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Almost every day in the news media we hear about global warming. Some say they are tired of hearing about this topic. We now hear the term "green fatigue" being used. But there are very interesting perspectives on global warming that stimulate new ways of thinking about the role of local governments and their accountability for carbon emissions.One noteworthy approach comes in the form of a 2007 lawsuit. The attorney general of California filed a lawsuit against San Bernardino County under the provision of the California Environmental Quality Act. This landmark law requires the state and local agencies to disclose significant environmental impacts and adopt feasible measures to reduce such impacts. The essence of the lawsuit was that counties should be held accountable for greenhouse-gas emissions that are a result of poor planning. The urban sprawl generated from poor planning was seen as exacerbating global warming. It is the first time the state has sued a public agency for not taking into account global warming. Environmental groups also filed seven lawsuits in California, including one against San Bernardino County, to force officials to measure and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to climate change. This new type of lawsuit related to global warming attempts to change the behavior of governmental entities as they develop plans for future growth. This California lawsuit was successful. In August of this year, San Bernadino County agreed to address greenhouse gases that cause global warming in its blueprint for growth over the next 20 years. In addition, as part of the settlement, the county has agreed to inventory greenhouse gas emissions, set reduction targets for these gases and adopt mitigation measures to meet those targets. The county now has a carbon emissions reduction scheme in its revised general land use plan. What would happen to Orange County, North Carolina, if it were in California? We have no Environmental Quality Act like California to worry about. But we do have sprawling growth. San Bernardino County is projected to grow by more than 30 percent in the next 25 years. We have growth projections that are even higher than those of San Bernardino County, especially when we look to the region as a whole and not just Orange County. The region's population is projected to grow from 1.5 million to 2.5 million in the next 30 years, which is a 66-percent growth rate. Orange County's projected growth rate is somewhat lower, ranging between 32 percent and 52 percent over a 25-year period. Our region is rated third in the country for sprawl. The only two areas worse on the sprawl index than us are San Bernadino, California, and the Triad area of North Carolina. What should we as citizens of Orange County expect of our county and towns? How well are we faring? The good news is that all governments in Orange County, and UNC, have signed onto the Sierra Club "Cool Cities" campaign. They have pledged a 7-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions levels from what they were in 1990 by 2012. This county has targets. But what is more important is a plan for reducing carbon emissions. Let's look to the things that the county and towns can do. They can enact energy-efficient building standards. They can promote greater housing density close to public transportation. They can require a certain percentage of homes to include solar panels or offer incentives. Some actions are already being taken. Chapel Hill's new 20-percent energy efficiency requirement for new developments is an excellent example which could be adopted by the other governments. Orange County is currently in the process of revising its comprehensive plan (which includes land use). The implementation of the revised plan provides a wonderful opportunity to take further action to reduce carbon emissions. These are steps in the right direction. However, we as citizens also need to do more to encourage our local governments to take the bold steps needed to reduce sprawling growth. What is more problematic for us in Orange County is the region. The growth projections for the region overall are higher than those for Orange County. Our neighboring counties also need to take aggressive steps to curb global warming in their growth plans. We can't do it by ourselves. I don't think we need to have lawsuits to change the behavior of the towns and the county here in Orange County. But the California lawsuit reminds us of the need to be proactive. California is showing us how the public is interested in the future of its communities and in reducing carbon emissions. Let us hold our governments accountable for adopting growth planning measures which reduce carbon emissions. Bernadette Pelissier is a retired social scientist who lives in Orange County and serves on several community boards. Readers can contact her at bpelissier@juno.com or c/o The Chapel Hill Herald, 106 Mallette St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Author: BERNADETTE PELISSIER Columnist Copyright, 2007, The Durham Herald Company |
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