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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-03-09; City Council; ; Consider Adoption of a Resolution Declaring a Climate EmergencyMeeting Date: Mar. 9, 2021 To: Mayor and City Council From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Staff Contact: Sheila Cobian, Assistant to the City Manager sheila.cobian@carlsbadca.gov, 760-494-2917 Subject: Consider Adoption of a Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency District: All Recommended Action Consider a request from City Council Member Schumacher to adopt a resolution declaring a climate emergency.1 Executive Summary/Discussion On Jan. 26, 2021, Council Member Schumacher submitted the attached email (Exhibit 1) to the city manager requesting that the consideration of a resolution declaring a climate emergency be placed on an upcoming City Council agenda and provided the following information. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, issued a special report in October 2018, titled “Global Warming of 1.5°C.”2 Its “Summary for Policymakers”3 is explicit and alarming. Our current global mean surface temperature of 1.0°C above pre-industrial levels is already harmful – more and stronger hurricanes, rising sea levels, more droughts and historic wildfires in many parts of the world. At our current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, we will likely reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052.2 While we need to be reducing emissions, we’ve seen, instead, an increase over the last three years.4 Clearly this is dire news and needs to be addressed now. Limiting the increase to 1.5°C (2.7°F) may be possible,5 but to do so will require a worldwide 40-50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050.2 In view of our lack of significant meaningful action in the past, achieving such goals will require extraordinary and determined effort. Now is a critical time to act. Although scientists have been sounding the alarm for decades,6 we have allowed warming to veer perilously close to where recovery is doubtful. By declaring a climate 1 A climate emergency is "a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it." “Climate emergency” was the 2019 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2019/ 2 https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/ 3 https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/ 4 https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/ 5 https://www.npr.org/2018/10/08/655360909/grim-forecast-from-u-n-on-global-climate-change 6 Dr James Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in June 1988: https://www.sealevel.info/1988_Hansen_Senate_Testimony.html Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 1 of 12 CA Review CKM emergency, you will heighten citizen awareness. Since city operations contribute to less than 2% of Carlsbad’s greenhouse gas emissions,7 resident participation is essential. Fiscal Analysis No city funding is being requested. Next Steps Should the City Council wish to adopt a resolution declaring a climate emergency, staff will return to the City Council at a subsequent meeting with a proposed resolution that has been reviewed by professional staff and approved as to form by the City Attorney. Environmental Evaluation (CEQA) This action does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act under California Public Resources Code Section 21065 in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Therefore, it does not require environmental review. Public Notification Public notice of this item was posted in keeping with the Ralph M. Brown Act and it was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting date. Exhibits 1.Jan. 26, 2021 – Request from Council Member Schumacher to place an item on a City Council Agenda (Email correspondence with proposed resolution language) 2.Sample City Council resolution declaring a climate emergency 7 https://www.nrdc.org/stories/paris-climate-agreement-everything-you-need-know#sec-whatis Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 2 of 12 1 Sheila Cobian Subject:FW: Future Agenda Item Considering a Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency Attachments:Carlsbad CE resolution.docx From: Cori Schumacher Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 12:28 AM To: Scott Chadwick <Scott.Chadwick@carlsbadca.gov> Cc: Celia Brewer <Celia.Brewer@carlsbadca.gov> Subject: Future Agenda Item Considering a Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency Dear Mr. Chadwick, Attached you will find a sample resolution and recommendation for approval of an agenda item I would like to add to a future agenda within the authority found within CMC §1.20.060(C). I am also requesting that this item be placed on a future agenda within the next 2 months and would like to be notified when a date has been set for this item. Please let me know if staff has any questions. Thank you in advance for your help. Sincerely, Cori Schumacher Councilmember, District 1 City of Carlsbad Exhibit 1 Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 3 of 12 1/25/21 Carlsbad My GenAttachment to email RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a Resolution declaring a Climate Emergency1. The text follows on the next page. INTRODUCTION: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a special report in October, 2018, titled Global Warming of 1.5°C.2 Its Summary for Policymakers (SPM)3 is explicit and alarming. Our current global mean surface temperature of 1.0°C above pre-industrial levels is already harmful – more and stronger hurricanes, rising sea levels, more droughts and historic wildfires in many parts of the world. At our current rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions we will likely reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 20522. While we need to be reducing emissions we’ve seen, instead, an increase over the last 3 years4. Clearly this is dire news and needs to be addressed now. Limiting the increase to 1.5°C (2.7°F) may be possible5, but to do so will require a worldwide 40-50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon-neutrality by 20502. In view of our lack of significant meaningful action in the past, achieving such goals will require extraordinary and determined effort. Now is a critical time to act. Although scientists have been sounding the alarm for decades6, we have allowed warming to veer perilously close to where recovery is doubtful. By declaring a climate emergency, you will heighten citizen awareness. Since city operations contribute to less than 2% of Carlsbad’s GHG emissions7, resident participation is essential. Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 4 of 12 ATTACHMENT A 1/25/21 Carlsbad My GenAttachment to email RESOLUTION NO. ___________ A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA ENDORSING THE DECLARATION OF A CLIMATE EMERGENCY WHEREAS, since 2016 world leaders from 197 countries recognized the threat from climate change and the urgent need to combat it by signing the Paris Agreement, agreeing to keep warming “well below 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels” and to “pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5° (2.7°F)”7; and WHEREAS, over 11,000 scientists from 153 countries have signed a World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency8 declaring that the climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than many scientists and models expected, is more severe than anticipated and is threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity; and WHEREAS, over 1800 jurisdictions around the world have declared Climate Emergencies, including 115 in the United States and 40 in California9; and WHEREAS, efforts to control climate change will have many benefits, such as cleaner air and water, improved human health, local employment, cost savings to households and businesses for energy, and the creation of a stronger and more resilient community; and WHEREAS, due to increased drought, heat, and extended extreme conditions, the wildfire season in California is considered by many at Cal-Fire to be year-round10, and with 2020, not yet complete, we’re seeing unprecedented destruction with the August Complex being the largest ever in the state, and these fires have contributed to hazardous air quality for millions of people in the west; and WHEREAS, California has witnessed extreme temperature events in 2020 including a record 121°F in Los Angeles on September 611; and WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) analysis2 projects that a critical point in our temperature rise is between 1.5°C and 2.0°C, that upon reaching a 1.5°C increase there is very likely to be adverse climate, economic and ecological impacts, and that an increase of 2°C could make these conditions far worse and more widespread; and WHEREAS, the best climate models show that limiting our temperature rise to 1.5°C may be possible but only with immediate and determined effort5; and WHEREAS, global GHG emissions have risen, not decreased, from 2017-20194 making action all the more urgent and necessary; and WHEREAS, climate change is estimated from a survey of over 130 studies to lead to the extinction of 8% of plant and animal species12, amounting to thousands of species, and other human caused factors, like habitat loss and degradation, lead to an even greater loss of biodiversity upon which humans rely; and WHEREAS, indigenous, and low-income communities and communities of color in the US and globally have suffered the harshest consequences from global warming in spite of contributing to it the least13; and Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 5 of 12 1/25/21 Carlsbad My GenAttachment to email WHEREAS, justice requires that those who have contributed the most to this global climate and ecological crisis must carry a commensurate burden in reversing it; and WHEREAS, it is an act of moral injustice and cruelty to knowingly subject our fellow human beings now and in the future to societal disintegration, food and clean water shortages, and political and economic collapse, and WHEREAS, since California’s transportation sector generates over half of the state’s GHGs, Governor Newsom’s executive order N-79-20 will require by 2035 all new cars and passenger trucks sold in the state be zero emission14, and WHEREAS, any meaningful action that stands a chance of success at mitigating the effects of climate change requires mobilization without delay, in service of the common good and will require structural transformations, serious technological advances and significant changes in collective behavior. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad declare that a climate emergency threatens our cities, towns, region, state, nation and the entire natural world; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad commits to ensure environmental, economic, and social justice in its climate actions by actively seeking input from all community stakeholders especially those from vulnerable communities; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED , while the City of Carlsbad has a Climate Action Plan (CAP)15 to mitigate climate change, being the first city in California to adopt a reach code ordinance for water heaters, with its CAP providing actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation, buildings, solid waste and water use, the city commits to ensuring the city’s actions remain in alignment with the most current scientific findings on climate change and that it will continue to solicit and rely on the advice and guidance of scientific experts BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad shall commit to stronger GHG emissions goals when updating its CAP and to update other plans, policies and the distribution of resource as determined necessary to recognize the emergency climate situation as climate impacts are considered in the decision-making process; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad