The Proposed Climate Protection Plan of Cincinnati

Apr 25

2008

The Proposed Climate Protection Plan of Cincinnati

Posted by Angela Baker in Untagged

In what is likely an attempt to jump on board with the rest of the nation's plans to utilize renewable energy sources, the mayor of Cincinnati has proposed a plan that outlines a 2 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction each year all the way through to 2028. His climate protection plan was unanimously approved of by the committee that Mayor Mark Mallory appointed lastNovember.

The goals of the mayor's plan, according to the 209 page proposal, are based on 3 considerations:

the level of reductions necessary to stabilize the Earth's climate at a tolerable level
the commitments being made by other cities and counties across the country and around the world
the availability of practical, affordable emission reduction measures in Cincinnati that are consistent with the multiple objectives established for this effort

Although the plan outlines over 80 emission reduction measures, for the sake of condensing it to the purposes of this post, only the top items of the proposal will be expanded upon.

Transportation

According to the report, 26.6 percent of Cincinnati's greenhouse gas emissions come via transportation. The committee who created the proposal feels that by reducing the amount of vehicle miles traveled, improving the fuel economy, and reducing the amount of carbon in fuel, a significant diminution of emissions will result. More details on the specific methods proposed for each of these items can be found in the proposal.

Energy

Through the research completed to create this proposal, it was found that almost 75 percent of Cincinnati's emissions stem from the energy use in buildings. Currently, coal is used to generate the electricity that is causing the emissions to be produced. By implementing alternative sources for energy, drastic reductions can be formed. Through the adoption of such resources as wind and biomass, Cincinnati feels this mission reduction goal can be accomplished.

Waste

At this time, Rumpke Landfill allows the emission from methane to be kept at a minimum. However, the Cincinnati mayor believes further reduction by as much as 40 percent can be had through recycling the materials that are disposed of in the landfill.

Food

The last aspect of the proposal's Emission Reduction Measures that will be touched upon in this post is food. This is an area that did not receive much attention by members of the proposal's task force, but one that, according to the plan, needs more focus. As the proposal states, "an increasing body of literature documents the GHG impact of food choices." Though it is likely not going to get as much focus as some of the other 80 items on the list, it is an item that may impact Cincinnati's overall production of greenhouse gas emissions.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory's plan was proposed on Friday, April 25^th, to the steering committee. Although it was approved by all in the committee, Mallory now needs to forward the plan to the City Council of Cincinnati.