PLEASE Vote yes for A2 Zero Plan. I am so supportive of thisA2Zero team - integrating feedback from our community, advice from expert, and examples from communities around the world. I was so impressed by the Town Hall and all the ideas generated. This is a crucial opportunity to support A2 being a leader in committing to carbon neutrality - for our local community and for our globe. PLEASE vote YES.
Please support of City Council’s passage of A2 Zero Living Carbon Neutrality Plan March 2020 at tonight’s meeting. This plan has been created in response to Council’s 2019 unanimous request for a Carbon Neutral report by Earth Day, 2020. The community involvement in drafting this plan—via Technical Advisory Committees, town halls, neighborhood sessions, public surveys, dedicated website--has been impressive by including city stakeholders across all community neighborhoods, educational institutions, businesses, and organizations.
The A2 Zero Plan provides a vision for Ann Arbor moving forward. As the introduction states, “this Plan is considered living since many things can, and likely will, change in the coming years” (page 6). There is no binding obligation in approving the plan. There is an assumption that elected officials will weigh budget decisions alongside carbon reduction considerations and that staff will be guided by the plan.
Passing the resolution to adopt the Living A2Zero Ann Arbor would address the climate emergency our council has already declared. The United States is trailing far behind several European countries regarding administering renewable energy in our cities. We cannot keep ignoring this issue. Ann Arbor could serve as an example for the rest of Michigan. I compel you to pass the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan in Ann Arbor.
As an outsider to Ann Arbor, other Michiganders look to Ann Arbor to lead the way. Adopting this resolution would set an example for the rest of Michigan!
I am a second year student at the University of Michigan and I recently came back from a study abroad program in Freiburg, Germany. I was incredibly impressed by the sustainable infrastructure that has been implemented throughout Germany and many other European countries. We are decades behind basically every major country in terms of implementing renewable energy in our cities, and I am deeply concerned about my future as a young person.
NASA, the US military, the EPA, and many other American agencies have been telling us for years now that we need to change how we produce and use energy as a society. This thorough and detailed plan starts us on a path towards sustainability as a city and should be adopted for the sake of all Ann Arbor residents. Thank you very much for passing the carbon neutrality commitment last November. That was a show of strong and thoughtful leadership. I urge you to follow up with that commitment by passing the A2Zero plan.
I'm a 5th ward resident. Please pass this resolution to adopt the Living A2Zero Ann Arbor Carbon Neutrality Plan. It is needed in order to address the climate emergency that Council itself recently declared. This plan was developed with considerable input from experts and constituents. You need to listen to the experts and adopt the plan. Yes, there will be costs, but there will also be great opportunity, and the time to act is now. Pass the plan. Thanks.
No one opposes Ann Arbor being a safe and healthy place to live. This plan may mean the difference in between one clean and beautiful Ann Arbor and one where smog clogs our streets and masks must be worn for students like me just to go to school. As an 8th grader, what does this mean for our generation? Our children? Our children's children?
Our generation has to live with this decision for potentially the rest of our lives. If this bill does not pass, what type of city will Ann Arbor become? We are living in a full-out climate crisis. We have to make progress towards a greener future, not leaving it for later generations to come. By passing this bill, A2 can become an example for other cities, helping transform the US into a cleaner country.
The A2Zero plan will bring good for the future rather than the dire. Ann Arbor is an amazing place to live and most would agree. We need to keep it that way for as long as we can and now is the time.
Right now, as we face the consequences of our failure to act soon enough in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear we must learn from these mistakes and act urgently on another crisis we know is coming with widespread and dire consequences. The plan in question is extremely thorough, adaptable, and was formed with extensive public input. It is one of the "largest single expenditures" by our city, as someone points out, and incredibly necessary. The climate crisis touches every aspect of society and with this plan we are securing a safer, more equitable future for my generation and generations to come. We NEED this.
When I heard about the carbon neutrality plan last Fall, I felt proud to live in Ann Arbor. Please approve this plan so I can continue be proud to live here.