approves transitioning away from fossil fuel cars, trucks and busses, and commits to promoting electric (or green hydrogen fuel cell) vehicles; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad build on its sustainability “initiatives to emerge as a leader in green development and sustainability” through strong CAP ordinances addressing reach codes and building electrification and alternative transportations modalities within the city; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad commits to support climate smart development, including transit; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad commits to reducing automobile dependency by actively working with regional, state, and federal organizations such as SANDAG, NCTD, MTS, Amtrak, CARB, EPA and bike and pedestrian groups to increase the viability of alternative transportation throughout the region, in part through the city’s Sustainable Mobility Plan; Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 6 of 12 1/25/21 Carlsbad My GenAttachment to email BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad commits to continue educating our residents about the climate emergency and work to catalyze a just climate mobilization effort at all levels to protect our residents as well as all people and species of the world; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad commits to working with business and community groups including but not limited to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the Carlsbad Village Association, to bring increased emphasis on climate awareness to their members; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad commits to working with local school districts, colleges and universities to bring attention to their students about the severity of the climate crisis, the potential impacts on them and their lives, and the opportunities for them to take action, since they will be the most affected; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad endorses a just, countywide emergency climate action mobilization effort to reverse global warming, to reduce drastically citywide GHG emissions, and safely draw down carbon from the atmosphere as quickly as possible through collaboration with nearby jurisdictions to take advantage of the economy of scale and for united engagement against the common threat of our climate crisis; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City of Carlsbad shall work with larger jurisdictions (county, state, federal) to increase concern about the severity of the climate crisis and shall lobby for prompt and positive action. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the Carlsbad City Council on _________________________ by the following vote, to wit: AYES: NAYES: ABSENT: ___________________________________________ MATT HALL, Mayor ____________________________________________ BARBARA ENGELSON, City Clerk Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 7 of 12 1/25/21 Carlsbad My GenAttachment to email 1A climate emergency is "a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it." “Climate emergency” was the 2019 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2019/ 2https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/ 3https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/ 4https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/ 5https://www.npr.org/2018/10/08/655360909/grim-forecast-from-u-n-on-global-climate-change 6Dr James Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in June 1988: https://www.sealevel.info/1988_Hansen_Senate_Testimony.html 7https://www.nrdc.org/stories/paris-climate-agreement-everything-you-need-know#sec-whatis 8 https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806 9https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/climate-emergency-declarations-cover-15-million-citizens/) 10https://legacy.pressdemocrat.com/specialsections/rebuildnorthbay/10478905-181/rebuilding-sonoma-county-leaders-in 11https://abc7ny.com/los-angeles-records-citys-highest-temperature-ever-on- record/6412050/#:~:text=Temperatures%20in%20one%20part%20of,with%20a%20dangerous%20heat%20wave 12http://science.sciencemag.org/content/348/6234/571.full 13https://www.kcet.org/shows/tending-nature/the-disproportionate-impact-of-climate-change-on-indigenous- communities 14https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-california-will-phase-out-gasoline-powered- cars-drastically-reduce-demand-for-fossil-fuel-in-californias-fight-against-climate-change/ 15https://www.carlsbadca.gov/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=45385 Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 8 of 12 RESOLUTION NO. . A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, ENDORSING THE DECLARATION OF A CLIMATE EMERGENCY WHEREAS, since 2016, world leaders from 197 countries recognized the threat from climate change and the urgent need to combat it by signing the Paris Agreement, agreeing to keep warming “well below 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels” and to “pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5° (2.7°F)”; and WHEREAS, over 11,000 scientists from 153 countries have signed a World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency declaring that the climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than many scientists and models expected, is more severe than anticipated and is threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity; and WHEREAS, over 1800 jurisdictions around the world have declared Climate Emergencies, including 115 in the United States and 40 in California; and WHEREAS, efforts to control climate change will have many benefits, such as cleaner air and water, improved human health, local employment, cost savings to households and businesses for energy, and the creation of a stronger and more resilient community; and WHEREAS, due to increased drought, heat, and extended extreme conditions, the wildfire season in California is considered by many at Cal-Fire to be year-round, and