http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WnxiSuPkz2c/SBKabzlAxvI/AAAAAAAAANY/JMFaOXS2YGI/S660/2007+Jan+18+Entering+Broward+County.JPGBroward County Commission in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has a meeting tonight, May 4, 2010, to vote on the passing of an action plan, the “Broward Climate Change Action Plan-Addressing our Changing Climate” in a local fight against global warming. In 2008, the Commission set up a climate-change task force, where scientists, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, and county members came up with realistic ways of dealing with climate change. The task force was responsible for writing the action plan for commission consideration, which addresses how to prepare for effects of global warming that cannot be stopped and how the county can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Some other concerns brought into the air are: to establish an Office of Sustainability to watch over global climate change efforts, to plant trees and shrubs and to encourage others to do the same to help absorb the carbon dioxide, to build structures that reduce beach erosion and to keep up with beach renourishment, to give financial incentives for homeowners when they install renewable energy and conservation improvements, and to pursue regional efforts with surrounding counties to work together on issues of global climate change. Another big section speaks about underground water supplies and how they should develop alternative water supplies and even constructing advanced water-treatment plants.
http://www.broward.org/ClimateChange/PublishingImages/c3_logo.jpg
The issue with all of these smart ideas would be the amount of money it would require to pull all of the plans off to help reduce global climate change in one area. Many people do not want taxes to be raised in order to make these new rules happen; however, I feel like it must be done. People need to start realizing what is at stake here: our lives, our children’s’ lives, the future of the planet, and all of the organisms on it. It may take more money than they realize, but it has to be done. Many of the plans for Broward County are realistic though and they consider the budget constraints. Even the EPA has realized that people just do not want to deal with climate change due to the great amounts of money and the possible negative effects on their economies. Economic analyses have been done to estimate the economic and environmental effects of possible climate change programs. More counties and regions need to step on board and try to figure out what can be done to help slow down and maybe even stop global climate change.
Yes, it is a great idea to plan for climate change locally. Right here in Blacksburg we have town council members as well as Virginia Tech representatives working on this problem. In March 2008, Blacksburg adopted their own Community Climate Action Plan and VT also has a Climate Action Commitment and Sustainability Plan (VTCAC&SP). You can even track the university's progress on their website: www.facilities.vt.edu/sustainability. They have a spreadsheet organized by different categories that explains the different sustainable objectives they want to implement as well as a contact person for each project. So far, I think our town is doing a pretty good job at addressing these climate issues, however spreading the word and getting involved with these projects is crucial to the success of the program.
ReplyDeleteI agree that what Broward county is doing is very positive. Blacksburg may be on the same path with their climate plan. Virginia Tech has it's own climate action plan that was discussed at the roundtable at the 4/20 discussion. However, we are a University that has the means for these goals becoming a reality. Members of Sustainable Blacksburg, the town Council, and massive student involvement all help support these goals. However, there are many counties that simply do not have the means for new policies. For example, many sources of major pollution are urban, inner cities. However, the main goals of these cities are to reduce crime and violence. They do not have money/time to consider new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. This is not to say that these officials don't want to, i'm sure they do. I also realize that while there are many counties that cannot make these goals a reality, there are many that can. My hometown, for example, has just put in a small wind turbine farm. Money is the main concern regarding the environment. I think by 2010, the majority of the public realizes that we need to take care of the environment for future generations. However, if this requires an increase in taxes, as stated in the post, people don't want to do it. People always say that we need to help the environment before the impact of humanity damages it infinitely. And yet people still refuse to pay any money. There is a conflict of interest and I don't see it resolved any time soon.
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