Alan Journet Ph.D.
Cofacilitator
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
7113 Griffin Lane
Jacksonville
OR 97530-9342
alan@socan.eco
541-301-4107
To: Chad Woodward,
Mayor Tonya Graham,
Councilor Gina Duquenne,
Councilor Bob Kaplan,
Councilor Jeff Dahle,
Councilor Paula Hyatt
Councilor Dylan Bloom,
Councilor Eric Hansen ,
Bryan Sohl,
Colleagues:
I write today as cofacilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now, an organization of some 2,000 southern Oregonians, many of whom live in Ashland, to encourage the Ashland city council to take action promptly on The Climate & Clean Air Policy Package. The Ashland Climate and Energy Action Plan, in the development of which SOCAN was actively engaged, passed the council in 2017. Regrettably, since then little has been done to achieve the timeline of emissions reductions established in that proposal. As many may recall, youth from Ashland High School were instrumental not only in engaging on the committee that developed the CEAP, but also in attending council meetings time and again to encourage the council to pass the proposal. Now, some seven years later, members of another generation of Ashland Youth have assumed the mantle and have collaborated as Ashland Youth for Electrification to encourage the city council to take steps that would actualize components of the 2017 CEAP. This effort has been underway for many months; it is high time that the city acted.
We know that addressing the climate crisis is an imperative exceeded by no other. We are seriously in danger of creating a climate that does not support our natural ecosystems, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries by the end of this century. By extension, we should be able to see that Homo sapiens ourselves are at risk. Whie the actions of Ashland alone will not divert the trajectory we are currently following, every jurisdiction across the planet is implicated in the need to act. If we do not take action to contribute our share to resolving this crisis, we lose all credibility and moral authority to urge others to act. This means that each of us individually, professionally, and through our volunteer public engagement has a responsibility to do whatever we can to further the collective drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote carbon sequestration. This means reducing our fossil fuel use. Members of elected bodies have a particularly profound responsibility to consider climate change in every decision they make. This means
- promoting programs and policies that will reduce emissions,
and - considering the impact of every proposal that comes before them on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration.
In relation to the package under consideration, I note that:
- NOx emissions are responsible for aggravating asthma in occupants of buildings employing methane pollution (formerly and commonly known as natural gas),
- While it is probably inappropriate to prevent builders and potential home buyers from ignoring the health and climate consequences of including methane pollution in their energy mix, it is entirely reasonable to impose an additional charge on those wishing to behave irresponsibly by including methane pollution in their buildings,
- Since rights of way represent public easements, it is entirely reasonable for the council, acting on behalf of the residents, to preclude the future use of these easements for energy sources that are contributing to global warming and the climate change consequences of general warming, heat waves, reducing high elevation snowpack, increased drought risk, increased wildfire risk,
- Since Ashland, through the provisions of the CEAP, has a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is entirely reasonable for the city to promote policies that address the emissions of green house gases in existing homes and commercial buildings in addition to addressing new construction.
In closing, I wish to remind council members of my earlier encouragement: ‘…each of us individually, professionally, and through our volunteer public engagement has a responsibility to do whatever we can to further the collective drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions’
Please take whatever steps are necessary to approve The Climate & Clean Air Policy Package.
Respectfully submitted
Alan Journet
