VOSD Podcast: The Most Ambitious Climate Plan Ever Still Isn't Enough

By Nate John, the Voice of San Diego

November 12, 2021

If a climate action plan falls in the forest, does it make a sound?

Or really: If such a plan fails to meet its goals, will anyone sue?

This week, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria released a draft of the city’s updated Climate Action Plan with an ambitious new target of net zero emissions by 2035. One of the ways the city plans to meet that goal is by transitioning nearly all buildings in the city to electricity. That means no more gas to power your water heaters or stoves.

On this week’s VOSD Podcast, hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña note that the previous Climate Action Plan didn’t do all it set out to do. And even if the city does everything outlined in its new plan — with no pushback or shortcuts — it still falls short by 2 million metric tons of emissions.

Our hosts discuss the accountability issues and possibilities as the city grapples with one of our biggest global crises.

Also this week

• The county Board of Supervisors set new rules and aspirations for public comments this week after months of increasingly tense and vitriolic statements from residents, which hit an ugly peak recently. On the show, Lewis, Keatts and Lopez-Villafaña rehash some history of public comments and examine their place in democracy.
• The Great Resignation hits home. San Diego Unified schools are hurting for substitutes and, in turn, confusing parents about the year’s schedule. And the city’s parks and recreation department has a lot of vacancies, which is hampering its ability to reopen from pandemic-era shutdowns.

Listen Now

Spotify | Apple | RSS

The Most Ambitious Climate Plan Ever Still Isn't Enough

Voice of San Diego is a nonprofit news organization supported by our members. We reveal why things are the way they are and expose facts that people in power might not want out there and explain complex local public policy issues so you can be engaged and make good decisions. Sign up for our newsletters at voiceofsandiego.org/newsletters/.