Austin launches aggressive climate change initiative (Global warming alert)

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF ^ | Thursday, February 08, 2007 | By Kate Alexander

[Arrowhead1952]

Mayor proposes strongest policies of any American city.

Austin will attempt to take the lead among the nation's cities in the race to curb global warming with an aggressive climate protection plan unveiled Wednesday.

Mayor Will Wynn and several other city officials said Austin will cut its emissions of polluting carbon dioxide to almost nothing by 2020, increase the use of renewable energy sources, boost energy conservation, and require better efficiency for homes and commercial buildings. Elements of the proposal could be controversial.

"Climate change may be the most critical issue we face today," Wynn said. "That may seem like a dramatic statement, but all the science points to catastrophic results if we don't quickly get a handle on this growing problem."

The broad goals proposed Wednesday did not include cost estimates, details or timelines. That information will come incrementally as the City Council considers individual proposals.

Though the problem is daunting, Council Member Lee Leffingwell said the solution must start somewhere.

"The sum of all local policy is global policy," said Leffingwell, who joined Wynn for the announcement along with some other council members and City Manager Toby Futrell.

Environmentalists offered quick praise for the plan, which the City Council will consider Feb. 15.

"This plan launches the city to the forefront of the fight against global warming," said Jim Marston, a regional director of Environmental Defense, a national environmental group.

The city has long drawn national accolades for its energy conservation programs, but Wednesday's announcement would push those programs further.

Austin homeowners and ratepayers might pay a price for the city's pioneering spirit.

"The truth is, this will be ahead of the market and ahead of technology," Wynn said. But he added that Austin must also consider "the true cost of energy that we're consuming."

Harry Savio of the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin cautioned against being too ambitious.

"The worry is that Austin may outstep or outreach what is practical or acceptable to the market," said Savio. Members of his group are involved in a city task force developing policy for new homes to be ultra-energy efficient by 2015.

"What we're hoping is that the task force will listen to the practitioners, to the guys that are actually working in the field, who are knowledgeable, learned and care about this is as an issue and respond to their counsel on timing and technology," Savio said.

Renewable energy might be one area where Austin's ambition could get costly.

The plan lifts the target for renewable sources such as wind and solar energy to 30 percent of Austin Energy's power by 2020, up from the current goal of 20 percent.

"It is not going to be cheap," said Roger Duncan of Austin Energy, the city-owned utility.

"We just have to be more aggressive . . . in finding the resources and getting them contracted and/or constructed."

But the move also recognizes that electric utilities will probably face limits on their carbon emissions soon. This step addresses that likely change, Duncan said.

This plan comes as Austin Energy considers a new power plant in Matagorda County that might use cutting-edge coal technology that involves capturing the carbon and storing it underground. No decision has been made about whether to go forward with a plant or what technology might be used.

Another policy change included in the plan is a mandate that city vehicles run on either electricity or a clean-burning fuel when possible. Any remaining emissions will be offset through tree-planting and other programs.

Austin now operates about 4,800 vehicles, most of which use diesel fuel or gasoline. Starting immediately, replacement vehicles will be hybrids or those that can run on biofuels. The total cost of a typical midsize sedan, including fuel and maintenance, is 45 percent less than a hybrid, according to a city analysis.

Home buyers could also bear some new responsibilities through a proposal that homes undergo an energy efficiency upgrade when they are sold. A new ordinance, which would require separate council approval, could mandate new appliances, weatherization and other improvements.

"This is going to be controversial, and there is going to be opposition," Wynn said.

David Foster, president of the Austin Board of Realtors, said he had not seen the proposal and could not say what the Realtors' position would be.

"We err on the side of the consumer on matters like this," Foster said.

Paul Robbins, an environmental activist and Austin Energy watchdog, lauded Wynn for tackling the mandatory retrofitting issue specifically because it would be controversial.

"For an elected official to have the guts to say that really is . . . political courage," Robbins said.

[Arrowhead1952]

Pushing for change

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The Austin Climate Protection Plan includes the following goals:

•Power 100 percent of city facilities with renewable energy by 2012.

•Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from entire city fleet by 2020 through use of electric power and nonpetroleum fuels.

•Achieve 700 megawatts in savings through energy efficiency and conservation by 2020.

•Meet 30 percent of all energy needs through renewable resources by 2020.

•Commit to lowest-emission technologies for any new power plants and carbon dioxide reductions on existing plants.

•Boost energy efficiency in new homes and other buildings.

•Require energy efficiency improvements in existing homes and buildings when sold.

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Austin, home of total nutjobs. I guess the mayor thinks no fuel is burned to produce electricity for the rechargeable vehicles. I'll post comments by local residents in future replies.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Austin, Texas' own SF!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Austin could probably best help to curb global warming by smoking less dope.

[Arrowhead1952]

Here are some replies by the locals.

Comments
By rich

Feb 8, 2007 7:42 AM | Link to this

Its a start in the right direction, now lets get the counties and state to clean up thier act and revamp Cap metro to get people out of the cars and into public transport.

