Ellen Federman from Old Orchard Challenges Toledo to Catch Up with Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus in Climate Change Preparedness.

DEMOCRACY DAY 2023

Last Thursday, March 23, was Democracy Day at Toledo’s city council. This is what one presenter had to say.

Hello and thank you for being here to listen to the concerns of Toledoans for Democracy Day. My name is Ellen Federman and I live in the Old Orchard neighborhood in Sam Melden’s district. I’m a member of Climate Reality Project and also addressed you last year.

The sixth report card on climate was released this week from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the news was not good. The world is likely to miss its climate target, limiting warming to 2.7 degrees F above preindustrial temperatures, within a decade. Sustainability must be at the forefront of every community’s planning process, including Toledo’s.

I’m very pleased that you have allocated 1% for sustainability. I was recently informed that the request for proposal for a qualified consultant is in the works. We encourage you to expedite this right away. It’s been talked about for too long and now it’s time to go from talk to action. What is the status of your hiring a sustainability director? Has the sustainability commission been put together yet?
What are your plans for carbon reduction?

If you want to meet your stated goal of 30% reduction by 2030 that only allows you 7 years to achieve it. I’m concerned that without carbon reduction your fine goal of planning, planting, maintaining and replacing trees could be for naught. It’s likely that our climate could become like that of Atlanta, GA and threaten our trees with water scarcity and heat stress. Carbon reduction is the backbone of every sustainability goal. If we don’t develop robust plans for energy investment that potential money will leave Toledo and go elsewhere.
You have enumerated many worthwhile goals, but when are you going to put these goals into action?

Looking around Ohio, Dayton’s strategy includes buying or leasing more electric vehicles, amending the city building code to streamline the permitting and approval process for the installation of solar panels, and ensuring city employees can recycle at all city owned buildings and facilities.

In addition, Columbus is working towards a 40% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030, increasing commercial rooftop, parking canopy and ground mount solar systems by 2030, and most innovatively, Columbus Green Spot where Columbus residents can learn about living and working greener and commit to doing it. It inspires, educates, and recognizes households, businesses, and community groups that adopt green practices. It seems like this would be a very worthwhile program for Toledo to emulate.

And Cincinnati plans to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050, transition the city’s fleet to be 100% electric by 2035, and make all city facilities, fleets, and operations carbon neutral by 2035. Cincinnati will soon be home to the largest city-established solar array in the country!

Let’s not lag behind other Ohio cities. You are onboard in theory, but we need to get onboard with action.
Our local chapter of the Climate Reality Project will be happy to assist in any way we can. It’s time to move from talk to action. Climate change won’t wait until a convenient time!
Thank you.