with 2020, not yet complete, we’re seeing unprecedented destruction with the August Complex being the largest ever in the state, and these fires have contributed to hazardous air quality for millions of people in the west; and WHEREAS, California has witnessed extreme temperature events in 2020 including a record 121°F in Los Angeles on September 6; and WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) analysis projects that a critical point in our temperature rise is between 1.5°C and 2.0°C, that upon reaching a 1.5°C increase there is very likely to be adverse climate, economic and ecological impacts, and that an increase of 2.0°C could make these conditions far worse and more widespread; and Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 9 of 12 EXHIBIT 2 WHEREAS, the best climate models show that limiting our temperature rise to 1.5°C may be possible but only with immediate and determined effort; and WHEREAS, global GHG emissions have risen, not decreased, from 2017-2019 making action all the more urgent and necessary; and WHEREAS, climate change is estimated from a survey of over 130 studies to lead to the extinction of 8% of plant and animal species, amounting to thousands of species, and other human caused factors, like habitat loss and degradation, lead to an even greater loss of biodiversity upon which humans rely; and WHEREAS, indigenous, and low-income communities and communities of color in the US and globally have suffered the harshest consequences from global warming in spite of contributing to it the least; and WHEREAS, justice requires that those who have contributed the most to this global climate and ecological crisis must carry a commensurate burden in reversing it; and WHEREAS, it is an act of moral injustice and cruelty to knowingly subject our fellow human beings now and in the future to societal disintegration, food and clean water shortages, and political and economic collapse, and WHEREAS, since California’s transportation sector generates over half of the state’s GHGs, Governor Newsom’s executive order N-79-20 will require by 2035 all new cars and passenger trucks sold in the state be zero emission, and WHEREAS, any meaningful action that stands a chance of success at mitigating the effects of climate change requires mobilization without delay, in service of the common good and will require structural transformations, serious technological advances and significant changes in collective behavior. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as follows: 1. The above recitations are true and correct. 2. The City of Carlsbad declares that a climate emergency threatens our cities, towns, region, state, nation and the entire natural world and as such, constitutes a public health crisis and environmental security threat; Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 10 of 12 3. The City of Carlsbad commits to ensure environmental, economic, and social justice in its climate actions by actively seeking input from all community stakeholders — especially those from disadvantaged and low-income communities, and skilled and trained workforce representatives — and committing to support just transitions1 in jobs; 4. While the City of Carlsbad has a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to mitigate climate change, being the first city in California to adopt a reach code ordinance for water heaters, with its CAP providing actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation, buildings, solid waste and water use, the city commits to ensuring the city’s actions remain in alignment with the most current scientific findings on climate change and that it will continue to solicit and rely on the advice and guidance of scientific experts; 5. The City of Carlsbad shall commit to stronger GHG emissions goals when updating its CAP and to update other plans, policies and the distribution of resource as determined necessary to recognize the emergency climate situation as climate impacts are considered in the decision-making process; 6. The City of Carlsbad approves transitioning away from fossil fuel cars, trucks and busses, and commits to promoting electric (or green hydrogen fuel cell) vehicles; 7. The City of Carlsbad build on its sustainability “initiatives to emerge as a leader in green development and sustainability” through strong CAP ordinances addressing reach codes and building electrification and alternative transportations modalities within the city; 8. The City of Carlsbad commits to support climate smart development, including transit; 9. The City of Carlsbad commits to reducing automobile dependency by actively working with regional, state, and federal organizations such as SANDAG, NCTD, MTS, Amtrak, CARB, EPA and bike and pedestrian groups to increase the viability of alternative transportation throughout the region, in part through the city’s Sustainable Mobility Plan; 1 “just transition” means a path or plan for those workers displaced by transformations in the economy. Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 11 of 12 10. The City of Carlsbad commits to continue educating our residents about the climate emergency and work to catalyze a just climate mobilization effort at all levels to protect our residents as well as all people and species of the world; 11. The City of Carlsbad commits to working with business and community groups including but not limited to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the Carlsbad Village Association to bring increased emphasis on climate awareness to their members; 12. The City of Carlsbad commits to working with local school districts, colleges and universities to bring attention to their students about the severity of the climate crisis, the potential impacts on them and their lives, and the opportunities for them to take action, since they will be the most affected; 13. The City of Carlsbad endorses a just, countywide emergency climate action mobilization effort to reverse global warming, to reduce drastically citywide GHG emissions, and safely draw down carbon from the atmosphere as quickly as possible through collaboration with nearby jurisdictions to take advantage of the economy of scale and for united engagement against the common threat of our climate crisis; 14. The City of Carlsbad shall work with larger jurisdictions (county, state, federal) to increase concern about the severity of the climate crisis and shall lobby for prompt and positive action. