HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5266COUNCH, RESOLUTION NO. 5266
A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
PASS A GREENNE W DEAL.
PASSED: 6:2
R ECTED:
OPPOSED: Clark, Pryor
ABSENT:
CONSIDERED: May 20, 2019
EFFECTIVE DATE: Immakate
RESOLUTION NO. 5266
A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO PASS A GREEN NEW DEAL.
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that:
A. An October 2018 United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) report says we have only until 2030, to limit devastating global warming and avoid a
climate change catastrophe.
B. The October 2018 IPCC report also makes clear that every bit of warming
matters, so every fraction of a degree less of warming will save lives and pay dividends across
the world's economies.
C. The world is already experiencing serious, costly, and increasing impacts from
climate change, including more intense storms, unprecedented flooding and persistent
wildfires.
D. An inadequate response to climate change will increase economic and
environmental disruptions. These include, but are not limited to: severe storms, longer and
hotter heat waves, worsening flood and drought cycles, growing invasive species and insect
problems, accelerated species extinction rates, rising sea levels, increased wildfires, and a
dramatic increase in refugees from climate impacted lands.
E. The most negative impacts of climate change are generally falling on frontline
communities. Frontline communities that are underrepresented, such as lower-income
communities or communities of color, are bearing the initial burden of climate change, but are
least equipped to adapt to these impacts.
F. Doing what is now necessary to adequately address the climate crisis requires a
national mobilization of a scope and scale that is a historic opportunity to address inequities
caused and exacerbated by the fossil fuel economy as well as virtually eliminating poverty in
the United States.
G. Federal Green New Deal legislation would create a detailed mobilization plan
intended to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, invest in communities on the
frontlines of poverty and pollution, and guarantee a good job to anyone ready to make this
happen.
H. Local governments calling for the federal government to pass a Green New Deal
will demonstrate widespread popular support for necessary and just climate action.
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NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a
Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows:
Section 1. The Eugene City Council calls on the U.S. Government to pass a Green New
Deal that meets the following goals by 2030:
a. Dramatically expand existing renewable power sources and deploy new
production capacity with the goal of meeting 100% of national power demand
through renewable sources;
b. Building a national, energy-efficient, "smart" grid;
C. Upgrading every residential and industrial building for state-of-the-art energy
efficiency, comfort and safety;
d. Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing, agricultural and
other industries, including by investing in local -scale agriculture in communities
across the country;
e. Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by repairing and improving transportation
and other infrastructure, and upgrading water infrastructure to ensure universal
access to clean water;
f. Funding massive investment in the drawdown of greenhouse gases;
g. Making "green" technology, industry, expertise, products and services a major
export of the United States, with the aim of becoming the undisputed international
leader in helping other countries transition to completely greenhouse gas neutral
economies and bringing about a global Green New Deal.
It. Noting that the scope presents ahistoric opportunity to virtually eliminate poverty
in the United States and to make prosperity, wealth and economic security
available to everyone participating in the transformation, the Green New Deal
should aim to:
(1) Provide all members of our society, across all regions and all
communities, the opportunity, training and education to be a full and
equal participant in the transition, including through a job guarantee
program to assure a living wage job to every person who wants one;
(2) Diversify local and regional economies, with a particular focus on
communities where the fossil fuel industry holds significant control
over the labor market, to ensure workers have the necessary tools,
opportunities, and economic assistance to succeed during the energy
transition;
Resolution -- Page 2 of 3
(3) Require strong enforcement of labor, workplace safety, and wage
standards that recognize the rights of workers to organize and unionize
free of coercion, intimidation, and harassment, and creation of
meaningful, quality, career employment;
(4) Ensure a `just transition' for all workers, low-income communities,
communities of color, indigenous communities, rural and urban
communities andthe front-line communities most affected by climate
change, pollution and other environmental harm including by ensuring
that local implementation of the transition is led from the community
level and by prioritizing solutions that end the harms faced by front-
line communities from climate change and environmental pollution;
(5) Protect and enforce sovereign rights and land rights of tribal nations;
(6) Mitigate deeply entrenched racial, regional and gender-based
inequalities in income and wealth (including, without limitation,
ensuring that federal and other investment will be equitably distributed
to historically impoverished, low income, deindustrialized or other
marginalized communities in such a way that builds wealth and
ownership at the community level);
(7) Include additional measures such as basic income programs, universal
health care programs and any others deemed appropriate to promote
economic security, labor market flexibility and entrepreneurism;and
(8) Deeply involve national and local labor unions to take a leadership role
in the process of job training and workerdeployment.
Section 2. This Resolution is effective immediately upon its passage by the City
Council.
The foregoing Resolution adopted the 20m day of May, 2019.
101-eputy City Recorder
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