“But aren’t we tired of hearing what they’re planning to do? I want to hear about climate results that are done and accounted for and other actions that have been implemented.” Jim Wilson, climate activist.
On February 24, 2023, at 9 am the Napa County Climate Action Committee will meet to discuss action. Supervisors Joelle Gallagher and Alfredo Pedroza will represent the Board on this committee which has representatives from the county and each of the county’s five cities. The meeting will be attendable by the public on Zoom. Here are the access details.
There is good news and bad news here. According to David Morrison’s presentation to the Board of Supervisors on February 7, between 2005 and 2019, the county reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 27%, most of those still coming from transportation, primarily commercial, and from buildings (and primarily natural gas).
But the bad news is this: Mr. Morrison is still using the State of California’s outdated goal to reach net zero GHG by 2045, not that of the Resolution passed by the BOS on June 7, 2022. “Director of the Planning, Building, and Environmental Services (PBES) requests adoption of a resolution declaring a climate emergency and setting a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.” The most recent science underscores we have until only 2030 to gain net zero GHG if we are to minimize the catastrophic effects of climate change. Furthermore, what is left out of our County’s plan is the continuing deforestation of our watersheds. Our forests and oak woodlands are our best sources of carbon sequestration, oak woodlands being the most threatened ecosystem in California.
We have yet to see a mitigation measure that effectively accounts for the cutting of our forests. And yes, in answer to that question raised in the February 7, 2023, BOS meeting, we are in a climate emergency, and it is worse than any emergency we have yet faced. It’s time we acknowledge that and act like our house is on fire, because it is!
Please consider attending on February 24, 2023, and making public comment. Let’s use the most recent science to reach net zero emissions by 2030. And let’s stop all deforestation as an important step in reaching that goal.