TUCSON (KOLD News 13), April 22nd is Earth Day. It marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day. This day sees the world take a look at the way we treat our planet and how we can improve it.
Tucson has taken on the ambitious goal to reach carbon neutrality in 2030. They have made great progress in just two years.
One of the most important goals is to convert to electric vehicles (EV), to reduce our carbon footprint.
It has passed city code, which requires that all new homes have an EV infrastructure. The bus fleet has been electrified, and electric charging stations have been installed. They are also working to ensure that all new apartments and businesses have EV capabilities.
Catalina Ross (Sierra Club Energy Development Coordinator) said that she would give the city a B, because they actually do it.
Ross believes that the city itself is doing an excellent job. They just need to continue their forward momentum.
It is likely that you won’t get an A because of the bureaucracy in the city, which slows things down.
Ross stated that he believes we are moving at a slower pace than necessary because we are facing an emergency. But moving things at a city scale can be quite difficult and bureaucratically slow.
It has also set another goal to plant a billion trees by 2030, but it has been slow in the initial phase. The first two years saw 45,000 trees planted.
I would give myself a B because I work for Trees for Tucson. Katie Gannon, the Executive Director at Tucson Clean and Beautiful, said, It is clear that there are still many steps to go.
While a million might seem a lot, it’s still a worthy goal. Tucson’s tree canopy has been declining for decades. A revival is necessary to restore it to its former glory.
Gannon stated that while I believe a million trees is a lofty goal, it is far from being achieved. It does however, it emphasizes the importance of trees.
The mayor has pushed back a little, despite the fact that the city’s policies have been ranked as one of most environmentally sensitive cities in the nation for the past two years.
Mayor Regina Romero stated, “So I would say that we as a municipality and the mayor and council would get an A.”
The mayor and city have yet to reach an A+ in climate change and the ability achieve carbon neutrality.
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