- County Climate Action Plan
- State Plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Solar Power in the Agricultural Reserve
- Other County environmental efforts
County Climate Action Plan [CAP]
Issue: Both Montgomery and the State of Maryland have each set ambitious goals and drafted plans for addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The key questions are how to achieve these goals, by when, and at what costs?
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Actions: The county’s goal is an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions [GGE] by 2027 and 100% by 2035.
To achieve this goal, the County Executive established a working group of citizens and organizations to create a Climate Action Plan. The Plan covers changes in:
- Buildings
- Transportation
- Clean energy generation
- Carbon sequestration
- Adaptation
- Governance
- Public engagement
Latest Update: The working group’s draft plan has been released is available for public comment through the end of February; it will be finalized in the spring of 2021.
More Information:
- The county executive’s press release
- Overview of recommendations
- List of all recommendations
- Montgomery County Civic Federation Newsletter January 2021 See especially the summary of the County’s draft Climate Action Plan beginning on page 8; the potential impact of climate change on agriculture in the county beginning on page 10; equity and communications challenges in the CAP beginning on page 13; and the impact of plastics and especially synthetic turf on our environment beginning in page 16.
STATE OF MARYLAND – REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Actions: Last fall, the Maryland Department of the Environment [MDE] released a comprehensive, economy-wide draft plan for a 44% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. According to MDE, the plan also will produce better air quality by reducing emissions that contribute to ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution. And it will improve water quality through reductions in nitrogen pollution to the state’s waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay.
Latest Update: The period for public comment on the draft plan closed on April 21, 2020; staff is finalizing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act report to be submitted to Governor Hogan and the State Legislature by the end of 2020.
More information: See the article entitled “State of Maryland” in the PRA Fall 2020 newsletter beginning in the middle of the second column of page 8.
information added 01-11-2021
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions-Global efforts
Issue: Are greenhouse gas emissions being reduced globally?
Latest Update: According to the 2020 UN Report on Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the answer is no. This link includes a link to the full text of the report and links to the reports of previous years.
Quoting from the report,
“As in previous years, this report assesses the gap between estimated future global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if countries implement their climate mitigation pledges and the global emission levels from least-cost pathways that are aligned with achieving the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. This difference between “where we are likely to be and where we need to be” is known as the ‘emissions gap’.
“Are we on track to bridging the gap? Absolutely not.”
More Information:
For somewhat more optimistic [but still realistic] opinion, see this op-ed piece by former Vice President Al Gore.
information added 01/03//2021
Solar Power in the Agricultural Reserve
Issue: To increase the use of renewable energy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the County Council is considering a zoning text amendment [ZTA20-01]to allow solar power panels to be built in the county’s Agricultural Reserve [Ag Res]. At issue is the environmental benefit that will come from increased solar power generation versus the potential harm to the Ag Res.
Background: There are strong opinions about this proposal on both sides of the issue. The County Council held a town hall meeting to hear from citizens and it formed a Farm Solar Stakeholder Workgroup consisting of representatives of the various stakeholder groups to assist the Council in its deliberations on the proposed ZTA.
Latest Update: After the Workgroup submits its report January, the Council expects to take up the ZTA .
More Information: See these links to read views for the ZTA and views against the ZTA.
information added 12/07/2020
Other County Environmental Efforts
Plastic Straw Ban: The Montgomery County Council has approved a bill phasing out the use of plastic straws at local restaurants beginning in May 2021. For more information see this article from the Bethesda Beat, December 2020.
information updated 01/03/2021
