Santa Cruz’s climate change coordinator Ross Clark announced that the city has succeeded in reducing its carbon footprint by 25 percent since 1996. Emissions are now lower than they were before the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. Clark attributes the success to an effective recycling program and the introduction of more energy-efficient appliances. The only failing was in transportation, where emissions have actually increased by 13 percent since 1996.
Santa Cruz’s climate change coordinator Ross Clark announced that the city has succeeded in reducing its carbon footprint by 25 percent since 1996. Emissions are now lower than they were before the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. Clark attributes the success to an effective recycling program and the introduction of more energy-efficient appliances. The only failing was in transportation, where emissions have actually increased by 13 percent since 1996.
According to city officials, the current reductions are in line with the Kyoto Accords, even though the U.S. was not a signatory of that agreement. Nevertheless, the city still plans to reduce its emissions by an additional 8 percent by 2020. According to City Councilman Ryan Coonerty, this can be achieved by continuing the trend to develop housing downtown and to bring more jobs to the city in order to help people avoid lengthy commutes. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