The climate crisis is greatest threat we have ever faced and we need to do everything in our power to build a better future which is only possible through enacting the kind of change this plan presents. We could be an example to the rest of the country about how if you set a goal and stay committed to your values you can truly change the world.
This plan isn't just about climate change. It's about building more resilient communities, providing equitable access to transportation services, creating good paying jobs in new sustainable sectors of our local economy, and so much more. We can't pass up this opportunity. Support the plan.
We are in a Climate Crisis as well as the pandemic crisis; we cannot afford to lose sight of the dire consequences of inaction at this crucial moment. This is a well-researched plan with carefully estimated expenses along a defined critical path. The council has heard an unprecedented amount of public engagement, with Town Halls, numerous surveys, and opportunities for constructive comment and input. Climate groups are even now sharing the plan to other cities around the country as a model. While it will require significant investment, for sure, implementation of the plan will actually result in huge energy savings as our city will get in front of the world's transition to clean energy, which is already cheaper than carbon-based energy. The plan will improve our daily lives as well as make us responsible stewards of our children's future. Please adopt this plan.
I'm a young person, with most of my lifetime still ahead of me on this planet. I should be excited for what the future holds, but instead, the threat of the climate crisis and the tepid government response to it so far make me scared for what's to come.
Fortunately, the dedicated, talented, and transparent A2Zero team has developed a detailed, doable plan. They have engaged the community, consulted experts, and nurtured ideas over the course of several months, in accordance with the climate emergency declaration and 2030 carbon neutrality commitment you so wisely passed in November, and have come out with this 10-year strategy to take action on climate and expand the resiliency of our community.
This plan does not only address the crisis at hand; it will substantively improve life for countless Ann Arbor residents, especially the most vulnerable among us, and it will set an example for municipalities worldwide. It gives me hope for the future, rather than fear.
Most people think of climate change as an issue, like affordable housing, health care, income inequality, immigration, racial discrimination, pollution, etc. That's the wrong way to frame it. We are cooking the planet, and that affects everything. And everything we do contributes, because everything we buy, build, drive or fly burns fossil fuels, directly or indirectly. So we have to completely upend the way we live, individually and collectively, because a low carbon future won't work--we must get to zero and even negative emissions to avoid runaway temperature rise and global calamity. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for centuries. We should have begun decarbonizing 30 years ago, but we didn't (I too am guilty) and now we must do it all at once. The A2Zero plan is a start that we can build on. Don't take the nihilistic view that Ann Arbor can't make a real difference. We are high emitters and are directly responsible. It may already be too late, but we should still try.
This is a well-researched plan with carefully estimated expenses along a defined critical path. There has been an unprecedented effort on public engagement, with Town Halls, numerous surveys, and opportunities for constructive comment and input. Though annual costs are estimated to approach 25% of the City's budget, historically low interest rates make long-term borrowing attractive. Moreover, there are many residents and homeowners willing to invest their own money to get their households carbon neutral by 2030. City leadership of this caliber is essential to empower our ability to get community choice aggregation, enhanced public transportation, and all the other public benefits that will improve our daily lives as well as be responsible stewards of our children's future. Please adopt this plan.
The co-sponsors are all white; two are lame ducks. 3 of the 4 co-sponsors represent a *single* ward of 21K registered voters. 3 of the 4 co-sponsors won their primaries with a total of just 6,055 votes. Yet, this quartet seeks to foist on us all one of the single largest proposed expenditures in the history of our city. They want to do it without consensus, a voter mandate, or citywide political support. They seek $1B without face-to-face public engagement.
Ward 3 co-sponsor Julie Grand won her primary with 2,824 votes (53%), and lame duck Ward 3 co-sponsor Zachary Ackerman won his primary with 1,283 votes (53%). Ward 3 has 21,000 registered voters. In 2017 when he last ran, lame duck co-sponsor Chip Smith won his primary with 1,948 votes (52%). Wards 1, 2, 4 and 5 have over 78,000 registered voters.
Burns Park's entitled, white City Council members must not be permitted to dictate to the 121K people who live and pay taxes in Ann Arbor. Vote no, and demand a consensus plan.
