The City of Palo Alto will use community input garnered from a summit on Sunday to jumpstart a new climate plan.
According to Benjamin Privitt, who is responsible for city sustainability analytics and reporting, the Sustainability Climate Action Plan will improve the 2007 Climate Protection Plan to accommodate for the modern economic and environmental landscape. Privitt says the summit — which Mayor Patrick Burt called “possibly the largest and most important environmental gathering in our city’s history” — served as an opportunity for community members to collaborate and share ideas on the SCAP and the problems it will attempt to tackle.
Registration for the event filled to maximum capacity and the summit included about 300 community members, including City Council members, students and representatives from the student climate change group Project Enybody.
“What’s important about an event like this is that we’re bringing the community together to make some critical decisions about the future that we want to make for ourselves,” Privitt said.
Chief Sustainability Officer Gil Friend outlined a plan to make Palo Alto a carbon-neutral city by 2030, among other goals. Audience members said they hoped to take actionable steps toward combating climate change and produce more alternatives to gasoline cars.
The summit’s keynote speaker, Colonel Mark “Puck” Mykleby, appeared via a video and answered questions by video chat after a weather-related transportation glitch kept him from appearing in person. Mykleby is the founding director of the Strategic Innovation Lab at Case Western Reserve University. He also served as a special strategic assistant on to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the role of climate change in US “grand strategy.”
Those who missed the Climate Summit but wish to learn more were able to attend a study session on Jan. 25 as part of a regular City Council meeting at Palo Alto City Hall.
Photos by Adrienne Kwok.
…// Powered by Cincopa Video Cloud for Business solution.2016 Climate SummitAs part of Palo Alto’s climate action plan initiated in 2007, the city achieved an 80% reduction in its waste and now has 100% carbon free electricity.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Palo Alto Mayor Patrick Burt began the conference by introducing the overall issues of climate change and the importance of being environmentally conscientious. “It will help determine what type of city we will have for decades ahead,” Burt said.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Keynote speaker Colonel Mark “Puck” Mykleby addressed the audience in a question and answer session through a video call. As a result of stormy weather on the East Coast, Mykleby was unable to attend the event in person.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Project Enybody member and Gunn senior Emily Cao poses with Gunn junior Sarah Tan while listening to the conference speakers.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182An attendee participates in the Q&A session with Colonel Mark Mykleby. As founding director of the Strategic Innovation Lab at Case Western Reserve University, Mykleby also served as a special strategic assistant on to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the role of climate change in US “grand strategy.”originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Palo Alto Unified School District Energy Specialist Rebecca Navarro attended the conference. Navarro taught English at JLS Middle School and has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Those who missed the Climate Summit but wish to learn more will be able to attend a study session on Jan. 25 as part of a regular City Council meeting at Palo Alto City Hall.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182According Palo Alto Mayor Patrick Burt, the 2016 Sustainability & Climate Action Summit is the “largest and most important environmental gathering in our city’s history.”originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182(From top to bottom, left to right) Senior William Zhou, Palo Alto Teen Program Specialist Jose Perez, freshman Leo Trejo, Gunn senior Emily Cao, freshman Raymond Fang, Gunn junior Helen Nguyen, Gunn junior Sarah Tan, freshman Vivian Feng, junior Adrienne Kwok, and Gunn junior Shannon Yang posed for a photo in front of the Jordan Climate Summit. Photo by Emily Hwang.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Approximately 300 people from Palo Alto and neighboring cities attended the Climate Summit from noon to 5p.m. Registration for the free event reached maximum capacity.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Senior William Zhou interviewed Sustainability Analytics & Reporting Benjamin Privitt as part of Project Enybody. “There are a lot of different versions of what a green Palo Alto looks like,” Privitt said. “The best version is the one that meets the needs and delivers the services that Palo Alto residents and businesses can experience and really thrive.”originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182The 2016 Sustainability & Climate Action Summit took place at Jordan Middle School at 750 N California Ave, Palo Alto.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182The City of Palo Alto plans to make biking and walking more accessible to Palo Alto citizens, such as through expanding bicycle-share programs, according to Palo Alto Mayor Patrick Burt.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182Sophomores Leo Trejo and Raymond Fang attended the conference as representatives for Project Enybody, a City of Palo Alto teen group dedicated to raising awareness for climate protection.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 2100height 1182