By Judy Sheahan
March 19, 2007

Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory testified March 15 before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality on the issue of local solutions to global warming. McCrory serves as chair of the Conference of Mayors’ Environment Committee.

The Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee has been holding a series of hearings on the issue of climate change and the impact on the economy. This hearing was focused on local and state solutions. Other witnesses included: Linda Adams, Secretary of the California’s Environmental Protection Agency; Ron Curry, Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department: Lisa Jackson, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environment: and Julie Caruthers Parsley, Commissioner of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

McCrory quoted a 1962 political brochure from his father’s city council campaign in Worthington (OH): “We must walk the fine line between the growth and the preservation of values and the environment which brought many of us here. In this way, we can be certain that new families and desirable industry will continue to be attracted to Worthington.”

“For city government officials during the last 45 years, whether in Worthington, Ohio or Charlotte, North Carolina, the goal of balance remains,” McCrory said. “As mayor for the last twelve years of one of the most dynamic and fastest growing cities in the nation, I often return to my dad’s words to initiate long-term economic and environmental policy. In doing so, I like many mayors, have had to step on the toes of the fringe elements of both the left and the right who believe you cannot have both economic and environmental policy working in tandem.”

McCrory outlined the many challenges that mayors face in balancing economic development and the environment. “Many on my political right criticize our efforts to implement mass transit, long-term land-use planning, and green building initiatives. To those on my right, I say they are wrong,” McCrory said. “On the other hand, many on my political left fight to stop new zoning for manufacturing and Brownfield development liability waivers, but they won’t implement, much less discuss, an energy policy that includes clean coal technology and nuclear energy. To those on my left, I say they are also wrong.”

“Eighty percent of Americans now live in cities. By 2050, that number will increase to 90 percent with cities worldwide presently account for 78 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions because that is where the people and cars are,” McCrory said. “Between 2000 and 2015, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg population is estimated to increase by 44 percent, while vehicles miles traveled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is estimated to increase 80 percent.”

McCrory outlined the innovative environmental work that has been done at the local level by Mayors across the nation and highlighted some of the programs Charlotte has implemented including:

• requiring a residential tree ordinance that compels developers to save ten percent of the tree canopy in any residential development project;

• enhancing stream buffer guidelines to reduce water runoff pollution;

• implementing a sidewalk policy that requires residential and industrial areas to have sidewalks;

• increasing bike lanes in city road projects to offer a travel alternative; and

• expanding the city’s hybrid bus system and development of mass transit, to encourage people to get out of their cars and reduce emissions.

McCrory also discussed the role emission-free electricity must play as a solution to global warming including nuclear power and renewable energy. “It is imperative that federal environmental policy is balanced and comprehensive – and is structured in a manner that will protect American citizens and businesses from sudden price shocks for energy and other goods, and it must also continue policies that financially support mass transit and other efforts to provide our citizens a choice over the automobile,” McCrory said.

“Mayors across the country realize there is no quick fix to solve our environmental challenges. We have proven that leadership at the local and grassroots level can have a major positive impact on global and national pollution,” McCrory said. “As a result of the growing emphasis on environmental issues, the Conference of Mayors has developed the 10-point plan for a Strong America and has made the Energy and Environmental Block Grant proposal the first effort in our 10-point plan. This new block grant proposal gets at the heart of having a comprehensive environmental effort, whereby the federal government would partner with local governments, through funding grants, to implement community strategies to reduce carbon emissions and increase community energy efficiency,” he stated.

Representative Butterfield (NC) asked why over 400 mayors have committed themselves to do something locally when the problem is global by nature. McCrory responded that local governments are in position to improve the environment through such issues as land use, auto use and their alternatives, placement of industry, and encouraging green buildings. “The work that local governments can do at the grass roots level can have quite a positive impact on the environment,” McCrory said. “In fact, we have jurisdiction over a lot of important factors that are outside the control of the federal or state government. These innovative local ideas can then spread beyond Charlotte, Seattle, and Chicago, they can spread to cities throughout the nation and throughout the world.”

For a complete copy of McCrory’s testimony, go to the website usmayors.org.