Sacramento County Climate Action Plan

On October 8, 2021, ECOS sent our comments on the Sacramento County Climate Action Plan, Final Draft dated September 2021.

Click here to view the letter.


Also on October 8th, the day comments were due, ECOS and some of its allies held a press conference on the Climate Action Plan. Below are two photos from the press conference.

Sacramento County Climate Action Plan Press Conference Oct 8

Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) downplays the urgency of climate change. Come to Press Conference on Friday Oct. 8 at 9:00 am. Location: Community Resource Project, Louise Perez Resource Center, 3821-41st Street, Sac 95824.

CODE RED FOR SACRAMENTO’S CLIMATE!

Contact: Laurie Heller laurierivlinheller[at]gmail[dot]com (916) 505-2016

County of Sacramento’s Final Draft “Climate Action Plan”

The County of Sacramento released the long-awaited Final Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP), their blueprint to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the devastating impacts from climate change.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A PRESS CONFERENCE at which local community organizers, environmental justice advocates, medical professionals, youth activists, business owners and environmental groups will address SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES in the County CAP.

WHAT: County of Sacramento Final Draft Climate Action Plan

WHEN: Friday, October 8, 2021 at 9:00 am

WHERE: Community Resource Project, Inc. @ the Louise Perez Resource Center, 3821 – 41st Ave, Sac. CA 95824

The CAP will have wide-ranging consequences for our region for decades.

This CAP ignores the urgency of climate change.
It relies too much on legislation and regional polices for the 2021-2030 period and defers needed changes in County’s internal operations and development practices to 2030-2050.
For the reductions it plans for 2021-2030, this CAP is weak on implementation and lacks evidence that it will work.
It streamlines sprawl development, which increases GHGs, especially from transportation, and pulls resources away from needed infill development.
A concrete prescriptive CAP is essential to a sustainable future with sufficient resources, a strong – and green – local economy, and quality of life for all community members.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS TO SPEAK:

CAP Lags behind Regional & State Plans to Reduce VMTs – Ralph Propper, Pres. ECOS (Environmental Council of Sacramento) rpropper47[at]icloud[dot]com

CAP Excludes Conservation of Valuable Open Space – Barbara Leary, Chair, Sierra Club –Sacramento Group barbaraleary[at]comcast[dot]net

County Process Streamlines Sprawl – Oscar Balaguer, CAP Team Co-chair, 350 Sacramento oscarbal[at]hotmail[dot]com

CAP Disregards Emergency Action to Address Climate Change – Jill Peterson, Local Issues Lead, Citizens Climate Lobby – Sacramento jillpz[at]yahoo[dot]com

COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SPEAK:

Nailah Pope-Harden, Exec. Director, Climate Plan: Cumulative Benefits of Statewide Climate Action. nailahph[at]gmail[dot]com
Gabby Trejo, SacACT: Environmental Justice Gabby[at]sacact[dot]org
Brandon Rose, Director, SMUD; SMUD’s 2030 Carbon Plan brandondrose[at]hotmail[dot]com
Ilonka Zlatar, Pres., 350 Sacramento; Urgent need for climate action & opportunities it affords. ilonka[dot]zlatar[at]350sacramento[dot]org
Steve Cohn, Pres., Breathe California-Sac. Region, and Founder, SacMoves; stevecohnsacramento[at]gmail[dot]com
Herman Barahona, Sac Environmental Justice Coalition; Air Pollution In Low Income Communities barahonaconsulting[at]gmail[dot]com
Faye Lessler, Sunrise Movement; faye[at]sustaining[dot]life
David Mogavero, Senior Partner, Mogavero Architects; Bd Member, Council of Infill Builders: County sprawl creates barriers to affordable communities. dmogavero[at]mogaveroarchitects[dot]com
Robert Rosenbaum, PhD., Climate Health Now; brose andbaum1[at]mac[dot]com
Luis Sanchez, CEO, Community Resource Project Inc.; Host luiss[at]communityresourceproject[dot]org
Time is running out for public engagement.