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the __ day of ________, 2021, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: _________________________ MATT HALL, Mayor _________________________ BARBARA ENGLESON, City Clerk (SEAL) Mar. 9, 2021 Item #7 Page 12 of 12 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: Friday, March 5, 2021 4:24 PM To: City Clerk Subject: Item #7, Climate Emergency - Carlsbad Council Agenda, March 9, 2021 All Receive-Agenda Item #i For the Information of the: !TY COUNCIL Dear Clerk of the City of Carlsbad, Date' CA v - CC CM v -ACM DCM (3) Please forward the email below to Council. Please also redact my email address before posting. Thank you Honorable Mayor, and Council Members, My name is Mary Yang and I currently serve on the Board of Climate Action Campaign, the Climate Action Commission for the City of Solana Beach and on the Steering Working Group of the newly formed San Diego Building Electrification Coalition. These are challenging times. The Covid19 pandemic has created a public health and economic crisis and the devastating effects of human-made changes to our climate are rapidly accelerating. Significant positive feedback mechanisms are now in play. For example, hundreds of wildfires over hundreds of thousands of acres have burned just in our state and just in the last year. These release GHGs which cause more global warming which cause more fires and so forth. As we confront these crises, we should recognize the injustice of each. That both disproportionately impact frontline communities and are compounded by pre-existing economic inequalities and systemic racism. We should also recognize that our actions affect not just our local region, but natural environments and people worldwide. Climate change fueled droughts, floods, famines, and diseases have already killed millions of people and displaced many millions more. In fact, it is estimated that we will see 200M climate refugees by 2050 and these people will not have any legal protections under the UN Refugee Convention. For decades, scientists have warned of human contributions to the disastrous effects of climate change and that human encroachment on wildlife habitats, rapid urbanization, and global interconnectedness were setting the stage for a pandemic catastrophe — but there were those who chose not to listen. One thing we have learned from the pandemic, is that emergency mobilization efforts can and must be performed quickly and decisively for the common good. The Declaration of a Climate Emergency sets the tone to achieve that solution. Today, over 1900 jurisdictions around the world have done this ( https://www.cedamia.org/globala Let us stand strong with those who believe in an immediate mobilization effort that demands greater action, resources, collaboration and ingenuity to address this crisis. In the words of Antonio Guterrez, the UN Secy General, "Our warming earth is issuing a chilling cry: Stop. If we don't urgently change our ways of life, we jeopardize life itself." 1 Please adopt the resolution declaring a Climate Emergency. Thank you. Mary M Yang, Ph.D ******************The information in this transmittal (including attachments, if any) is priviledged and confidential and is intended only for the recipient(s) listed above. Any review, use, disclosure, distribution or copying of this transmittal is prohibited except by or on behalf of the intended recipient. If you have received this transmittal in error, please notify me immediately by reply email and destroy all copies of the transmittal. Thank you. CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 2 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Joe Houde <joe@ecinstitute.com> Sent: Saturday, March 6, 2021 2:44 PM To: City Clerk Subject: Comment for 3/9 Council meeting at 3PM - Item 7 Attachments: Carlsbad Climate Emergency public comment.docx Hi, Here is a comment for Item 7, proposed Climate Emergency Declaration. Thanks, Joe Houde CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the contentJ. safe. 1 Item 7 Good Afternoon Council Members. My Name is Joe Houde and I am a board member of the North County Climate Change Alliance. According to the UN, our planet is on "red alert" because governments are nowhere close to the level of ambition needed to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement." David Victor, A UCSD professor and climate expert, began a recent lecture by forcefully saying, "there is no chance we will stay below 2°C warming. UT headline last week: "Climate Action Plan is a Lotta Plan, Little Action" We need 100% renewable energy, electrified transportation, all-electric buildings, improved green infrastructure, clean water, zero waste, zero plastic pollution, and we need them now! Please declare a climate emergency and take a whole lotta action. Thank You Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: James Wang <tc4312@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, March 6, 2021 4:58 PM To: City Clerk Subject: 3/9 Agenda Item 7: Climate Emergency - please approve Council: Carlsbad has an impressive record of environmental leadership. Therefore, it is appropriate that the City recognizes that our climate is teetering on the brink of disaster: we are indeed in the midst of a Climate Emergency. The sooner that we acknowledge that fact, the sooner we can act on it. It is truly a severe and existential global problem. It's one that we all caused, but it's one that we call can fix, too. But it requires all hands on deck. So please approve this Climate Emergency. Thank you! James