But the political response has extended far beyond Pittsburgh. Here`s the young climate change fighter Greta Thunberg, who absolutely burns Cruz: Barack Obama, whose administration has struggled for years to negotiate the terms of the Paris Climate Agreement, said that leaving the agreement was an abdication of AMERICAN leadership on the world stage. But in the absence of a national commitment, Obama said, «Our states, cities, and businesses will rise up and do even more to lead the way and help protect the unique planet we have for future generations.» Sustainable regional community strategies, now required under Senate Bill 375, have helped focus growth on infill and transit-oriented development. READ MORE: «I`m not a white supremacist; You can quote me`: Judge Pa with husband disguised as «QAnon shaman» at the Biden party It`s all too easy to say that the people in these areas don`t care about the water they drink or the air they breathe. It is dismissive to say that they only care about their work, because who doesn`t care about having the jobs that feed their families and energize their communities? On Thursday, 61 mayors said they would adopt the Paris Agreement independently, according to Climate Mayors, a network of 88 mayors who sent a letter to Trump in March denouncing his actions on climate change. Peduto is one of many U.S. mayors who have pledged to implement the principles of the climate deal, despite Trump`s decision to join Nicaragua and Syria as the only countries not party to the agreement. Cities, especially in the United States, will be crucial for further progress on climate change: 20% of the action needed to combat climate change must be taken by cities, according to a new McKinsey report titled «Focused Acceleration.» @CityPGH Hall shines green tonight with other monuments #Pittsburgh in support of Mayor @billpeduto`s climate decree. pic.twitter.com/dpoVpgKmz8 By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden is suggesting that he be more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. This agreement will do little to affect the climate and harm Americans` livelihoods. Pittsburgh`s experience in the three decades since the collapse of the steel industry shows how a commitment to science, research and green technologies can transform our cities.
Even in the 1940s, the air was heavily polluted by steel mills. Street lights were needed 24 hours a day to see through the smog. Today, 13,000 Pittsburgh residents are employed in the renewable energy industry. The city`s Phipps Conservatory is considered one of the greenest buildings in the world, generating all its energy and treating and reusing all the locally extracted water. Investing in smart infrastructure, bike-sharing programs, new transit options and building efficiency means Pittsburgh is on track to meet our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2023. While most of Pennsylvania`s electricity is still produced from fossil fuels, Pittsburgh will be 100 percent renewable by 2035. I may not care about where someone comes from if they lie about my city. No place on the planet has undergone a more dramatic transformation toward self-purification than Pittsburgh.
As a lifer, I am *damned* proud of it. And I`m proud of our connection with Paris in this regard. pic.twitter.com/Ekr0EamXfc cities have various ways to consume less and waste less: «First, reduce waste upstream; then reuse as much of the useful end product as possible; then recycling, composting and other recoveries of materials for use; and finally, manage disposal to minimize emissions of the remaining organic matter. Southwest Pennsylvania is not a place that rejects the environment. It is a corner of the world surrounded by nature on all sides, with trees and parks and so much water. Today, shellfish are back in the Kiski River after decades of efforts to bring life back after being decimated by pollution. Hey Pittsburgh – do you want to do more to bring truth and science into government decision-making? Join us tomorrow and please share it with your friends! t.co/SYVDAow7Th later, along with other states and countries, Pittsburgh bathed some of its monuments in the green light. City Hall went green Friday night in support of the Paris Agreement and the mayor`s order.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a vocal critic of Trump, agreed. «Once again, Donald Trump is wrong,» Hidalgo said on Twitter. «Paris and Pittsburgh stand together for the Paris Agreement. Ted Cruz: Pittsburgh is smoky and full of oppressed workers with coal-stained faces, black lungs, and a blanket of smoke you can`t see through on a sunny day, and they want more ruinous, burning jobs for the lungs! Pittsburgh: pic.twitter.com/ZSy82HxL4w Peduto promised on behalf of the city to honor the commitments set out in the agreement. This is a good time to reflect on the state of climate governance and the role of local governments at the end of 2017. Although we are separated by an ocean and a language, we share the desire to do our best for our citizens and our planet. This means putting aside narrow-minded policies and meeting the global challenge of tackling climate change. In this way, we can create a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous world for Parisians, Pittsburghers and everyone else on the planet. The United States cannot formally withdraw from the Paris Agreement until November 2020, so the next president will rightly take the final step.
Pittsburgh passed the deal in 2017 and is one of 400 U.S. cities that have done so to combat the climate crisis. With transportation responsible for nearly 40% of California`s greenhouse gas emissions, reducing and cleaning up car trips will be critical to meeting our climate goals and improving community health. The Ahwahnee Principles for Smart Growth outline how communities can improve urban design to create complete communities where people can meet their daily needs through a range of transportation options such as walking, cycling, and public transit. Buildings are a sustainable infrastructure that lasts between 30 and 50 years on average, so it is far in the future to make them good (or bad). According to McKinsey, accelerating action in this area «can close 20 to 55 percent of the gap between current emissions trends and mitigation targets for 2030, depending on the local climate and the city`s population growth, at an average cost of $20 to $100 per ton of CO2 equivalent.» The main message from these climate-oriented Pittsburghers to conservative Cruz of Texas: «Keep our city out of your mouth, senator.» Local governments are also setting ambitious targets to eliminate internal combustion engines and increase the number of electric vehicles. A dozen cities have signed a declaration on fossil-free roads – Los Angeles and Seattle in the US, as well as London, Paris, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Auckland and Cape Town – which includes a commitment to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025 and to ensure that many of their cities are emission-free by 2030. Other landmarks around the world have done the same over the past two days, including the One World Trade Center and New York City Hall, Boston City Hall, Washington DC City Building, and Paris City Hall, France, among others. He continued, «As mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy and our future.» – The mayor of Pittsburgh used Twitter to reaffirm his city`s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement after President Donald Trump referred to the city when announcing his decision to withdraw the United States from the agreement on Thursday.
The report analysed 450 emission reduction measures and prioritized 12 opportunities in four policy areas that have the greatest potential in most cities to reduce emissions and put them on a 1.5°C trajectory by 2030. Focusing on four high-impact areas will lead to the greatest impact, the report says: «It`s time to leave the Paris Agreement and pursue a new agreement that protects the environment, our businesses, our citizens and our country,» he said. It`s time to place Youngstown, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as many, many other places in our great country, ahead of Paris, France. When the sun sets on the Allegheny River every night, Pittsburgh`s Rachel Carson Bridge lights up with 27,000 multi-colored light bulbs. .