The 30-day Public Comment Period ends Oct 8, 2021. The CAP is scheduled for presentation at the COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 18. The final step will be review and approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Community Action.

Residents should contact their County Supervisor NOW! to demand a serious Climate Action Plan to mitigate and adapt to climate change in Sacramento.

The Urgent Need to Act.

Climate change here. Extreme weather and natural disasters are affecting agriculture, recreation, industry, health, infrastructure and natural ecosystems in the Sacramento Valley. These impacts will accelerate during this century. The science is unequivocal: Bold, transformative action is needed now to drastically reduce emissions, and avoid even worse impacts from climate change.

All speakers are available for interview. Press conference recording available on request.

For more information visit SACRAMENTO COUNTY’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

IPCC’s Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis – Summary For Policymakers

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Sacramento’s top polluter is traffic. So why does the county’s climate plan create more?

By The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board | October 05, 2021 | The Sacramento Bee

While it remains to be seen what promises will be made — and likely broken — at the 26th annual UN Climate Change Conference in Scotland next month, you need not travel to Glasgow to see climate denialism in action. Sacramento County has that well in hand.

The latest version of the county’s Climate Action Plan, set to go before the Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors after public comment ends Friday, simply doesn’t live up to its name. Representatives of local environmental groups such as 350 Sacramento, the Environmental Council of Sacramento and the Citizens Climate Lobby of Sacramento say the long-awaited document falls far short of promises made more than 10 years ago.

Click here to read the article in full.

Final Sac County Climate Action Plan Released

September 7, 2021

​After years of work and multiple rounds of public review and comment, the final draft of the Sacramento County Climate Action Plan (CAP) has been released! This final draft will be available for public review for a period of 30 days before moving on for approval and implementation. Public comments will be accepted through Oct. 8​, 2021.

https://www.saccounty.net/news/latest-news/Pages/Final-Draft-of-Climate-Action-Plan-Released.aspx

Click here for more info.

City of Sacramento General Plan Update, Climate Action Plan, Transportation Priorities: ECOS Comments

On August 23, 2021, ECOS submitted a comment letter to Sacramento City Council regarding the City of Sacramento General Plan Update, Climate Action Plan, and Transportation Priorities. Below are our remarks.

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) would like to request the opportunity for a group of stakeholders to give input to the rough drafts now being developed for the 2040 General Plan Update, Climate Action Plan, and the Transportation Priorities Plan.

We understand that in just a month’s time the Draft General Plan will be issued — we know how difficult it can be to change drafts once published. Also, we believe the Transportation Priorities Plan will be finalized prior to the Draft General Plan.

We would like to give input to both documents in the areas of transportation, land use, climate change, and possible shifts in the City’s budget to support the priorities in the Sac2040Vision Guiding Principles, the recommendations of the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change, and the provisions of the City’s Climate Emergency Declaration.

COVID has restricted communication and we appreciate the City’s continued planning work since November 2019, including the Sac2040Vision Guiding Principles; virtual workshops; change of single-family zoning to increase housing availability; hiring of a Community Engagement Manager; and passage of the New Construction Electrification Ordinance.

Nevertheless, we ask for the chance to discuss with you and staff the contents of the General Plan and Transportation Priorities Plan, before their initial publication.


Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

Sacramento County declared a climate emergency. Its action plan should take that seriously.

By The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board | July 18, 2021 | The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento County is still drafting its long-overdue climate action plan, which could have decades-long impacts on how we care for our environment. A favorable outcome will depend on the seriousness of county officials to act in its best interests.

California is in the midst of a rough summer. Sacramento saw surprisingly early 100-degree days in May, and climate experts say the brutal heat waves across the West Coast that have killed hundreds of people and devastated shellfish will become a recurring summer norm. We’re also facing a severe drought of historic proportions. Oh, and did we mention the wildfires that are outpacing last year’s record season?

Depending on the willingness of Sacramento County officials to commit to significant mitigation strategies, it’s no hyperbole to say the county’s climate plan will determine how long Sacramento will remain habitable in the face of impending climate catastrophe.

https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article252761058.html

Click here to read the article in full.


Photo by Marta Dzedyshko from Pexels