A Call For An Equitable Climate Action Plan in San Antonio

By Greg Harman

Last week, I walked into the San Antonio City Council Chambers to present the Councilmembers with nearly 700 petition signatures urging them to press forward with their pledged commitment to develop a Climate Action Plan for the city. While there is much to celebrate in the forward movement of our new Council, many questions remain about the project's scope of work, as well as its transparency and community inclusion. Most outstanding, from my personal perspective, is the failure of our Council to set a solid, definitive carbon-reduction target to guide the plan’s development.

We have our share of brags in San Antonio when it comes to the transition to renewable energy sources; 13 percent renewable energy is nothing to sneeze at. But we must remember that we are in no way in the vanguard among U.S. cities. More than 30 U.S. cities have already made net-zero commitments with aspirational dates beginning in the 2030 and 2035 range, not to mention the handful of smaller communities, such as Georgetown, Texas, just up the road that are already 100% powered by renewables.

While our city desperately needs a path to net-zero carbon emissions, CPS Energy has failed to update its  decade-old renewable target of 20 percent by 2020. So far, that debate is yet to be had.

Below is a copy of the letter submitted on behalf of the Sierra Club, Public Citizen, and Moms Clean Air Force. Deeper in the letter you will see the list of nearly 40 local organizations who supported our June 2017 demand for solidarity with the Paris Climate Agreement, the development of an inclusive, grassroots-led Climate Action Plan, and a pathway to 100 percent renewable energy.

Change is inevitable. But the depth of suffering we may avert by rapidly decarbonizing our economy, strengthening our municipal resilience, and building stronger communities of common concern across the city is up to us.

I strongly urge all local Sierra Club members in San Antonio to engage more deeply with the Alamo Sierra Club to make sure we can make this just transition as soon as possible, while remaining cognizant and allied with our many partners fighting for justice in all of its forms.

Greg Harman is a Clean Energy Organizer with the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter (and proud District 5 resident)

SA Council 

Petition: San Antonians for Climate Justice

To: Mayor Nirenberg, Council Member Treviño, Council Member Shaw, Council Member Viagran, Council Member Gonzales, Council Member Brockhouse, Council Member Sandoval, Council Member Pelaez, Council Member Courage, and Council Member Perry

From: Greg Harman, Sierra Club; Kaiba White, Public Citizen; Krystal Henagan, Moms Clean Air Force

CC: City Manager Sculley

RE: San Antonio Climate Action Plan

Mayor Nirenberg and Council Members,

We are pleased to present you with the attached petition signatures calling for the establishment of the San Antonio Climate Action Plan.

Climate change is a serious problem for all San Antonians. Flooding, drought, and extreme heat are making life in San Antonio more difficult and more expensive for everyone, especially those on fixed and low incomes. What’s more, pollution from fossil fuels is disproportionately impacting people of color, our children with asthma and seniors suffering from respiratory illnesses. To begin addressing this problem, we call on the City of San Antonio to allocate adequate funding to develop a Climate Action Plan that sets clear goals up front for reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions in every sector and establishes specific action items that will make meeting those goals possible.

Meaningful public participation should drive the development of the plan, and goals should be set based on the scientific consensus on climate change. Co-benefits — such as reduced local air pollution — should be identified in the plan. Climate change is a global problem, but cities — especially large cities like San Antonio — must be a significant part of the solution.

We are working with a number of San Antonio organizations to raise awareness about climate change and the need to develop a climate action plan. While the impacts of climate change are a significant threat to the San Antonio community, implementing climate solutions offers opportunity to grow our local economy, create jobs, reduce local air and water pollution, and improve quality of life.

We and many other organizations and individuals are ready and eager to participate in the climate action planning process. We look forward to engaging with you over the coming weeks, months and years. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions, concerns or ideas. 

Thank you for your service and attention to this critical challenge.

Sincerely,

Gregory Harman

Lone Star Sierra Club (District 5)
greg.harman@sierraclub.org
210.323.9834

Krystal Henagan

Moms Clean Air Force
khenagan@momscleanairforce.org
210.870.9232

Kaiba White

Public Citizen
kwhite@citizen.org
512-637-9462

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Additionally, dozens of local organizations have come out in support of San Antonio climate justice, including among their demands a resolution committing San Antonio “to adopt, honor, and uphold the the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement,” funding and development of a community-led Climate Action Plan that works with our residents, advancing their interests—particularly those at most threat from rising temperatures and extreme weather—and rapidly putting our city on a path to 100-percent renewable power.

These organizations include:

TX20 & TX21 Indivisible; Moms Clean Air Force; Kalpulli Ameyaltonal Tejaztlan; Public Citizen, Texas; Society of Native Nations; UNITE HERE; 350 SA; LULAC Concilio Zapatista; Southwest Workers Union; Sierra Club-Lone Star Chapter and the Alamo Group; Fuerza Unida; Headwaters at Incarnate Word; Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word; Esperanza Peace and Justice Center; Stone in the Stream/Roca en el Rio; Beautycounter; Environmental Defense Fund; Environment Texas; Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance; Vecinos de Mission Trails; imagineSanAntonio; American Indian Movement; Pro-Immigrant Coalition/Coalicion Pro-Inmigrante; Texas Drought Project; Texas Organizing Project; Carrizo-Comecrudo Nation; MOVE San Antonio; Bexar County Green Party; Martinez Street Women’s Center; Domesticas Unidas; Carnalismo Brown Berets; Pax Christi; Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence; American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions; Bexar County Young Democrats; Citizens Climate Lobby; Willie Velasquez Institute; Energía Mía; U.S. Green Building Council, South Texas Region