Wang CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Bob Wilcox <rswilcox@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 8:25 AM To: City Clerk Subject: Climate Emergency Resolution (City Council meeting agenda Item 7) City Council members, As we've seen in the past year, climate change is not some far-off possibility. It is here, now, and it is accelerating. Even in our idyllic coastal climate, heat waves and droughts get more extreme every year, and we choke on smoke-filled air when fires engulf the state every fall. I have a 6-week old son, Ian. He will be in the Carlsbad High School class of 2039, hopefully along with Jahan Bhat-Patel. My greatest hope is to leave him and his classmates a planet that is as hospitable and vibrant with biodiversity as the one that I grew up with. This will only be only possible with rapid, immediate reductions in our fossil fuel emissions. I urge you to declare a climate emergency for the city. This is a statement of intent, a promise to take the threat seriously and address our contribution to the problem at the local level. We don't have any time to waste. Regards, Bob Wilcox CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is 7;1 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Subject: Peter Davis <peterdca@me.com> Monday, March 8, 2021 2:15 PM City Clerk Item 7: Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency All Receive - Agenda Item # For the Information of the: CITY COUNCIL Date3/942/CA tr" CC -- CM ,'"ACM k.--DCM (3) Dear Mayor Hall and Carlsbad City Council members, I am writing in strong support of Item 7, Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency. You have produced a succinct and compelling resolution that well describes the climate crisis, as well as the urgent need for taking bold action. Thank-you for your leadership and public service! Sincerely, Peter Davis Encinitas resident CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Madeleine Szabo <mbszabo@snet.net> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 3:47 PM To: Council Internet Email; City Clerk; Sheila Cobian Subject: Adoption of a Resolution Declaring a Climate EmergencyA11 Receive - Agenda Item # For the Information of the: crry COUNCIL Date3/ -,q;-1; CA v -CC CM v-ACM ----km (3) I agree. Climate change is a threat However, it is disingenuous for you to even talk about it as a "Climate Emergency". You should not need an edict to scrutinize climate impacts. Every decision you make should consider environmental fallout. Instead, what have you been doing? -You continually approve more housing that drastically increases traffic and vehicular pollution, as well as impacts the environment and replaces air-cleansing trees, shrubs, and nature. You talk about "reducing automobile dependency", yet you bring thousands more people to denser housing, without viable public transit. -Carlsbad, like most cities in California, does not have school busses. Why is it that all the other states do? If you are serious about climate control, why aren't you lobbying for school busses? You care about clean air? Yet fuel emissions are greater at the schools where so many cars drop off and pick up the children and sit idling during afternoon dismissal. -Carlsbad has the most limited recycling program, only household pickup. Other states, in addition to household recycling, also mandate that any store that sells bottles must accept them in return; thus making it easier for people to return bottles. Result: Reduced bottle litter and more active recycling. -You do nothing to control carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. California has motor vehicle idling regulations/laws, but the Carlsbad police and the general public don't know about it, nor care. Infractions are routine. This proposed edict plans "to continue educating our residents" and "work with local school districts... .to bring attention...about the severity of the climate crisis"? How? Send out more flyers? Hire more educators? Spend precious time and money talking about it and not seriously doing anything about it? Guard against wasting dollars and against empty speech. Protect the environment in every decision you make. We don't need another "government program". We need action. Respectfully submitted, Madeleine Szabo Carlsbad mbszabo@snet.net CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1. Dear Council Members: Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Diane Nygaard <dnygaard3@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 3:54 PM To: City Clerk Subject: Comments on Agenda Item # 7 Climate Crisis Honorable Mayor and City Council All of the investment you and your staff have made in conservation of our natural resources will be meaningless if we do not all work together to address the climate crisis. Thank you for considering the Climate Crisis Resolution . It will serve to integrate actions and to have all city decisions consider the impact of climate change. Carlsbad has been a leader on so many issues. We urge you to adopt the Climate Crisis Resolution and lead on climate action also. Diane Nygaard On behalf of Preserve Calavera CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Harold Loyd <haroldloyd99@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 8:12 PM To: City Clerk • Subject: Council Meeting March 9, 2021, Agenda Item 7 Mayor Hall and Council Members, I am writing to express support for Item 7, a Climate Emergency Resolution. The planet is in crisis, all steps possible to address climate change should be taken. I urge you to take affirmative action on this issue. Thank you, Harold Standerfer Sent from my iPad CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Barbara Diamond <diamondbarb@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 8:08 AM To: City Clerk Subject: Item # 7 The Emergency Climate Resolution Carlsbad Council, By your passing the Emergency Climate Resolution, you will not only benefit our community but also set an example for other communities near and far to