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Kate Wright, new exec of Climate Mayors, says the hundreds of mayors participating in the group’s effort to take local action to fight climate change are hoping to use the big Biden infrastructure program to Launch a variety of climate change responses:
It is critical to invest in infrastructure. We are seeing a greater need to improve energy efficiency and decarbonize buildings to reduce our energy bills and provide public health benefits.
Climate Mayors established an EV purchasing cooperative in 2018. It now includes more than 250 cities, counties, or other authorities that have committed to purchasing thousands electric vehicles through pooling their purchasing power. The strategy will include a lot of work on electrifying cars and moving to more walkable, bikeable communities.
Already, we are already seeing climate effects in communities. Mayors are trying to tackle them by looking at urban greening or cooling strategies for extreme heat. Kate Gallego, one of our climate mayors has committed to making Phoenix the most sustainable desert town in the United States. They’ve launched the first publicly funded office of heat response and mitigation and a successful cool pavement pilot.
We have proven technology and proven approaches, and we’re working with the administration to share lessons learned from previous stimulus packages and infrastructure investments to make sure that we’re mobilizing funding in a way that’s truly transformative [Kate Wright, in Carl Smith, “America’s Mayors Mount a Bipartisan Push for Climate Action,” Governing, 2022.04.18].
Mayors are more likely be to tackle climate change than they are because they are Weaker subjectTo abstract partisan bushwahClimate change is a problem that needs to be solved.
Mayors are much closer to their constituents. They are beholden to their community members’ interests across the political spectrum, dealing with everything from pothole issues to crises like climate change and pandemic response. At the local level, we don’t see the same level of split because we’re rolling up our sleeves and working towards community solutions.
…Mayors are on the front lines of the climate crisis. They’re on the ground dealing with extreme storms, heat waves, drought, wildfires — including wildfires from surrounding communities.
We’re addressing very specific impacts like a heat wave or an extreme storm, and mayors are the front lines of the need for reaction and response. They’re well positioned to identify solutions that fit the community context and to be creative about working with local business owners or local stakeholders to develop innovative solutions [Wright, 2022.04.18].
Unfortunately, South Dakota has no mayors who are so inclined. According to Climate Mayors’ map, South Dakota and North Dakota are The two states that have no mayors are the only onesIn this effort against climate changes:
Paul TenHaken, Mayor Sioux Falls announced a “Sustainability and Climate Action Plan” on March 1To Reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 45% by 2030Mayor TenHaken, however That plan was abandoned.Before the month was over.
Climate change is South Dakota has both good and bad thingsAs anywhere else. Perhaps South Dakota’s mayors will catch up with reality before the harms get much worse.
