Here are some affordable alternatives to approving a tax dedicated to address climate change.
We commend and share the County Commissioners’ interest in addressing the challenge of global warming. However, every tax increase makes Orange County a less affordable place to live, especially for lower income households. While highly visible actions such as building a wind-powered turbine may have symbolic value, there are many more substantive ways to reduce our carbon footprint without adding another regressive tax. For example, we can:
- Simplify permitting and inspections to support the installation of more solar energy systems;
- Require new development, which requests rezoning/SUP, to meet AIA-2030 energy performance standards which will greatly reduce the carbon footprints of buildings;
- Require new construction and renovations of public buildings to also meet AIA-2030 energy performance standards;
- Accelerate the purchase of electric buses for OC and CH transit systems, and install solar PV systems at the transit charging stations (as Chapel Hill Transit is planning to do);
- Educate the public about the economics of installing solar energy systems and improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
- Do a better job of preserving our tree canopy;
- Lobby the GA to raise gasoline taxes, which will encourage the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles. (The low price of gasoline has caused the purchase of a greater percentage of SUVs in recent years in the US, such that carbon emissions have actually increased after declining during the Obama years.)
Whatever policy actions we take, it is important to emphasize the use of objectively measurable standards of greenhouse gas reduction and that we commit to measure touted improvements for some time period at set intervals (e.g., yearly)
For example, Chapel Hill’s Environmental Sustainability Commission is considering follow-up energy efficiency assessments of buildings designed to meet the AIA-2030 energy performance standards. Specifically, the Town of Chapel Hill would require: (1) Energy performance design criteria to be reviewed prior to issuing the building permit. There is very good design software which is used by architects who have signed the AIA-2030 Challenge; (2) Energy audits by a qualified independent engineering firm after the first and second year that a building was fully occupied to certify that the energy performance meets the AIA-2030 targets; and (3) If after the second audit it is determined that these energy performance targets are not being met, then the developer will be required to take necessary steps to bring the building into compliance. This could mean installing a solar energy system if one was not installed during construction.
Finally we would like to share information learned from Rich Savage, the climate expert who spoke at last Saturday’s Climate Realty Program. He presented Cary’s excellent Climate Action Plan which was developed for $10,000. The carbon recommendation are here: http://carync.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=4480
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Rick Savage <rick.savage@carolinawetlands.org>