follow Carlsbad's leadership and the goals of the Paris Agreement. Cutting the Carbon emissions to limit climate warming will require communities to make sacrifices and change many carbon-related habits. This will only occur with strong local leadership and example. Many climate proposals are under consideration and I urge you to adopt them efficiently in a timely fashion. Barbara C. Diamond —Barbara Diamond" CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 All Receive - Agenda Item # For the Information of the: Tammy Cloud-McMinn rt. I COUNCIL C - CM ./ACM v#bcm (3) From: Minna <minnaclimatechange@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 10:48 AM To: City Clerk Subject: Carlsbad Agenda Item 7. Resolution Declaring A Climate Emergency (March 9, 2021 Meeting) Dear Carlsbad City Council, I am Laura Minna-Choe and am a volunteer with the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance. I urge the council to support Item 7: "Resolution Declaring a Climate Emergency." The City needs to join over 1,850 governments, 950 million people and 18 national governments (including the European Union) that have all declared a Climate Emergency according to The Climate Mobilization organization. (https://www.theclimatemobilization.oraclimate-emergency/) By declaring a Climate Emergency, the City can help take action to organize people and resources toward addressing our large climate problems- which include air pollution and its devastating Covid-19 effects- that are happening in the City's own backyard. By declaring a Climate Emergency, Carlsbad takes positive action and leads the way as an inspiration for all. Sincerely, Laura Minna-Choe CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Bertha Rodriguez <bertha@climateactioncampaign.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 11:23 AM To: City Clerk Subject: Agenda Item 7. Resolution Declaring A Climate Emergency Hello council members my name is Bertha Rodriguez calling in on behalf of Climate Action Campaign and the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance, a coalition of 50 local organizations and small businesses committed to ensuring the San Diego region achieves a zero carbon economy by 2035 in a way that creates good union jobs and more equitable communities. Today, we urge you to approve Item 7, Resolution Declaring A Climate Emergency, an important document to acknowledge the gravity of the climate crisis, and how critical full communitywide participation will be to achieve a just zero carbon future. It is imperative for the City of Carlsbad to approve this resolution and reduce GHG emissions in order to create a future where our communities will not suffer from the consequences of climate change. Thank you. Bertha Rodriguez :OronOMns: (she/her/hers) Organizer Climate Action Campaign www.climateactioncampaign.org Twitter: asdclimateaction lnstagram: @sdclimateaction Facebook.com/ClimateActionCampaign Our Mission is Simple: Stop the Climate Crisis CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is 7gel 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Shelah Ott <shelah@hammondclimatesolutions.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 11:40 AM To: City Clerk Subject: 3/9 City Council Meeting Written Comment - Agenda Item 7 Councilmembers, thank you for considering this important resolution to declare a climate emergency. As a climate justice advocate, it is clear that we are in fact in the midst of a climate emergency. We must see accelerated efforts across the region to prevent the worst impacts from climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, achieving 100% clean energy and ensuring a just transition for impacted workers. We encourage you to prioritize climate action and help increase awareness of the climate crisis through passing the resolution to declare a climate emergency. Thank you. Shelah Ott (she/her/hers) Climate Justice Advocate I shelah©hammondclimatesolutions.com Respectfully on Kumeyaay Land HAMMOND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS Dynamic Action for a Sustainable Planet Facebook I Twitter I LinkedIn Note: The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message. Please also destroy any hard copies and delete this message from your computer. Opinions, conclusions, and any other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of our firm shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it. CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Subject: John Bottorff <j@cleanearth4kids.org> Tuesday, March 9, 2021 1:46 PM City Clerk Support for March 9 City Council Agenda Item 7 All Receive - Agenda Item # For the Information of the: CITY COUNCIL Date 30/2/CA CC --- CM --ACM ---DCM (3) Please vote yes on the Climate Emergency Resolution. For 6 straight years, there have been 10 or more billion-dollar disaster events in the US. In 2020, there were 22. Science tells us things are just going to get worse. We must take immediate action, starting with publicly recognizing the threat of climate change. Please pass this resolution and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the city's carbon footprint. Thank you, John Bottorff CleanEarth4Kids.org J@CleanEarth4Kids.org CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sally Prendergast <sallyp123©me.