2014/07/16 Council Agenda Packet

Local Climate Action Planning July 2014 By Paul Roberts I. Introduction As climate change and its impacts on the environment become clearer, so too is the need to address these impacts at the local government level. Local governments in Washington State are required to update their comprehensive plans under the State Growth Management Act, and soon will be required to update shoreline plans under the State Shoreline Management Act. These updates present an opportunity for local jurisdictions to measure and account for strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to prepare for changes already underway as a result of climate change. This essay focuses on the need to address climate change at the local government level, and some strategies to do so. The City of Everett Washington is used here as an example simply because the author is familiar with Everett, and the City has taken appropriate steps to address some of the issues associated with climate action planning. Further, this essay is being provided to the City of Everett Planning Commission in support of their work to update the City's Comprehensive Plan by 2015. The State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires comprehensive plans to be updated periodically. The current update will look out 20 years, from 2015 to 2035. In order to mitigate the impacts of climate change, we will have to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, developing policies and actions during the next 20 years - the same time frame as the GMA updates. We will also need to adapt to changing circumstances such as sea level rise, storm events, wild fires, agriculture and forestry impacts, and water supply issues resulting from climate change. On July 8 of this year, The Brookings Institute published a brief article by Dr. Stephen Palumbi titled "Stopping Distance" (Appendix A). Palumbi uses the metaphor of stopping distance while driving including reaction time, speed and road conditions to illustrate the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Palumbi calls it "climate stopping distance". In order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, we must reduce GHG emissions as soon as possible. The longer it takes to reduce emissions, the more sever the climate damage. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has produced some scenarios that plot and project the impacts of declining CO2 emissions. These estimates indicate we have to come to grips with these emissions and reverse the trends (GHG decline by 2040 - 2060) or suffer enormous damage. We have before us the opportunity to make a difference in future climate impacts in Washington State. This is where we apply the brakes. The 20 year time frame of the GMA plan updates (2015 to 2035), and the following Shoreline Master Plan updates, are precisely where we will need to make decisions, infrastructure investments, and private sector investments in energy and technology to turn the corner and reverse GHG emissions, as well as plan for adapting to the changing environment. This will 1