Drafter
Clerk 01/03/2002
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A MOTION approving participation in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign; supporting the executive's development of an action plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and targeted air pollutants from King County operations.
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WHEREAS, the world's leading climate scientists, serving on the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), project that the world's average surface temperature will increase by 2.6 to 10.4 degree Fahrenheit over the period 1990 to 2100, and
WHEREAS, temperature changes of that magnitude would have enormous regional consequences, as evidenced by the fact that Seattle was under three thousand feet of ice when average temperatures were six to eight degrees Fahrenheit colder than today, and
WHEREAS, climate scientists at the University of Washington predict that average temperatures in the Northwest will increase approximately one degree Fahrenheit per decade in the Twenty-First Century; and
WHEREAS, this would result in reduced snowpack and summer water supplies, increased flooding and glacial outbursts, higher sea levels,, the spread of infectious diseases, increased smog and breathing-related illnesses, significantly changed conditions for agriculture and faster changes in our ecosystems than many animals and plants can adapt to, and
WHEREAS, the IPCC finds that the large projected increases in global temperatures are predominantly due to emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, and
WHEREAS, the IPCC finds that a significant reduction in current greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to stabilize the effects of such gases on the climate, because they remain in the atmosphere for centuries, and
WHEREAS, local governments across the world have proven that actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can also benefit local economies and improve the quality of life, which can be accomplished through increased energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, waste reduction, smart land use patterns, open space protection and other strategies that are already high priorities for King County, and
WHEREAS, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives has organized the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, which is mobilizing international action by local governments, including counties, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and
WHEREAS, the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign provides technical assistance and opportunities for information-sharing to participants at no charge, but requires that participation be supported by a local government's legislative body, and
WHEREAS, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which affect the global climate, King County has an interest in reducing regulated air pollutants such as particulate matter or volatile organic compounds, which tend to have localized or regional effects on human health and the environment, and
WHEREAS, the central Puget Sound area currently meets federal standards for air quality, but is at risk of exceeding limits on ozone, which could trigger new regulations and the loss of important federal transportation funding, and
WHEREAS, airborne fine particulate matter, even when meeting federal standards, reduce visibility and include toxic chemicals that can be particularly harmful to children, asthmatics and the elderly; and
WHEREAS, King County government can reduce greenhouse gases and regulated air pollutants both through its direct operations and through the effects of its programs and policies on the region, as recognized in the attached Executive Policy;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
1. The metropolitan King County council supports King County's participation in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign.
2. The metropolitan King County council supports the Executive Policy to inventory emissions of the most important greenhouse gases and regulated air pollutants from King County operations, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds.
3. The metropolitan King County council supports the Executive Policy to develop an action plan by October 1, 2002, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from King County operations. The action plan would specify reduction targets for these emissions, identify actions to meet those targets, and include a mechanism for monitoring results and reporting them on an annual basis. The plan would also recommend changes to King County policies and programs to promote the reduction of
regional emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, developed collaboratively with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the city of Seattle.
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