23 March 2009
Cynthia Boecker
Assistant City Manger
City of Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 660444
Dear Ms. Boecker:
I write to support the Climate Protection Plan developed by the Lawrence Climate Protection Task Force. CEP commends the City of Lawrence for its timely attention to this critical issue. Lawrence has an opportunity today to safeguard the health and well-being of its citizens while ensuring sustainable economic prosperity and attracting the jobs and knowledge workers of the future.
The CPTF report succeeds by starting with the goal in mind. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urges greenhouse gas emission reductions of 80% by 2050 – Lawrence does well not only to adopt that science-based goal, but to set an ambitious and achievable glide path of 30% reductions by 2020, building to 50% by 2030, 70% by 2040, and 80% by 2050.
To reach those goals, CEP strongly supports the creation of a full-time staff position. Coordination among departments and agencies, schools and neighborhoods, utilities and Lawrence businesses will be vital. Cities like Portland, Oregon, have attracted corporate, foundation, university, and government funding to transform their communities into some of the most livable and appealing in the U.S. – that kind of success is possible only when one person is steering the community steadily toward the goal.
We applaud CPTF’s energy efficiency goals. Reduction in electric use is the most immediate, powerful – and easiest – thing Lawrence can do to reduce its carbon footprint. Adoption of 2009 IECC codes for new residential buildings and ASHRAE codes for new commercial buildings will protect Lawrence residents and businesses from inevitably rising electric rates while making our future building stock more valuable.
Additional opportunities abound. The state’s FCIP program provides performance contracting – retrofits for energy efficiency with no up-front cost and guaranteed savings – for any municipal building from City Hall to schools. The state’s weatherization program improves structures rented or owned by low-income residents. The state’s KEEP program provides low-interest loans up to $10,000 to any homeowner for energy efficiency improvements. All of these programs could be fully deployed in Lawrence.
Finally, CEP supports ambitious, creative, peer-to-peer outreach and education. Our polling, focus groups, and program work across Kansas show that regardless of personal convictions (or lack thereof) about climate change, Kansans want to be “part of the solution.” Helping Lawrence residents to understand exactly what they can do – and how those efforts collectively contribute to reducing our carbon footprint – would seed real and lasting change.
Sincerely,
Nancy Jackson
Executive Director
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Poull [mailto:dpjp8@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 3:11 PM
To: Cynthia Boecker
Subject: Mayor's Climate Protection Plan
Cynthia,
First of all, I want to congratulate all of the volunteers and staff who have put their efforts into creating the final draft of the Mayor's Climate Protection Plan. All of you should be proud of this document and your hard work.
I am writing to give my support to the goals set out in this document. Please let me know if there is any way in which I can help fulfill the promise of the Mayor's Climate Protection Plan.
-Sincerely,
Daniel Poull, Chair
Sustainability Advisory Board
From: Jane Gibson
[mailto:janegibsonis@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 11:15 AM
To: Cynthia Boecker
Subject: Climate Plan
Dear Ms. Boecker,
I am writing to urge support for the proposed Climate Plan for the City of Lawrence.
Thanks very much,
Jane W. Gibson
1845 Learnard Ave.
Lawrence
--
If Hegel was right when he said we can never learn anything from history, maybe
that's because history overlooks the quotidian. Delicious food grown,
harvested, and shared; the comfort of friendship and love; giggling children
and cooing mourning doves; a walk in the woods and a soft breeze; a sweet
memory and an epiphany; what makes our lives worth living every day never makes
history.
From: Lynate Pettengill
[mailto:lynate@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:50 PM
To: Cynthia Boecker
Subject: In Support of the Climate Plan
|
I am writing to express my support for the Climate Plan
for the City of Lawrence. I hope you will adopt the plan as written by the
Climate Protection Task Force. |