Chicago officials rolled out a glossy "Climate Change Plan"
this afternoon that'll no doubt be heartening for folks tuned in to the rising threat of
global warming. If the city lives up to the five strategies
rolled out in the plan, it'll be on track to reduce carbon emissions by
25 percent before 2020.
While officials and environmental activists say they're confident that the ambitious goals can be reached using a carrot over stick approach, it's clear from a cursory look at the plan that it's going to take a lot more than just the "cooperation" Daley called for today.
As Forbes pointed out earlier this week, environmental issues such as poor air quality and high population density are real problems in Chicago. They were primary factors landing the Windy City at the top of the magazine's list of the country's "Most Stressful Cities." The plan also banks on achieving things that are often out of the city's control, such as a financial commitments to improve the regional transportation and freight systems.
When pressed by Progress Illinois on what kind of local investment it's going to take to get the initiative off the ground, Daley said, "I think we're doing it right now. We have companies buying in. We have TIF districts and everything."
TIF districts, huh? Daley offered no further detail regarding how they're going to play a role. But if you've been keeping up with the Reader's Ben Jarovsky, you know that Chicago's TIF system is seriously straining budgets these days. And while the city has made strides in getting the word out about about individual conservation strategies, it's demonstrated that there's a long way to go in getting green basics like a proper recycling system in place.
If anybody embodies the "where there's a will there's a way" attitude, it's Daley. And goals to retool building codes and and create energy efficiency guidelines for residents will no doubt move forward under the city's environmental action plan.
The mayor also makes a good point when he says that having this sort of framework on hand will give Chicago an edge in competing for federal "green economy" grants. It goes without saying that this type of funding is more likely to expand under an Obama administration.
