Officials in the City of Bakersfield are looking at a Climate Action Plan, and local organizations and residents are making their voices heard. The proposed Climate Action Plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare the city for the effects of climate change. 23ABC's Corey O'Leary took a closer look at the plan and has the details.
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00:00 officials in the city of Bakersfield are considering enacting a climate action
00:03 plan and residents and organizations are making their voices heard. 23 abc's
00:08 Corey O'Leary joins us now in studio to break down what's in this plan and how
00:12 residents feel about it. Corey,
00:14 the climate action plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare
00:20 the city for the effects of climate change. One strategy proposed in the
00:24 plan is to decarbonize local infrastructure. The goal is to prohibit
00:28 the use of natural gas in construction of new buildings by 2026. A sticking
00:34 point for current citizens for energy, a group that represents those who work in
00:39 the local oil industry. Current citizens for energy is concerned that it does
00:43 call for 100% um and a ban on natural gas for new construction in residences
00:51 and businesses. But it also appears to um look to transition the entire city
00:58 over to that banning of natural gas and we're just not for bands of any source
01:04 of energy. Though Tracy leach with the current citizens for energy expresses
01:08 worry about a ban on natural gas. Reviewing the plan itself reveals it
01:11 does not call for a ban and it won't force people to replace their gas
01:14 stoves. The plan does call for 15% of residential and commercial buildings to
01:19 be retrofitted to be all electric by 2045. On the other side of the issue,
01:24 Riti Patel, economic development coordinator for the center on race,
01:27 poverty in the environment, says the plan doesn't go far enough when it
01:31 comes to restricting natural gas use decarbonizing building and
01:35 infrastructure that rely on natural gas is good. Electrifying it is good and we
01:41 should ban natural gas. It is a major health hazard. Leach tells me she
01:46 doesn't believe a specific plan should be put in place to deal with the
01:48 effects of climate change, but measures related to climate change should be
01:51 incorporated into the general plan for the city. We understand that the city
01:55 has to pursue some climate action initiatives. This plan goes well beyond
02:02 the required mandates from the state. Patel, however, says the plan is the
02:06 least the city can do to tackle both new challenges and the one the city
02:10 has faced historically like creating a climate action plan and at least trying
02:15 to make some sort of effort to stray away from an exploitative system that
02:21 we already have is not gonna worsen what we already have. We need a plan to
02:26 improve. The plan breaks down the source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and
02:31 forecast emissions. If nothing is done, the city of Bakersfield needs to meet
02:35 standards set by the state or face penalties. Um, you know, without
02:39 adopting certain sustainability measures, the city may end up being
02:44 ineligible for some state grants and funding as well. Patel hopes the city's
02:48 will look to historically disenfranchised communities to help
02:52 shape the climate action plan. Yes. And the city, I will be honest, I don't
02:57 trust the city to do that because they've never done that. They've never
03:00 prioritized community interests when drafting policy. But that means it's up
03:05 to community residents to show up and tell them
03:12 gas powered vehicles are some of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the
03:15 world. We now take an in depth look into the amount of emissions coming from a
03:19 typical vehicle. According to the according to the U. S. Environmental
03:24 Protection Agency, a vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon
03:29 bioxide per year. This is assuming the vehicle has a fuel economy of about 22
03:34 miles per gallon and is on the road around 11,500 miles per year.
03:39 Typically, a gallon of burned gasoline creates nearly 9000 grams of CO two.
03:45 You can find more on the climate action plan at Bakersfield City dot U. S. And
03:52 it's currently under public review, which means you can submit a comment to
03:56 the city about the plan until August 31st in studio. Corio Larry 23 ABC
04:01 News connecting you.