| September 18, 2008 |  |
Chicago Announces Comprehensive Plan to Fight Climate Change
Statement by Ron Burke, Midwest office director
CHICAGO (September 18, 2008) - Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley today unveiled a comprehensive climate action plan that enlists local governments, businesses and residents to collectively cut the city's global warming emissions. The Chicago Climate Action Plan spells out ways the city can make buildings more energy efficient, increase renewable energy use, improve transportation options, reduce waste and industrial pollution, and prepare for the climate changes that cannot be avoided. The document projected how the city's climate would change if these steps aren't taken to forestall more warming.
Below is a statement by Ron Burke, Union of Concerned Scientists' Midwest office director:
"Mayor Daley and his environment staff have shown real leadership in creating this comprehensive, aggressive, science-based road map addressing climate change. The threat of global warming is daunting, but the city of Chicago has shown that we can all do our part and make significant progress. Given the potential for costly climate change impacts, Chicago's plan is a wise investment, and most of its components ultimately will save taxpayers money.
"Most important, the plan drives home the fact that global warming will affect much more than polar- bear habitat and exotic barrier reefs. Chicago's climate as we know it will change dramatically unless we get to work today to cut the heat-trapping emissions that cause global warming. No one wants more deadly heat waves like the one back in 1995 or more extreme flooding like we experienced just last weekend.
"This plan is a model for other cities around the country to emulate, and other cities in the Great Lakes region especially need to step up. They all will experience significant increases in extreme heat and heavy rain fall if global warming emissions continue unabated. And of course the federal government needs to break the gridlock and squarely address this looming threat. Kudos to Chicago for leading the way."
(Note: For a 2005 Union of Concerned Scientists report on the threat global warming poses to the Great Lakes region, go to www.ucsusa.org/greatlakes/glchallengereport.html.)
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
