Photo: SA Current
VIDEO: 'We're Still In!' for Climate Action in SATX
In 2017, San Antonio rallied in the midst of a run-off mayoral election for climate action. Sparked by Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris international climate agreement in June, hundreds of residents gathered at council meetings, signed petitions, and ultimately formed a coalition of dozens of community organizations with the goal of achieving a climate plan for the city. The global outrage of that June took form domestically in a “We Are Still In” pledge that came to include hundreds of cities, counties, states, businesses, sovereign tribal nations, and others on its roster.
It worked.
Before his first meeting with San Antonio City Council, freshly-elected Mayor Ron Nirenberg called on members to “get started on the right foot” by passing a resolution committing the city to doing its part to keep global temperatures below the Paris target of “well below” two degrees Celsius. It passed with one objection.
When the reality of that pledge became clear in a draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) that would require the city to zero out its climate pollution by 2050—that same City Council folded. Elections, after all, were just four months away. The oil and gas lobby, Chamber of Commerce leaders, and stealth denialists on City Council successfully sidelined the plan with a well-coordinated assault built on misrepresentations and lies.
But the reelection of CAAP-supporting Mayor Ron Nirenberg over an obstructionist council member who had pledged to kill the climate plan inspired many of those same organizations and individuals to rally this week outside City Council Chambers. While the swearing in of Nirenberg and three new council members is still a week away, those of us standing for climate action want to leave no misunderstanding. We are not willing to wait out any more political flailing.
The near-death of the climate plan (Nirenberg's victory over his challenger, Council member Brockhouse, was decided by a mere 3,100 votes) has reinvigorated those fighting for rapid closure of CPS Energy's lone remaining coal plant and deliver climate adaptation investments into those areas most at risk of accelerating extreme weather.
“We are a group of people who continue to honor the native ways, our traditional ways, Protecting water, air, land, each other, our four-legged, our winged, our creepy-crawlies, and our swimmers,” said Rosie Torres of the Society of Native Nations.
The cruelty of those actively resisting action in San Antonio, which now includes the Texas Public Policy Foundation, is their suggestion they are fighting for fossil fuel profits on behalf of poor folks who are those suffering the most here and around the world from rising climatic violence.
Most media couldn't resist the framing of the evening: Water and land protectors in daylight, 20-odd Koch-funded denialists breathing library dust across town. But most also recognized where the numbers, youth, enthusiasm (and facts) were: and that was with the call for justice that, for our City Council, will only grow louder.
COVERAGE
Dueling groups take on San Antonio proposed climate plan
(San Antonio Express-News)
"As dozens of activists demanded that the San Antonio City Council quickly adopt a climate action plan, a conservative Austin-based think tank blasted the proposal Wednesday. The dueling factions underscore the strong opinions about the plan, which outlines steps the city could take to combat and adapt to climate change."
Nirenberg should seize opportunity
(Express-News Editorial Board)
"Specifically, [Nirenberg] needs to… move forward with the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, while taking into account business community concerns about potential costs."
After Elections, San Antonio Climate Debate Heating Up Again
(Rivard Report)
“We are running out of time, and we need to fix this as soon as possible,” said Brenda Aguilar, a member of the Southwest Workers Union’s Youth Leadership Organization. “We’re being selfish by just focusing on what we need in the moment and not focusing on the future.”
Climate Activists Rally to Urge San Antonio to Adopt Its Delayed Climate Plan
(San Antonio Current)
Roughly 70 activists staged a protest in front of San Antonio's municipal building Wednesday evening to demand city council adopt a plan to address global climate change. And, in what's a likely sign of contentious debate to come, the conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation held a competing forum at the city's downtown library to rail against the city's efforts. The Koch Brothers-funded group has been a frequent advocate for Texas' fossil-fuels interests.