Building Blacktop: Why is San Antonio Chasing Highway Funds When Its Climate Plan Calls for Deep Cuts in Carbon Emissions?
Last summer, Texas approved a 10-year plan that included $1 billion in funding for Bexar County infrastructure projects, including expansions not just of I-35 but also Loop 1604, I-10 and U.S. Highway 90.But Nirenberg says addressing climate change and highway congestion cant be viewed as an either-or proposition. And as congestion increases in gridlocked areas, so do emissions from idling vehicles.Roadways have to be a part of the mix, Nirenberg said. In one widely cited example, Los Angeles poured more than $1 billion into widening I-405, only to have travel times worsen over the next five years.Urban planners have been talking about induced demand for decades. But there are some difficult conflicts of interests when you start talking about highway infrastructure.The discussion on infrastructure spending comes as Gov. But, instead of slapping new lanes onto highways, they argue, local leaders should bring public transit deeper into neighborhoods, encourage telecommuting and create opportunities for people to work and shop closer to home.We need to grow smarter, Barker said.
sacurrent.comSan Antonio City Council adopts climate change plan
SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio now has a plan for climate change that aims to get the city to carbon neutral by 2050. The council voted 10-1 to adopt the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). It focuses on strategies for how to both prepare for the effects of climate change and to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions. San Antonio mayor, council members speak out on climate change planThe plan's adoption does not mean all of the strategies go into effect immediately. ORIGINAL: City Council to vote on climate change plan ThursdayThe goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 does not mean that the city will produce no emissions but that those it produces will be offset by technologies or methods that negate the emissions that are produced.
San Antonio mayor, council members speak out on climate change plan
SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio City Council voted 10 - 1 Thursday in favor of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). San Antonio City Council adopts climate change planRead them below:Mayor Ron Nirenberg"Today's vote is a critical for the future of our city. In doing so, we've developed a Climate Action & Adaptation Plan that sets the bold goal of making San Antonio carbon neutral by 2050. District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda"Today, we took a huge step forward by passing the City of San Antonio Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Because of this outreach, the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the San Antonio Water System, the San Antonio River Authority, VIA Metropolitan Transit, and CPS Energy have publically endorsed this plan.
Balancing the Tried and True with the New for San Antonios Energy Future
There is no doubt, CPS Energy, along with the entire energy industry, is in a state of transition that includes more renewable and non-emitting sources of energy. All of these bodies are very engaged, and effectively seek community input on numerous topics year-after-year. We at CPS Energy, believe wholeheartedly that we can guide our approach forward to manage objectively and responsibly toward a net non-emitting future. Finally, as the President and CEO of CPS Energy, I understand the responsibility to listen to our many stakeholders across our community. Disclosure: CPS Energy is a Rivard Report business member.
therivardreport.comCity Council receives updated draft of Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio City Council on Thursday received a briefing regarding updates to SA Climate Ready's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The plan serves as a pathway to meet the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement that the City Council supported with a resolution in June 2017. "The plan is a giant step forward for San Antonio, but frankly, it is the easy part. Related: Nirenberg to unveil Climate Action and Adaptation PlanIn January 2019, the first draft of the CAAP was released for public review. City Council cannot expect our neighbors to write a blank check for the CAAP without knowing what it will take away from our pocketbooks."
Nirenberg to unveil Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg will officially release his Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to City Council members on Thursday. When asked why San Antonio needs such a plan, Nirenberg said, "To improve prospects for public health, to make our communities more resilient, to really deal with the impacts of the changing climate." The CAAP focuses on drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the report said the majority of the emissions comes from energy used by buildings. "It starts with making sure we're building our structures in a more resilient way," Nirenberg said. But Nirenberg and other supporters of the CAAP have argued that the cost of doing nothing could be far greater.