PREPARING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

I am committed to ensuring our City is prepared to deal with and protect our residents from a rapidly changing climate. We have had a several years long wake-up call with hotter summers, both drought and flooding, and Winter Storm Uri’s extreme cold. Climate change will affect every part of our society and housing, transportation, food supply, business, and greenspace must all be parts of a comprehensive strategy to prepare a response.

In addition to years of experience working with environmental advocacy groups, as a Senior Policy Advisor in the District 5 Office I helped advance the Water Forward Plan, Austin Energy Resource Plan, Climate Equity Plan and the anti-displacement work related to Project Connect. Water Forward initiatives, through water reuse, recovery, harvesting and conservation, will help reduce our water use and ensure our water comes from local sources.

I will take the following proactive steps to mitigate climate change impacts:

• Implement all parts of the Water Forward Plan, including irrigation and landscape, onsite water reuse, benchmarking, purple pipe reclaimed water, and aquifer storage
• Implement the Austin Energy Resource Plan and the Climate Equity Plan including greater use of renewable energy and reducing our carbon footprint
• Promote building Project Connect’s all electric transit system which facilitates greater use of renewable energy sources for mobility throughout the city by more residents
• Maintain energy and water rate structures that incentivize conservation
• Divest Austin Energy from the Fayette Power Plant and other fossil fuel generation when possible
• Encourage Austinites to sign up for MyATX which helps them track their own water usage and detect leaks
• Complete Austin Watershed Rain to River Strategic Plan, with stronger water quality and flood mitigation planning