What’s happening with CH's Climate Action Plan?

Last year, Cleveland Heights hired a Sustainability Coordinator and contracted with consultant Nutter Inc. to develop a Climate Action and Resilience Plan. Other than a few meet-and-greet events last October, the public hasn’t heard much regarding the plan, and there hasn’t been any public messaging on climate actions for individuals and households.

Climate change is a massive, global train wreck, happening in slow motion, that we can’t stop. But we can stop fueling it and lessen its power, allowing time to prepare and adapt; to minimize damage and suffering. Amid urgent reports, we hear nothing regarding our city’s climate action plan, and no calls to action.

In Cleveland Heights, many of us have resources to stay comfortable in the event of power blackouts or water and gas supply disruptions—for a few days. We’ve endured such inconveniences before—as recently as last August—but what if service outages become more frequent or longer lasting?

The city of Cleveland Heights’ website has a Disaster Preparedness page tucked under the Fire Department pages (www.clevelandheights.gov/167/Disaster-Preparedness), but those links are of little use in an actual power outage. Many residents are without options in an emergency. They can’t go to a relative’s house or stay at a hotel until power and water are restored. They can’t take off work to supervise children in an unheated or unpowered home if schools are closed.

We need to be aware of options in advance of an emergency. Routine communications about climate action and preparedness should be part of our community culture and identity—as much as being a tree city or home to the arts.

Residents concerned with sustainability and climate change worked hard to get the city to agree to develop a climate action plan, but have been left in the dark on progress. The plan is a public project—residents are entitled to updates and some input. 

The city is surely making progress on storm sewer upgrades, which will mitigate impacts of severe storms, but we’re not hearing anything framed in the context of climate action. Community engagement can’t wait indefinitely—the city should be advising residents on practical actions and protective measures NOW, through routine communications.

Community groups are free to promote or pursue climate-action projects and messaging with or without city endorsement or a plan. City collaboration, however, is key to getting grants and government funds for climate and preparedness-related projects involving the city or public property.

City departments, staff and council have limited time and resources. They have many pressing issues to deal with: domestic and youth violence, gun and traffic fatalities, empty storefronts and abandoned homes—all demand immediate attention. But available climate mitigation and green energy funds ARE tied to resolving issues of racial, health and economic inequities at the root of some of those problems.

In a sea of competing demands, our leaders can’t afford to ignore funding opportunities or the impending threats related to climate change. It's already here, affecting some more than others. We need to hear from our city, we need our leaders to understand and promote citywide climate action NOW to reduce greenhouse gases, prepare for emergencies and make use of federal funding intended for those purposes.