With all of the recent publicity about President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement on climate change, Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling has taken a stand of his own.
During Tuesday night’s Edmonds City Council meeting, Earling announced that he has joined the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda — a group that includes nearly 250 U.S. mayors who are committed to taking action on climate change.
“In light of the decision to withdraw from the Paris accord, I feel it is important for our city to emphasize our local commitment and continued effort to improve our environment,” Earling said in a follow-up email Wednesday morning.
The Mayors National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA) was formed in 2014 by the mayors of the largest cities represented – Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Annise Parker of Houston and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia – who “each recognized the urgency and need to join together in not just calling for action, but taking action on climate change,” according to the group’s website.
As of Wednesday morning, the City of Edmonds affiliation was not on the website. However, Earling said he heard the mayors group has been “swamped,” so he expects the city will be “acknowledged in due course.”
The MNCAA group notes that “climate science clearly shows the globe is warming at an alarming rate due to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Given that cities are responsible for 70 percent of all GHGs and are on the front lines of climate events and impacts, mayors are uniquely compelled and equipped to lead on the fight to stem climate change, as well as to adapt to it and prepare for the impacts of global warming,” the website said.
“As 246 U.S. Mayors representing 56 million Americans, we will adopt, honor, and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement,” the mayors group said. “We will intensify efforts to meet each of our cities’ current climate goals, push for new action to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, and work together to create a 21st century clean energy economy.”
Thank you, Mayor Earling!
Thank you, Mr. Mayor!
Thank you Mayor Earling.
Everybody working together will help us reach the goal of cleaner air and water.
This is great initiative by our Mayor. Way to represent our city!
Mayor Earling, you make me proud to live in Edmonds!
Well done, Mayor Earling! Actions like this make Edmonds such a wonderful place to live.
I was so pleased to read this news. Thank you Mr. Mayor for showing how important this issue is to our fair city.
Actually, every city in the United States, “working together”, going “forward” will have a completely invisible effect on our atmosphere, temperature, whatever.
What will not be invisible will be the increased draw on our wallets. Because of this, Democrat’s everywhere love “global warming”.
Awesome! Thank you!
I’m not for it because the more I read the less I believe it is man made. Prideful to think it is. So wait, Edmonds has already lost most all fishing charter business (as well as Seattle) but I assure you The Asian market is thriving in fishing just past our borders??? we have tons of windmills, has anyone seen a drop in there monthly bill? Those windmills have ALOT of polluting parts (shipped in from other countries) to make. we were the LEAST polluting country in the Paris accord yet so many countries joined. Why? Most of these countries hadn’t even paid the money due. (Hadn’t been for years) USA did. We lost plenty of jobs. I thought Earling was a Republican? Not in my book
Joy I hope people do not know where you live. You may get crumb rubber dumped in your yard.
Darrol, while I completely reject Ms. Trenvino’s attitude, we as a community need to conduct our debates free of any sort of threat, real or implied. I know this was rhetorical, but refute her, disagree with her – but let’s be sure we’re not being vindictive.
Good point, no intent was meant to create a threat, just a joke. I will try to be more clever or just use fewer jokes.
Does Edmonds have to contribute a guaranteed % of its annual budget to belong to the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA)??
Thank you Mr. Mayor. 246 mayors representing 246 million Americans will have an effect; it broadcasts to the world that not all Americans agree with Mr. Trump’s lamentable decision to pull out of the Paris accord. And it also has an effect when Governor’s decide to support the accord. For example, when California establishes strict vehicle emissions standards, American vehicle manufacturers take heed — they want access to the largest domestic market for vehicles. The United States is definitely NOT the “least polluting country in the Paris accord”. Not by a long shot.
The U.S.A. could have been on the forefront of developing new technologies, establishing new manufacturing techniques to combat climate change. We’ll lose that momentum now. (We have solar panels, and save considerable money on our electric bills…what other technologies are yet to be developed?).
Correction: 246 mayors representing 56 million people.
Joy, this is about climate change and our responsibility to our environment not about Republicans vs Democrats. I for one want to leave the environment in better condition for future generations.
Thank you Dave for continuing to support our commitment to the environment!
Thank you, Mayor.
add me to the list of people – sick and tired of hearing about “climate change” (i’m not one for “political correctness” also known as attempt to control other people through use of censorship)
yes, it appears worldwide climate is changing, which it really never stopped doing
and – humanity IS definitely changing the environment
given that EVERYTHING is dependent on “the global free market economy” – money, which is designed to concentrate power and divide the masses, i.e. keep them focused on fighting each other – and that is not going to change overnight . . .
i propose – adopting the mission of Tostan.org – Dignity for ALL
and adding – healthful air to breathe, and healthful water, land/food for all
move from Newton (human scale and everything separate) to quantum (everything is related)
All for quantum – great phrase! But sick as we may be of hearing the phrase “climate change,” we’re going to go on hearing it – the problem just won’t go away, and it’s huge.
What is rarely mentioned though, is “good, old-fashioned” pollution and exploitation. Where I have my ranch, you can walk for miles through clear cuts, full of gullies washed out where logging roads were bulldozed into sensitive area, the river no longer supports fish, the lakes are full of scum and by fall, turn green with algae, the pine beetles are flourishing where they never were before – and are now moving hundreds of miles further north as the planet heats. Human-caused? a large majority of scientists believe so – but whether we believe it or not, we simply cannot sit back and continue to do nothing to limit the damage mankind inflicts on the environment.
If I may say one more thing – “political correctness” can certainly be carried too far, but I think we must remember that its origin is an effort to avoid gratuitously offending, and to show everyone the equal respect that your “quantum” idea puts so well.
The city reports that the Mayor and the City of Edmonds are now officially listed: https://medium.com/@ClimateMayors/climate-mayors-commit-to-adopt-honor-and-uphold-paris-climate-agreement-goals-ba566e260097
Thanks, Dave, for signing on. It’s the right move for our grandkids and their kids.
— Cliff