Not in a Bind

Mayoral climate-protecting agreement hasn't necessarily translated into action

Posted at 12:44 PM on 11 Jan 2008

Mayors across the country have signed onto the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, a nonbinding initiative encouraging city leaders to meet or beat the greenhouse-gas reductions outlined in the U.S.-shunned Kyoto Protocol. So about that nonbinding part: While some city officials have taken concrete steps to reduce emissions, others haven't followed through at all. "I remember at the time I thought it was a good idea," says Vista, Calif., Mayor Morris Vance, who asked city staff to "come back with some recommendations" that have not yet emerged. Jim Janney, mayor of nearby Imperial Beach, says "It's not like we've ignored it completely, but we haven't pushed real hard." Many mayors plead tight budgets as a constraint to climate action. Mayor Mary Sessom of Lemon Grove, Calif., who didn't sign on to the agreement, tells the unfortunate truth: "Signing a piece of paper doesn't mean we intend to do anything about climate change."

source: Voices of San Diego

ADVERTISING POLICY

Comments: (2 comments)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Once Again ...

money and business are prioritized over the environment. I suppose there's a slight possibility that humans will change their ways before it's too late, but it's certainly not likely.

BTW, any mayor who wants to do something significant about global warming can simply do what's being done in places like London: place a significant tax on private motor vehicles that enter the center of their cities. Traffic in London has decreased dramatically since the tax. Of course, banning all private motor vehicles from all cities would be far more sane and produce far better results, but the tax is a good first step.

by Wolverine at 1:10 PM on 11 Jan 2008

replicate programs

Cities could create self-sustained programs that reduce emissions in there town and then make the program details available to other cities who might then replicate that program.

For instance, the program coming online here in Berkeley to give loans to homeowners for solar panels and have their payments be the same price as their previous energy bills.

carbonsnumber.blogspot.com

by danielbell at 2:22 PM on 11 Jan 2008

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?