Los Alamos County Council: Citizen Petition
Petition Contact:
Katie & Daniel Leonard
3092 Woodland Road
Los Alamos, NM 87544
kmyers1103@gmail.com505.412.5109
We appreciate and acknowledge the actions that the Los Alamos County Council and Los Alamos County leadership have taken to help Los Alamos and White Rock reduce our air pollution/greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) through investment in LEED certified buildings, renewable energy sources, transportation innovations, conservation of resources and reduction of waste. However, we know, “..to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we'll need to reach “net zero” GHG emissions by 2050 or sooner.” (United Nations Climate Change Paris Agreement).
Dozens of states and hundreds of U.S. cities have agreed to uphold U.S. commitments to the Paris accord, and it is time for the Los Alamos community to join that list.
Los Alamos is a county associated with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, recognized nationally and worldwide for outstanding science and innovation. Though Los Alamos County is not the Laboratory, it is time the citizenry and local government seize the opportunity to be a model for addressing the reduction of GHGe and maximizing sustainability. Let us meet the recognition and embrace the hard work to earn the mantle of America's healthiest community.
The State of New Mexico, led by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, has committed to taking action to slow climate change by complying with the 2015 Paris Agreement Goals and by joining the US Climate Alliance and committing New Mexico to reduce our GHGe by at least 45% from 2005 levels by 2030.
With these critical goals in mind, we request the Los Alamos County Council take the following actions to achieve them:
Appoint a Committee to help Los Alamos County develop a comprehensive resiliency, energy, and sustainability plan to assist our county to meet these goals and to make recommendations for how we can achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Equivalents on all aspects of county operations in an expedited timeline.
We request that the Committee include representatives from the Environmental Sustainability Board, the Board of Public Utilities, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Transportation Board, the County Council, County staff and the community at-large.
We ask that the charge of this Committee be to compile our current GHGe data/sources and research policy and practice recommendations for all aspects of County Operations, in order for Los Alamos County to be in-line with the NM State Climate Change Task Force recommendations by 2030, and meet the UN Paris Agreement Net Zero GHGe by 2050 goals. We expect this comprehensive plan to also include Los Alamos community recommendations while incorporating the goals and work that is being undertaken in other cities in New Mexico that are seriously tackling these issues.
We ask that this Committee build a comprehensive “white paper” or strategic plan with specific measurable, achievable, realistic and timely recommendations for how Los Alamos can achieve the goals set forward by our governor and a timeline to meet or exceed the Paris Agreement goals.
We request that the Council appoint this Committee by December 15, 2020 and the first Committee meeting be held by January 31, 2021.
We request the Committee to come up with an interim report of their findings and recommendations by June 30, 2021, with final recommendations, including public commentary and input, by December 31, 2021.
I, the undersigned, agree with the Citizen Petition being brought before the Los Alamos County Council regarding LA County’s appointment of a comprehensive task force to make recommendations to align with the State of New Mexico’s Climate Change Plan.
You must be an eligible voter of Los Alamos County to sign.
