Chittenden County Climate Action Planning CCRPC Board Presentation

Chittenden County Climate Action Planning CCRPC Board Presentation February 15, 2012 Julie Potter, Senior Planner

Objectives Ø Review CCRPC’s recent Energy, Air Quality, Climate Action Planning activities Ø Highlight findings of draft Chittenden County Climate Change Trends and Impacts report Ø Highlight contents of Best Practices report Ø Next steps for climate action planning Ø Questions & answers

UPWP Task 2. 2. 3. 2 Ø Multi-year program in UPWP Ø Transportation Environmental Planning: Energy, Air Quality and Climate Action Planning Ø Identify policies and actions that will help the region reduce energy consumption, air pollution and global warming

Building on Air Quality Study Ø 2010 report: Keeping Our Air Clean Ø Research on air quality issues for the region § Implications of ozone non-attainment § Identify strategies to improve air quality

Air Quality Strategies Local and regional strategies for: Strategies grouped by implementer: ØTransportation ØLand use ØEnergy conservation ØEnergy efficiency ØIndividuals ØEmployers ØMunicipalities ØCCRPC

Major Air Quality Findings Ø Ozone concentrations are partly due to pollution from mid-west power plants and partly due local emissions Ø Major local sources: vehicles, solvent use, residential wood combustion, fossil fuel combustion Ø Air quality and climate change are linked through fossil fuel consumption Ø Recommendation to develop a climate action plan

Building on All Hazard Mitigation Plan Ø Hazards identification Ø Risk assessment Ø Vulnerability analysis Ø Mitigation strategies Ø Top hazards all related to, or aggravated by predicted climate change impacts.

Climate Change and Our Region Ø In-house review of how climate change is affecting our region Ø Tied-in with ECOS Plan Ø Draft report for public comment Ø Finalize in April

Key Climate Trend Findings

Key Climate Trend Findings Ø Key climate indicators show change over the past 30+ years § § Increased annual and seasonal temperatures Decreased lake ice cover Longer growing season Increased precipitation, but less snow Ø Climate models indicate continued trends over this century, with more extreme weather Ø Our climate will become like the Mid-Atlantic

Impacts: Environment & Natural Resources ØAir quality will deteriorate ØMore spring flooding and low summer stream flows ØImpacts to water quality and aquatic species ØChange in forest type and impacts to forest species

Impacts: Public Health Ø Increased risk of heat stress Ø Increase risk of flooding injuries and deaths Ø Increased risk of vector-borne diseases Ø Increased pollen results in more seasonal allergies and asthma Ø Increased ozone leads to more respiratory illness

Impacts: Built Environment Ø Infrastructure damage along flood-prone shorelines, rivers and streams Ø Transportation system disruption and damage: culverts, roads, railways, bridges Ø Water supply and wastewater system damage and water quality problems; summer well water shortages Ø Increased summer electricity demand for cooling Ø Power outages from storms, high demand

Impacts: Local Economy Ø Flood damage to crop lands, summer droughts Ø Heat stress reduces dairy yield Ø Heat decreases apple, grape, berry yields Ø Spread of weeds, insect pests and diseases Ø Warmer temperatures hurt maple sugar production Ø Autumn tourism and winter recreation negatively affected

Climate Action Planning Ø 2012 Tran. Systems report: Climate/Energy/Air Quality Planning Best Practices Review and Summary Ø Modeling tools for greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories Ø Best practices from states, regions, cities Ø Compilation of strategies to reduce GHGs

Next Steps Ø Conduct regional GHG emissions inventory Ø Climate action plan for mitigation (reduce GHG emissions) and adaptation (reduce impacts from climate change) Ø Advisory committees to guide these tasks Ø Work products to be incorporated into the ECOS Plan

Questions?