PLEASE Vote yes for A2 Zero Plan. I am so supportive of thisA2Zero team - integrating feedback from our community, advice from expert, and examples from communities around the world. I was so impressed by the Town Hall and all the ideas generated. This is a crucial opportunity to support A2 being a leader in committing to carbon neutrality - for our local community and for our globe. PLEASE vote YES.
Please support of City Council’s passage of A2 Zero Living Carbon Neutrality Plan March 2020 at tonight’s meeting. This plan has been created in response to Council’s 2019 unanimous request for a Carbon Neutral report by Earth Day, 2020. The community involvement in drafting this plan—via Technical Advisory Committees, town halls, neighborhood sessions, public surveys, dedicated website--has been impressive by including city stakeholders across all community neighborhoods, educational institutions, businesses, and organizations.
The A2 Zero Plan provides a vision for Ann Arbor moving forward. As the introduction states, “this Plan is considered living since many things can, and likely will, change in the coming years” (page 6). There is no binding obligation in approving the plan. There is an assumption that elected officials will weigh budget decisions alongside carbon reduction considerations and that staff will be guided by the plan.
Passing the resolution to adopt the Living A2Zero Ann Arbor would address the climate emergency our council has already declared. The United States is trailing far behind several European countries regarding administering renewable energy in our cities. We cannot keep ignoring this issue. Ann Arbor could serve as an example for the rest of Michigan. I compel you to pass the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan in Ann Arbor.
As an outsider to Ann Arbor, other Michiganders look to Ann Arbor to lead the way. Adopting this resolution would set an example for the rest of Michigan!
I am a second year student at the University of Michigan and I recently came back from a study abroad program in Freiburg, Germany. I was incredibly impressed by the sustainable infrastructure that has been implemented throughout Germany and many other European countries. We are decades behind basically every major country in terms of implementing renewable energy in our cities, and I am deeply concerned about my future as a young person.
NASA, the US military, the EPA, and many other American agencies have been telling us for years now that we need to change how we produce and use energy as a society. This thorough and detailed plan starts us on a path towards sustainability as a city and should be adopted for the sake of all Ann Arbor residents. Thank you very much for passing the carbon neutrality commitment last November. That was a show of strong and thoughtful leadership. I urge you to follow up with that commitment by passing the A2Zero plan.
I'm a 5th ward resident. Please pass this resolution to adopt the Living A2Zero Ann Arbor Carbon Neutrality Plan. It is needed in order to address the climate emergency that Council itself recently declared. This plan was developed with considerable input from experts and constituents. You need to listen to the experts and adopt the plan. Yes, there will be costs, but there will also be great opportunity, and the time to act is now. Pass the plan. Thanks.
No one opposes Ann Arbor being a safe and healthy place to live. This plan may mean the difference in between one clean and beautiful Ann Arbor and one where smog clogs our streets and masks must be worn for students like me just to go to school. As an 8th grader, what does this mean for our generation? Our children? Our children's children?
Our generation has to live with this decision for potentially the rest of our lives. If this bill does not pass, what type of city will Ann Arbor become? We are living in a full-out climate crisis. We have to make progress towards a greener future, not leaving it for later generations to come. By passing this bill, A2 can become an example for other cities, helping transform the US into a cleaner country.
The A2Zero plan will bring good for the future rather than the dire. Ann Arbor is an amazing place to live and most would agree. We need to keep it that way for as long as we can and now is the time.
Pass the plan.
Right now, as we face the consequences of our failure to act soon enough in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear we must learn from these mistakes and act urgently on another crisis we know is coming with widespread and dire consequences. The plan in question is extremely thorough, adaptable, and was formed with extensive public input. It is one of the "largest single expenditures" by our city, as someone points out, and incredibly necessary. The climate crisis touches every aspect of society and with this plan we are securing a safer, more equitable future for my generation and generations to come. We NEED this.
When I heard about the carbon neutrality plan last Fall, I felt proud to live in Ann Arbor. Please approve this plan so I can continue be proud to live here.
