Tuesday, June 6, the Pima County Board of Supervisors will consider a resolution (see below) that reaffirms our local commitment to battle climate change! You're invited to attend at 9:00 a.m. and to voice your support for the resolution during call to the audience, shortly after 9:00.
Bring your climate action t-shirts, stickers, signs, and be ready to encourage our county supervisors to keep their commitment to climate action!
-There will also be a resolution against border walls at tomorrow's meeting, which are very harmful to the environment. Come prepared to support that resolution as well!
- Dan Millis, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter
Pima County Board of Supervisors
9 a.m. Tuesday, June 6
130 W Congress, 1st floor
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On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States (US) from the Paris Climate Accord, a nonbinding agreement signed by 195 countries that directs each nation to develop their own plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of limiting global temperature increases to 1.5° C above pre-industrial period levels.
President Trump directed the federal government to immediately “cease all implementation of” the agreement and to use the official withdrawal process outlined in the agreement, which could take up to four years to complete.
Climate change threatens many of the County’s conservation initiatives, including the award-winning Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. It greatly increases the risk of increased heat, prolonged drought, devastating wildfires, and increased flooding and is already increasing stress on the native plant and animal species protected under the SDCP. Climate change also increases the likelihood Pima County will fall out of attainment with state and federal air quality standards, thereby making it more costly and difficult for businesses to operate and expand in Pima County.
Pima County has already recognized the need to take action on climate change. In 2007, the Board of Supervisors passed Resolution 2007-84 to support County sustainability initiatives, stating that, “Pima County recognizes that the scientific community has developed a consensus that increasing emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is affecting the Earth's climate.”
This resolution paved the way for the development and implementation of the Sustainable Action Plan for County Operations. This plan represents a systematic approach to integrating the goals of sustainability into virtually all facets of the way Pima County government operates—from the cars we drive, to the energy and water we consume, to the construction of our buildings, to the products we purchase, to the way in which we view and handle our“used” materials.
In 2015, the Board unanimously passed the County’s comprehensive plan, Pima Prospers. Within the Plan are numerous items that bolster the County’s climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. These include reducing carbon emissions through the increased use of cost-effective clean energy alternatives, encouraging transportation alternatives, reducing the adverse health impacts related to air quality, and preparing for climate change and reducing risk in vulnerable communities.
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Re: Resolution 2017-_____ Reaffirming Pima County’s Commitment and Efforts to Address Climate Change
June 6, 2017
Through the implementation of these Board-approved programs, Pima County has strived to set an example for other communities to achieve a high quality of life for their residents, protect their natural environment, and provide for meaningful and sustainable economic opportunities. Pima County is well positioned to become a leader in addressing climate change and in this region.
I recommend the Board of Supervisors adopt Resolution 2017-_____ reaffirming Pima County’s commitment and efforts to address climate change.
Respectfully submitted,
C.H. Huckelberry
County Administrator, CHH/mjk
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