Fairfax County seeks public input on action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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| Vehicle emissions are the single biggest factor in climate change. |
Fairfax County seeks public input on an ambitious goal to address climate change by setting targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Â
Two virtual public meetings have been scheduled on the county’s first-ever Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP): Tuesday, Sept. 1, 10 a.m.-noon, and Wednesday, Sept. 2, 7-9 p.m.
Fairfax County residents and workers are also invited to take a survey on climate action. The survey has 40 multiple-choice questions and should take about 10 minutes.Â
Be prepared to answer the question: “What do you wish Fairfax County would focus on to address climate change?” The survey will be open until Sept. 13.Â
It’s getting hotter
July 2020 was the hottest month on record in seven states, including Virginia, since 1895, when records were first kept.Â
The transportation sector makes up 44 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Fairfax County. Energy usage in homes and businesses makes up more than 50 percent. The county’s trash incinerator in Lorton emits the most air pollution of any single facility in the county.Â
Controlling greenhouse gas emissions is not only good for the environment; it’s also important for everyone’s health and the county’s economic well-being.
Air pollution from greenhouse gases can make it harder to breathe, resulting in increased cases of asthma and other respiratory illnesses.Â
Severe weather caused by climate change requires Fairfax County to divert taxpayer money from other needs, such as schools and transportation projects. A major storm in 2019, for example, cost the county $14 million.Â
Carbon neutrality
The county launched the effort to reduce greenhouse gases in July 2019 when the Board of Supervisors created the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.
An Energy and Climate Task Force – composed of leaders from the business community, local and regional nonprofits, and residents from each of the nine Fairfax County Supervisor districts – is primarily responsible for developing the CECAP. Each district also has a focus group composed of community members with experience or interest in climate, energy, and environmental issues.Â
In July, the Energy and Climate Task Force voted to recommend a goal of carbon neutrality in Fairfax County by 2050. The CECAP will offer a plan for how the county can reach that goal.Â
Once the CECAP is finalized, it will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.Â
5 responses to “Fairfax County seeks public input on action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”
Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply
I took the survey, wasn't very good. Asked ? if very likely to not likely.
Sample: consider improving insulation, riding a bike, walking, using metro, etc.
No where was there a place to respond that I have improved insulation, new windows, solar panels, electric vehicle, rain barrels and every possible "green" improvement that's recommended. Obviously this survey was developed assuming residents have no clue or interest in conservation.
But they asked about increasing density, so we could have walkable communities.
IMHO not a very good survey if there is no Comments section.
I agree that many of the questions could have used a "I've already done this" answer. There was a comments box at the end (#30) that I shoved all my thoughts into 🙂
Agree with both of you. Not a great survey design. I also was thinking where is the “I did this in the past x years” option.
I am very much in agreement with "AL". I went through the survey, answering some of the questions. At least there was an open question at the end on what we'd like to see the county do, and I inserted this answer:
"Lead by example. All these things you are asking homeowners to *purchase* — including presumably a new home near a metro — are housing developers being required or encouraged to do all this? or are they just building more housing, to populate with new homeowners who will then be asked to do these things? where is tree canopy? I saw no mention of green (living green) infrastructure
Lastly, this survey is an insult to a lower income person, gives one no way to participate other than by suggesting they buy (expensive) things …
Please offer an open ended dialog box, no survey questions. Limit 1 page to keep us concise.
MR
If they really want to reduce greenhouse emissions, they should follow their own study which says traffic is the main source. Why then is Fairfax County trying to add more housing in residential neighborhoods with extra small houses in current lots? The house next door has between 9 and 12 cars from residents living there. And to my knowledge, none of them are related. Enforcing zoning and not adding extra housing to existing lots would help reduce emissions. Ha. This is a solution that the Board of Supervisors will not even consider. They think we are all going to ride our bikes or walk to Tysons Corner.