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 1:58 PM To: City Clerk Subject: Fwd: Item 7 Climate Emergency Attachments: carlsbad.pdf Begin forwarded message: From: Sally Prendergast <sallyp123@me.cOm> Subject: Item 7 Climate Emergency Date: March 9, 2021 at 8:27:47 AM PST To: clerk@carlsbad.ca.gov CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Sally Prendeyjlst Chair Sierra Ch lb North County oastal Group I I. E LJ R B RA Explore, Enjoy & Protect the Planet Dear Carlsbad City Council Members, I am writing to encourage you to take bold action by supporting agenda item 7 at tonight's city council meeting and passing a Climate Emergency Resolution. Please support this important step in dealing with the climate disaster facing our city, county, country and the planet. Declaration of a crisis will focus attention on the calamitous impacts of climate change and inform critical future decisions and policy made by the City of Carlsbad. It will show our neighboring communities that what we do locally matters and that we are committed to working towards a brighter future for our environment and the climate. Let's join San Diego, Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas in passing a Climate Emergency Resolution! A few things to consider: •Recently we have watched incredible climate disasters unfold including the California fires, the record-breaking hurricane season, record breaking warming of the oceans and drought. The cost of these events in the US has been in the billions and is increasing every year. These events will only get worse unless we have bold action. •Climate change is driving species extinction rates that may lead to the extinction of 37% of all plant and animals by 2050. •Research shows that our current 1.0 degrees C rise above pre-industrial levels does not include the temperature rise from recent emissions, which take 7 to 31 years to be fully realized, meaning that even if we stopped emitting OHO today we have already committed ourselves to an additional unac- ceptable level of temperature rise. •For decades we have known that unmitigated GlIG emissions is an existential threat to mankind and life as we know it. Yet, in spite of that knowledge, the world has taken insufficient meaningful action and our emissions are increasing. •Declaring a commitment to the climate will encourage us all to do a better job and help to serve as a reminder that the issues facing our climate will not go away unless we all commit to meaningful change. Its time for The City of Carlsbad to join other strong environmental leaders in the County and show its support for the climate by passing this critical resolution. Declaring a Climate Emergency will enable- Carlsbad to emerge as leader in green development and sustainability, guide the city on local issues to improve our climate and send a strong message to other cities that the time for bold action is NOW! Thank you for your consideration, Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Suzanne <s@cleanearth4kids.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 1:59 PM To: City Clerk Subject: Support for March 9 City Council Agenda Item 7 CleanEarth4Kids.org supports the adoption of the Carlsbad Climate Emergency Resolution. Our kids need us to take action now to reduce greenhouse gases and toxic pollution that result from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, plastic production and degradation, and other sources. We must prepare for increasing temperatures, heat, drought, deadly year-round CA wildfires, dangerous smoke-filled skies, extreme weather, downpours, flooding, erosion, mudslides and property losses. Our children and future generations need us to stand up now, declare a Climate Emergency and continue to work on important solutions and strategies for a livable future. Please take a stand and join over 1,300 cities in over 25 countries that are declaring a climate emergency. Climate change harms public health, and racial, social environmental justice. Please pass this climate emergency resolution for our children and future generations. Thank you, Suzanne Suzanne M. Hume s@Clea n Ea rth4Kids.org CleanEarth4Kids.org CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is 7-a7.1 1 Hector Gomez From: Paige DeCino <pdecino@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 7:23 PM To: council@ci.carlsbad.ca.us Cc: City Clerk Subject: Climate Emergency resolution Because of a technical glitch I was unable to give my verbal comments at tonight's council meeting, therefore, I am sending them to you via email and ask they be included in the minutes as public comment. I was not the only one with this problem. It would be nice to have a more functional system for speakers. My comments: Mayor, Councilmembers, my name is Paige DeCino and I'm am a long-time resident of Carlsbad, Tonight, you had a first look at a proposed Climate Emergency sponsored by Council member Schumacher. I thank her for her ongoing commitment to working for future generations in combatting climate change and I hope you will support this resolution. California has set some aggressive goals in dealing with climate change. Carlsbad has an adopted Climate Action Plan and a number of related ordinances as well as being the first in the state to adopt a reach code ordinance on water heaters while leading the way to create the Clean Energy Alliance set to launch in 2 months, but we should all aspire to do more. On February 26 the United Nations released a report stating that most countries, including the US, are not doing nearly enough in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions to reach the Paris Agreement goals of keeping warming below 1.5C. By passing the Climate Emergency resolution, the city council let's its residents know that they consider this crisis real, that steps need to be taken to address it at all levels of government, and that the city will consider the impact of all their decisions on this most critical issue. Like myself many of you have children and grandchildren whose future is at stake. That's why I'm here today. The climate crisis is real and needs to be acknowledged and addressed. While this is a global issue is also a deeply personal one to me as it should be to you. When I'm feeling lazy, I sometimes think someone else can do this work but then I think...., what would my grandkids think of me if I didn't work to address this crisis? Your residents are looking for strong leadership on this. Our neighbors of Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas and San Diego have all adopted their own Climate Emergency resolutions. It is time that Carlsbad do the same. Thank you. Paige DeCino CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is _ safe. 2