Josh Mogerman's Blog
Chicago Climate Action Plan: Keeping me in the Windy City
September 24, 2008
Posted by Josh Mogerman in Solving Global Warming
OK, let's be clear. I love my city. And with that love comes a grudging acceptance of Chicago's weather quirks---blizzards, heat waves, and everything in between.
So, call me a booster, but I am extremely proud of the city's new effort to protect our uniquely Midwestern meteorological identity. The Chicago Climate Action Plan was released last week, outlining the aggressive CO2 reductions and infrastructure changes that the city feels are essential if we are going to beat climate change.
I think the narrative of the plan is remarkable.
What does climate change mean in an urban center far from rising coastlines and melting glaciers? In the case of Chicago, it is the addition of up to 30 days of 90+ degree temperatures---and with appropriate Chicago pragmatism, the costs incurred by the city are outlined, along with the financial impacts of erratic and violent weather and shifting growing zones. It shows in a very concrete fashion what the roll of cities must be in addressing climate change.
I was particularly struck by a section of the Mayor's introduction in the document:
In Chicago we have long appreciated that cities are no longer the enemies of the natural environment; rather they're leading the way in preserving and protecting it. Since I have been mayor, my goal has been to make Chicago a shining example of how a large city can live in harmony with its environment and as a result, be a better place for all its residents. I am confident that if we address the climate change challenge together, with creativity and boldness, then our city will continue to lead the world in designing a path to a more secure future.
The plan goes on to show how the specter of climate change makes cities more important than ever. The density of a place like Chicago makes the efficiencies in transit, energy delivery, and large buildings a potential treasure trove of saved energy and emissions. And that is the power of this plan---it is Kaid's blog come to life. Improve the trains and bus service so that we can get some of the cars off the road. Aggressively retrofit buildings to make them more energy efficient to eliminate some of the emissions from power generation (I hope to blog a bit about the Clinton Foundation-funded retrofits of the Sears Tower and Merchandise Mart pretty soon). Use the energy resources that are out there in solar and wind. Those are all in the plan---which reads a lot like the McKinsey Report that NRDC has been widely disseminating as a national plan to deal with the same issues.
Cities are where the rubber meets the road. And as this plan shows, municipal governments can make substantial impacts while also making their towns a better place to live. Can we really make a difference by changing building codes and throwing solar panels around? This plan says, "yes."
Chicago, and Mayor Daley in particular, have been criticized for green washing the city; investing in big visible projects like the green roof on city hall that give cover for broader problems. But let's be clear, this plan is substantial and well-thought out with the sort of detailed focus on infrastructure that the policy folks here at NRDC love. Kudos to the mayor and his Chief Environmental Officer Sadhu Johnston---the document is not perfect, but it is aggressive and smart.
Certainly, there are problems and curious gaps. With its aggressive goals, why doesn't the City target expedited closure of the antiquated, polluting Crawford and Fisk coal power plants that have been belching filth in our air since Sam Insull sited them in the early 1900's? Regulatory changes on mercury pollution MAY shutter the plants by 2018---but that is too long to wait. The plan should have sent a more aggressive signal that we are going to address climate change, by addressing all the root causes---particularly the major sources of climate pollution.
Important gaps aside, the City's plan is a solid, important commitment.
I love this city. Sure there is crime. The winters are a drag. The Chicago River is an embarrassment, with all of its un-disinfected sewage...and lately the Bears have been too...
But I just can't see moving anywhere else. Yet, as the plan notes, if we do not get things under control quickly, Chicago's climate will change dramatically---feeling a lot more like Baton Rouge. Nothing against Louisiana, but that's just not what I signed up for---so I thank the mayor for his leadership and aggressive action. Hopefully it works so that I don't have to head for Manitoba to enjoy the glorious Midwestern fall season.
(bookmark or email this entry)
- Josh Mogerman
- Senior Media Associate
- Chicago
- Three things are pretty central to my hometown, Springfield, IL: the state capital, Abraham Lincoln,...
- more→