By Reverend DJ Johnson

Feb 8, 2007 7:25 AM | Link to this

All science? The mayor is reading the liberal dailies only I guess. There's plenty of opposition to the political agenda of the left in this whole global warming arguement. No it's not science. Science demands facts not consensus.

By Tim

Feb 8, 2007 7:24 AM | Link to this

I don't like it!

By Chad

Feb 8, 2007 7:11 AM | Link to this

There are also simple, inexpensive ideas to consider. Placing motion detector lighting in business and hotel hallways so the lights are only on while people are present. And requiring hotels to install room lighting that only works when the room key is inserted in a slot on the wall.

By Christopher S. Johnosn

Feb 8, 2007 1:00 AM | Link to this

People complain about the costs. What about the costs of NOT doing this? Aren't they greater?

And I bet low income citizens get assistance in conversions.

By Bernie

Feb 7, 2007 11:48 PM | Link to this

They can start with the empty Capital Metro rolling smog factories.

We can't have have massive high tech, weirdness out our ears and music from another universe and not have some noxious emissions...or is that nocturnal emissions.

By Cares about our children

Feb 7, 2007 11:15 PM | Link to this

I hope it can be done. Leave Austin to us enviromentally caring families who know what it should be like. Those who don't care or can't afford it can live in Williamson County.

By Marco

Feb 7, 2007 11:15 PM | Link to this

Considering how much we know on the topic, kind of silly. I find us to be ignorant that we have maybe 200+ years of atmospheric data (that is being nice) on the Earth yet we pretend we know what is really going on with it. This is where those archaeologists come into play. History is where we learn from, not blind hysteria.

By Artie

Feb 7, 2007 10:45 PM | Link to this

I wish him the best. About time someone is doing something about the environment.
Every day more trees are being mowed down and the the air - pollution gets worse every year.
I applaude his efforts.

By Felda

Feb 7, 2007 10:42 PM | Link to this

Cutting emissions that drastically is something that needs to be a STATEwide thing, as in California. However, I think the mayor is on the right road. It won't be long before we'll have too many people and not enough air for them to breathe. Or water to drink. It's late, but now is better than never for a start.

[listenhillary]

"polluting carbon dioxide" Change the population to Zero and you can achieve the results.

It's frigging PLANT FOOD, it's not pollution.

[VeniVidiVici]

Carbon Dioxide graph (below) clearly shows the cycle of SUV popularity over the past several hundred thousand years or so:

[BuffaloJack]

So Austin will now switch to a fully socialist government.

[Bean Counter]

If you back up and look at things like this, what is the ultimate goal of "Controlling Climate Change"??

If we accept the premise that Man is capable of inducing global warming, are we not wise to take precautions against an accidental triggering of "Global Cooling" in our zeal to seal the breach in the ozone layer and other such damned foolishness???

At least we know that if another Ice Age decends upon us, all we need do is start open air burning our National Startegeric Reserve of old tires, if we plan ahead right now....

[ohioman]

How long before cars that run on gas are outlawed? As long as liberal human nature is involved, there will be no LOGICIAL end to this.

[listenhillary]

Turn off the AC in the government offices permanently. We wouldn't want to interfere with their nature experience. When man insulates himself from nature, he looses touch with his roots and becomes disconnected from his primal ancestors.

This is going to be fun to watch.

[mikeybaby]

Liberal nutjobs like these are the same type of people that
banned DDT. Result: millions of lives lost due to Malaria.

Banned R-12 refrigerant due to ozone layer, costing industry billions of dollars for the change-over to R-32 (I think it's R-32).
Now they say the effect of R-12 on ozone is not conclusive.
HVAC guys, help me out here.
Conclusion: spend taxpayer money first, prove the benefits (if there are any) later.

[Arrowhead1952]

Austin is just keeping up to their slogan.

[Arrowhead1952]

The replacement for R-12 is R-134. I heard it is doing more damage than R-12.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=r12+replacement&spell=1

[Red6]

We need to bookmark this for the future. I want to be able to laugh at them in 2012.

[Red6]

Could you post the link to this graph if they have more information or post this graph in a larger picture for clarity?

[Ditter]

I'll be in Austin in a few weeks for a wedding. I'll be driving my big 'ole SUV and messing up the air. Ha Ha I'll bet I get more than a few dirty looks.

[Arrowhead1952]

What part of Austin? If you will be in the NW part, you won't be seen as a polluter. If you go downtown or in the west Austin, you may wind up with damage to your EEEEEvil SUV.

[BuffaloJack]

listenhillary,
You are obviously referring to the fact that this will have high entertainment content.
Jack

[VeniVidiVici]

Certainly. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide

[mikeybaby]

Thanks.
I also seem to remember that the "gubmint" forced the automakers to develop catalytic converters independently due to antitrust concerns, costing the Big Three hundreds of millions of dollars.
Fools.