U.S. Cities and Climate Change:

1. U.S. Cities and Climate Change: Great Potential or Just Great PR? Kent E. Portney, Political Science Dept Prepared for Presentation to the Tufts Climate Change Literacy Conference January 15, 2008

2. Environmental Zoning in Seattle Eco-Village Cleveland Brownfield redevelopment in Dallas and Pittsburgh Underground hazardous materials storage tank removal in San Jose

3. International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Climate Protection Program http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=800 Cities for Climate Protection, U.S. Partners http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1118 The Clinton Foundation Climate Initiative http://www.clintonfoundation.org/cf-pgm-cci-home.htm Working with the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group http://www.c40cities.org/ The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement – 772 mayor have signed to date http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htm Climate Protection Center http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/about.htm The Climate Change Programs and Cities

4. The Elements of Cities’ Climate Change Policies

7. So what are cities actually doing?

8. Exemplary City Programs • Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment of each city government function’s impact on air emissions, and sets specific annual goals for reductions

9. Exemplary City Programs • Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment of each city government function’s impact on air emissions, and sets specific annual goals for reductions • The City of New York, as part of its PlaNYC, has the most extensive green city building program in the world

10. Exemplary City Programs • Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan “Toward a Sustainable Seattle” incorporates an assessment of each city government function’s impact on air emissions, and sets specific annual goals for reductions • The City of New York, as part of its PlaNYC, has the most extensive green city building program in the world • Grand Rapids has invested in a bio-diesel facility that allows the city to collect used cooking oil from restaurants, refine it in bulk, and use it as fuel for all its diesel powered machinery

11. Exemplary City Programs • Austin Texas, which owns Austin Energy, operates a 200 wind turbine farm in West Texas, and now generates 665 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 55,000 Austin homes

12. Exemplary City Programs • Austin Texas, which owns Austin Energy, Inc., operates a 200 wind turbine farm in West Texas, and now generates 665 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 55,000 Austin homes • It provides a “greenchoice option” for residential customers, guaranteeing the electric rate for 10 years.

13. Exemplary City Programs • Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) in Boulder, CO, is a multi-government public-private partnership focused on pollution prevention, especially reduction in greenhouse gas emissions • Works with small businesses to train owners and employees on ways to reduce emissions, and certifies businesses that receive training and make changes • Impacts documented in Annual Reports • http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/www/pace/index.html

14. Other Cities • Many other cities are doing comparable programs, including • Chicago -- Scottsdale • San Francisco -- Chattanooga • Albuquerque -- Portland OR • Los Angeles -- Jacksonville • San Jose -- Indianapolis • Cambridge -- Minneapolis • Many many others