**Leigh
The climate crisis is greatest threat we have ever faced and we need to do everything in our power to build a better future which is only possible through enacting the kind of change this plan presents. We could be an example to the rest of the country about how if you set a goal and stay committed to your values you can truly change the world.
This plan isn't just about climate change. It's about building more resilient communities, providing equitable access to transportation services, creating good paying jobs in new sustainable sectors of our local economy, and so much more. We can't pass up this opportunity. Support the plan.
We are in a Climate Crisis as well as the pandemic crisis; we cannot afford to lose sight of the dire consequences of inaction at this crucial moment. This is a well-researched plan with carefully estimated expenses along a defined critical path. The council has heard an unprecedented amount of public engagement, with Town Halls, numerous surveys, and opportunities for constructive comment and input. Climate groups are even now sharing the plan to other cities around the country as a model. While it will require significant investment, for sure, implementation of the plan will actually result in huge energy savings as our city will get in front of the world's transition to clean energy, which is already cheaper than carbon-based energy. The plan will improve our daily lives as well as make us responsible stewards of our children's future. Please adopt this plan.
I'm a young person, with most of my lifetime still ahead of me on this planet. I should be excited for what the future holds, but instead, the threat of the climate crisis and the tepid government response to it so far make me scared for what's to come.
Fortunately, the dedicated, talented, and transparent A2Zero team has developed a detailed, doable plan. They have engaged the community, consulted experts, and nurtured ideas over the course of several months, in accordance with the climate emergency declaration and 2030 carbon neutrality commitment you so wisely passed in November, and have come out with this 10-year strategy to take action on climate and expand the resiliency of our community.
This plan does not only address the crisis at hand; it will substantively improve life for countless Ann Arbor residents, especially the most vulnerable among us, and it will set an example for municipalities worldwide. It gives me hope for the future, rather than fear.
Pass the plan.
Most people think of climate change as an issue, like affordable housing, health care, income inequality, immigration, racial discrimination, pollution, etc. That's the wrong way to frame it. We are cooking the planet, and that affects everything. And everything we do contributes, because everything we buy, build, drive or fly burns fossil fuels, directly or indirectly. So we have to completely upend the way we live, individually and collectively, because a low carbon future won't work--we must get to zero and even negative emissions to avoid runaway temperature rise and global calamity. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for centuries. We should have begun decarbonizing 30 years ago, but we didn't (I too am guilty) and now we must do it all at once. The A2Zero plan is a start that we can build on. Don't take the nihilistic view that Ann Arbor can't make a real difference. We are high emitters and are directly responsible. It may already be too late, but we should still try.
This is a well-researched plan with carefully estimated expenses along a defined critical path. There has been an unprecedented effort on public engagement, with Town Halls, numerous surveys, and opportunities for constructive comment and input. Though annual costs are estimated to approach 25% of the City's budget, historically low interest rates make long-term borrowing attractive. Moreover, there are many residents and homeowners willing to invest their own money to get their households carbon neutral by 2030. City leadership of this caliber is essential to empower our ability to get community choice aggregation, enhanced public transportation, and all the other public benefits that will improve our daily lives as well as be responsible stewards of our children's future. Please adopt this plan.
The co-sponsors are all white; two are lame ducks. 3 of the 4 co-sponsors represent a *single* ward of 21K registered voters. 3 of the 4 co-sponsors won their primaries with a total of just 6,055 votes. Yet, this quartet seeks to foist on us all one of the single largest proposed expenditures in the history of our city. They want to do it without consensus, a voter mandate, or citywide political support. They seek $1B without face-to-face public engagement.
Ward 3 co-sponsor Julie Grand won her primary with 2,824 votes (53%), and lame duck Ward 3 co-sponsor Zachary Ackerman won his primary with 1,283 votes (53%). Ward 3 has 21,000 registered voters. In 2017 when he last ran, lame duck co-sponsor Chip Smith won his primary with 1,948 votes (52%). Wards 1, 2, 4 and 5 have over 78,000 registered voters.
Burns Park's entitled, white City Council members must not be permitted to dictate to the 121K people who live and pay taxes in Ann Arbor. Vote no, and demand a consensus plan.