Honorable Mayor Mueller and City Council Members, I will be proud to live in a city that is taking bold local action through the proposed Declaration for a Climate Emergency. I also strongly support the recommendation from the Environmental Quality Commission to adopt a new reduction target of carbon neutral (zero emissions) by 2030. These are important commitments we need to make today, and then follow swiftly with bold action. Menlo Park is already feeling the impacts of climate change with more intense heat waves, increased fire danger and smoke, and rising sea levels that will bring serious flooding. My children have had to stay inside during recess, postpone sports activities and even stay home from school due to dangerous levels of particulate matter in the air from fires. Thank you for your leadership so far on climate action with measures to prioritize clean energy, avoid fossil fuels in new construction, and support electric vehicles. These are good first steps, but we must go further and work faster to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions completely. Our federal government is failing on this critical issue by seeking to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord. Menlo Park must take a stand with strong action locally to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions within ten years. Please continue your critically needed climate leadership by taking the following actions: * Prioritize Climate Action Planning in the City Workplan for 2020 * Adopt a new climate target: Zero Carbon by 2030 * Declare a Climate Emergency For the benefit of all Menlo Park residents and especially our youth, I urge you to move quickly to address the Climate Crisis. Local action, right here, right now, is critical to achieve a fossil free and climate-stable future. We have no more time to waste. Sincerely, Nicole Angiel Menlo Park Resident Received on Mon Dec 09 2019 - 18:24:46 PST
