[Electronic-lan] Stronger Climate Plan, 100% renewables at next Tuesday's City Commission

[Paradigm Design]

*LAWRENCE CLIMATE PLAN STRENGTHENING PROPOSED***- AT CITY COMMISSION*
*Tuesday, **7 May 2019**, 5:45pm
Lawrence City Hall, 6 East 6th St., Lawrence KS 66044

On 9 April of this year, the Lawrence City Commission received a 
presentation by the Sustainability Coordinator about the state of the 
climate and our Climate Protection Plan - Climate Protection Plan_Power 
Point_9Apr19.pdf 
<https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.lawrenceks.org%2Fassets%2Fagendas%2Fcc%2F2019%2F04-09-19%2Fclimate-protection-plan-powerpoint.pdf&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7Cef3299816be34869c13408d6d1980ce4%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636926848322323710&sdata=16lOPxjfINuwWmPJ%2FOaA8AE%2F2r4hBUso%2FE8WCA1lk2A%3D&reserved=0>. 
Jasmin Moore, the Sustainability Coordinator, urged that the Commission 
"be bold and be courageous with our climate actions". *She**suggested 
that "One strategy would be revising the Climate Protection Plan with 
some more aggressive strategies"*.  Five local climate activists were 
there to speak and support Ms. Moore's recommendations.  It's unknown 
whether the Commission is taking climate disruption seriously, but the 
City's Sustainability Advisory Board sure is.

The very next day, 10 April, the Sustainability Advisory Board 
unanimously adopted a strongly worded recommendation to strengthen 
Lawrence's Climate Protection Plan_final draft report_2009.pdf 
<https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.lawrenceks.org%2Fassets%2Fboards%2Farchives%2Fclimate%2Fcptf_final_draft_report.pdf&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7Cef3299816be34869c13408d6d1980ce4%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636926848322333700&sdata=rL2N%2FMOz6VQhSAMCUsIPvikeTLQi62C5VQzTzRnYLe4%3D&reserved=0>.  
It emphasizes the urgency, and calls for the City to take actionable 
steps to adopt earlier emission reduction target dates, and to achiever 
100% use of renewable energy in all City functions by 2025. *This 
proposal is part of next Tuesday's Commission "consent agenda", _meaning 
they don't intend to act on it_*. *However, citizens can pull items 
from**the consent agenda for the Commission to discuss and act on*. If 
you feel this is important for the Commission to act on now, you can 
join with others calling for climate action.  It will be at the very 
beginning, at 5:45pm, no later.

*Here's the S.A.B. memo -* SAB proposal to strengthen Climate 
Plan_7May19 
<https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.lawrenceks.org%2Fassets%2Fagendas%2Fcc%2F2019%2F05-07-19%2Fsab-memo-cc-re-climate-protection-plan.html&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7Cef3299816be34869c13408d6d1980ce4%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636926848322333700&sdata=nGk8qxz9ipNnm8VMqn8dOXpZTvB%2FDEHYUadRwnxeP3o%3D&reserved=0>, 
and as follows:

"The Sustainability Advisory Board voted unanimously on April 10, 2019 
to recommend to the City Commission that the Climate Protection Plan be 
elevated as a top priority in all City functions and that a budget of 
$100,000 be allocated to support research and updating of the Climate 
Protection Plan dated March 31, 2009 to include provisions for greater 
emission reductions and to incorporate climate change adaptation.  
Further, the City Commission should adopt the following covenants 
relative to the plan:

    1.    Given the urgency of climate change, the budget allocation
    should be used over a period of no more than six months and work
    should begin immediately upon approval of the City Commission;

    2.    The Climate Protection Plan should focus on actionable steps
    that can be taken during a ten year horizon to continue to reduce
    green-house gas emissions and to meet or exceed goals established in
    the previous plan;

    3.    Given the dynamic nature of climate change and the existential
    threat it poses to society, the Plan should be reviewed in full by
    the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) annually and a full report
    should be provided to the City Commission;

    4.    In addition to full annual review, a SAB member or members
    should be appointed as stewards of the plan to support staff in
    implementation, monitoring, and management of the plan on an ongoing
    basis;

    5.    The Climate Protection Plan should be integrated at the
    department level in all capital improvement considerations and in
    the daily operations of all city functions;

    6.    As an additional step in addressing climate change and in
    reducing emissions, the City shall adopt a policy as soon as
    possible, and no later than December 2019, to achieve 100% use of
    renewable energy in all City functions by 2025; and

    7.    The City of Lawrence shall join the Metro KC Climate Action
    Coalition through participation of staff and/or SAB/Elected
    Officials to support a regional approach to climate protection.

These policies are strongly recommended by SAB as a recognition of the 
critical condition of our planet and the need to protect it for our 
children and future generations."
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