Jacksonville is the Only Major City in Florida Without Climate Plan

Scientists and academics have urged the City of Jacksonville to adopt a Climate change plan. The coastal city is the only major Florida city without one.

In a letter outline the urgency of the need for a climate strategy, 11 professors and scientists from various Florida University urged Mayor Lenny Curry to review National Climate Assessments and make adjustments to account for Jacksonville’s vulnerability to Climate change. They also asked for the city to appoint or hire a Climate change office or a person directed at solving this problem.

Adam Rosenblatt, one of the signatories, said that plans must include flooding, heat waves, and health issues associated with Climate change. “The value of a Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) to Jacksonville is that this person can view the climate crisis in a big picture way, not just as many separate risks but as interrelated risks as well,” Rosenblatt told Smart Cities Dive, “A good CRO can bring together resources and individuals from across many state and city departments to develop coordinated strategies for tackling the many serious climate-related issues that cities like Jacksonville are going to continue to face for many years to come.”

Mayor Curry did not respond to requests for comments from news outlets.

Research from Boston University on cities has found other mayors of large cities that have limited Climate change initiatives. A “clear partisan divide” is apparent in these cities, with Republican-led cities with more than 75,000 residents belonging to an average of one climate network.  Participation in climate networks in cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth, Texas are limited. Cities of the same size led by Democrats belong to an average of four.

In face of limited federal oversight on Climate change, and Trump’s recent withdrawal from the Paris Accord, other mayors in the United States are taking the lead on Climate change. Attendees of the C40 Summit pledged to reduce emissions in each of their cities.

Read more about how cities are tackling Climate change in One Green Planet. Check out these articles:

• World City Leaders Address Global Climate Emergency by Taking Matters in Their Own Hands
• These 14 Cities are Committed to Developing “Planetary Health Diet” Programs to Combat Climate Change
• Make Way for Biogas! Food Scraps will be Used as Fuel for Garbage Trucks in Toronto

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