efficiency, as well as mixed-used development to discourage the need for frequent and lengthy commutes.
"We believe today is an important opportunity for the county to address two critical issues — reducing our energy use and becoming a region with 100 percent clean energy by 2035," offered Climate Action Campaign's Nicole Capretz, who also appeared at Monday's event. "This is the same goal the City of San Diego has in their climate plan, and we're calling on the county to join the city in creating a regional clean energy grid."
The group offered praise for actions already taken by the county, including making solar power easily accessible to residents, taking steps to get its headquarters building LEED-certified for energy efficiency, and for requiring the installation of drought-resistant landscaping at county facilities. Still, the group warned of dire consequences for residents in the absence of swift action.
"Climate change represents a clear and present danger to our public health," said Debra Kelly of the American Lung Association of California. "We all know how bad our air gets when wildfires strike, and we're going to have more fires and more severe ones as climate change intensifies. If you have allergies, they're getting worse...kids with asthma are having a harder time breathing. San Diego County is going to be one of the most severely impacted in the state when it comes to heat."
Above all, advocates say, the most important part of any new climate plan is clearly defined, measurable goals for achieving a reduction in pollution, a component they're imploring county officials to include in any new proposal.
Following the rescission of its former court-rejected plan, the county has yet to establish a time frame for releasing a revised draft version.
Here's something you might be interested in.
The green people are back
"Our transit campaign envisions a transit-first, walkable and bikeable future."
The green people are back
"Our transit campaign envisions a transit-first, walkable and bikeable future."
Jana Clark at the lectern
Climate change activists were vocal again Wednesday morning (April 8), this time gathering in front of the County Administration Center to promote their goals for a new county climate plan days after asking mayor Kevin Faulconer to fund the city's own ambitious climate goals.
The county officially rescinded its existing climate plan, drafted in 2012, later in the day.
Last year, the county lost its California Supreme Court bid for an appeal to a Sierra Club lawsuit, which argued it contained violations of the California Environmental Quality Act.
A second lawsuit, brought by the Cleveland National Forest Foundation against the San Diego Association of Governments, claiming its own Regional Transit Plan violates the act and gubernatorial executive orders by actually calling for an increase, rather than reduction in pollution, will be heard by high court in the coming months after the governmental organization lost its prior appeal.
Those watching the case closely say it could set a precedent in identifying what rules municipalities in the state must follow in dealing with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
"It's absolutely critical that we begin now to make the shift toward transit-based infill development," said Jana Clark of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation at the Wednesday gathering. "Our transit campaign envisions a transit-first, walkable and bikeable future — and not way into the future, we're talking within the next decade."
Other goals green activists would like to see implemented into the county plan include increased reliance on clean energy sources and energy efficiency, as well as mixed-used development to discourage the need for frequent and lengthy commutes.
"We believe today is an important opportunity for the county to address two critical issues — reducing our energy use and becoming a region with 100 percent clean energy by 2035," offered Climate Action Campaign's Nicole Capretz, who also appeared at Monday's event. "This is the same goal the City of San Diego has in their climate plan, and we're calling on the county to join the city in creating a regional clean energy grid."
The group offered praise for actions already taken by the county, including making solar power easily accessible to residents, taking steps to get its headquarters building LEED-certified for energy efficiency, and for requiring the installation of drought-resistant landscaping at county facilities. Still, the group warned of dire consequences for residents in the absence of swift action.
"Climate change represents a clear and present danger to our public health," said Debra Kelly of the American Lung Association of California. "We all know how bad our air gets when wildfires strike, and we're going to have more fires and more severe ones as climate change intensifies. If you have allergies, they're getting worse...kids with asthma are having a harder time breathing. San Diego County is going to be one of the most severely impacted in the state when it comes to heat."
Above all, advocates say, the most important part of any new climate plan is clearly defined, measurable goals for achieving a reduction in pollution, a component they're imploring county officials to include in any new proposal.
Following the rescission of its former court-rejected plan, the county has yet to establish a time frame for releasing a revised draft version.
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