Calling climate change the number one issue of our time, the Half Moon Bay City Council unanimously passed the first phase of the climate action and adaptation plan — which will tackle decreasing transportation emissions, supporting reusable products and educating and mobilizing community members.
“I think the multipronged approach was absolutely the only way to go, we’re going to have to piece this together,” Councilmember Debbie Ruddock said during a City Council meeting Dec. 5.
“I do believe dealing with climate change and global warming is the number one issue of our time and it should be for each and every one of us and our city.”
Councilmembers applauded the effort put into the plan since its beginning stages in 2019 and changes made to its focus over time, which included emphasizing community support and rallying residents to fight the threat of climate change, which include rising sea levels and global temperatures, increased natural disasters and population displacement.
The plan’s target completion goals are centered around California state law, which mandates carbon neutrality by 2045 and a 45% reduction in 1990-level greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Key items for the plan include targeting transportation, which currently makes up 61% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions per a 2019 study, and building natural gas emissions, which make up 25%. The remaining 13% of emissions mostly come from solid waste and building electricity, Maz Bozorginia, Half Moon Bay Public Works director and city engineer, said.
The plan will work to decrease single occupancy vehicle trips, support zero emission vehicle adoption through tools like electric vehicle chargers and aim for complete building electrification in all sectors to target major emissions sources, Bozorginia said.
Additionally, the adopted plan will push for water consumption reduction, support green business certifications, look for carbon sequestration opportunities and set goals for the city to produce less waste.
At a municipal level, Half Moon Bay will be electrifying all municipal facilities, increasing zero-emission vehicles and waste diversion and leveraging grant funding, Bozorginia said.
Councilmember Harvey Rarback applauded the resolution, which he said was an important step in addressing a deeply relevant issue.
“It’s the number one issue in this world and if we don’t address it we’re doomed,” he said.
The draft of phase one of the climate action plan has been available to the public since December 2022 and implementation will begin in January 2024. The City Council will receive an update on the plan in March 2025.
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(2) comments
If this really is the number one issue of their time, shouldn’t HMB be spending all their time and money building a wall to keep the ocean from eroding their cliffs or flooding them when the sea level rises? Without that, eventually HMB will become No Moon Bay and none of their wasteful projects will mean a thing. BTW, what’s the cost for all this work? Since more folks are moving out than moving into HMB, residents will need to pay a bit more and they need to budget appropriately.
How on earth can anyone prevent single occupancy vehicles? We are a free country and should not tolerate government overreach.
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