Iowa City’s climate choice

Mayors from around the world recently gathered for a historic summit, redoubling commitments on climate action. Cities produce 70 percent of our carbon footprint, and following the November election, local leadership has never been so important.

On Tuesday the Iowa City Council has an opportunity to make our city a climate action leader.

But a proposed Climate Action Plan up for vote is a misguided effort that will result in unnecessary delays and mounting costs.

With increasing flooding issues, keep in mind that the 2008 Iowa River flood resulted in $10 billion in statewide damages. A U.S. Global Change Research study notes that 'pregnant women, children, the elderly, outdoor workers, low-income people, immigrants, communities of color and those with disabilities or pre-existing medical conditions” are most vulnerable to climate change.

While the city's proposal to spend $25,000 to hire a consultant to develop a climate plan is admirable, it has set up a timeline that won't result in city action until 2019 or 2020. That's too late. It should have happened years ago - or, in the first 100 days of the new city council, 10 months ago.

The city council should amend its proposal and require a Climate Action Plan by spring. City climate action plans abound. Iowa City doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. The city should immediately hire known experts in Iowa City, like the urban planner Martha Norbeck, who served on the Fairfield Go Green Plan, Todd Edwards, who assisted the Chicago Climate Action Plan, and the venerable Dr. Jerry Schnoor at the University of Iowa, to design a plan with a citizen's task force. The 'Regenerative City Day” proclamation provides a framework.

Secondly, the city council's greenhouse gas reduction goals - 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 - fall far below the efforts of other cities in Iowa. A recent United Nation's report found such goals were insufficient to meet the urgency of our times. 'If we don't start taking additional action now,” the report warned, 'we will grieve over the avoidable human tragedy.”

In 2008, Chicago passed a Climate Action Plan to reduce CO2 levels 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with an interim goal of 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. In 2009, nearby Fairfield passed its Go Green Plan; in 2013, Dubuque passed a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent below 2003 levels by 2030. Des Moines has joined the City Energy Project and committed to reducing its energy consumption 50 percent by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Iowa City needs to catch up on climate action. Our city scores well on economic and cultural benchmarks, only received a 40 out of 100 rating on key Climate and Energy STAR benchmarks. San Francisco passed a mandatory composting and recycling law, as part of a zero waste and climate plan, nearly a decade ago.

Instead of offering excuses, city leaders need to galvanize the community to action. Involve businesses with private-public partnerships. Make it fun. Announce a Climate Action Plan with a marching band, as the city council installs long-overdue solar panels on city hall and gets its hands dirty at a tree-planting party.

On Tuesday, if Iowa City intends to lead, the city council needs to amend its Climate Action Plan with a more urgent timeline and higher CO2 reduction goals.

' Jeff Biggers is a journalist and historian in Iowa City.