1400 Mayors and Climate Change

1400 US mayors have passed an agreement to have their cities rely totally on renewable energies by 2035. While the pledge came as part of the United States Conference of Mayors meeting recently, it was not unanimous. Some mayors who do not believe in the issue of climate change abstained. Critics also say that this resolution doesn’t solve the climate change problem. That may be but when 1400 mayors from red states as well as blue states agree on something like that, it can have positive effects for the environment and that is important. A group within the US Conference, Mayors for Renewable Energies, began to organize this pledge last April. The resolution was introduced by the mayors from Columbia, South Carolina, and from Salt Lake City, Utah.  Some critics debate how effective all this can be and how much  the mayors can do since most climate decisions are not made at the city level, and also because the resolution  does not include nuclear energy and large scale hydro-electric power. Given that the measure is in opposition to President Trump stand on climate change and to that of the secretary of energy and the head of the EPA along with other administration officials who have promoted fossil fuels,  it makes a statement that needs to be noted. Several cities like Columbia for example have begun to back up this plan with action which gives the whole agreement a heft—if not a hope—that it may otherwise not have. The pledge signatories did intend to send the world a message, one that says that the US is behind doing something about climate change. 1400 cities going after renewable energies may not have the power joining the Paris accord would have had, but it may carry its own momentum and speak for the millions of US citizens who believe in the issue and are doing what they can to bring about needed change.