Tucson.com: Local opinion: Tucson is building resilience

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Tucson is a desert city leading at the forefront of climate action. Recently, Tucson was the site of the Southern Arizona Clean Economy and Community Impact Summit. There, President Biden’s former Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator, Mitch Landrieu, applauded the work we are doing in Tucson to secure millions in federal dollars through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. My vision is to bring home every federal dollar possible so we can invest in clean energy, protect Tucsonans from the impacts of climate change and extreme heat, and create the long-term, green jobs of the future.

We have accomplished so much since this Mayor and Council declared a climate emergency in 2020. Because of our bold actions, Tucson is a model for climate action among cities in the American Southwest today.

Wasting no time, and despite a global pandemic, we invested over $80 million implementing our climate action plan, Tucson Resilient Together, which we developed in record time. The City of Tucson hired its first-ever Chief Resilience Officer, and guided by our tree equity data, we have planted over 100,000 trees to bring shade and relief from extreme heat to residents in neighborhoods that had experienced historic disinvestment.

We created our Electric Vehicle Roadmap to reduce vehicle emissions, which are the largest source of greenhouse gases. Today, Tucson has the largest fleet of electric buses in the Southwest and our building codes are meeting the demands of a clean energy future after updating our residential, commercial, multifamily and retail codes, making it easier for Tucsonans to switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

Yet climate change shows no signs of slowing. Last year proved to be the hottest summer on record in the history of the planet.

Tucsonans are already feeling the impacts of climate change. Last year’s record of 53 consecutive days of triple-digit heat was felt first and worst by our seniors, children, workers, and those who are unhoused. Climate change also puts at-risk individuals and families who must walk long distances to access our free transit system. As extreme heat advisories are forcing Tucsonans to shelter indoors, residents whose homes and living environments are not weatherized for the realities of climate change are experiencing the added burden of rising energy costs.

Climate change is also putting additional pressure on the desert’s most precious resource: water. As a City, Tucson is doing everything possible to store water for years to come while protecting our aquifer. Thanks to Tucsonans’ conservation ethic and our Tucson Water conservation programs we are using the same amount of water now as we did in the 1980s, despite our population growing by 200,000 residents. Yet, as we speak, climate change is pushing the limits of the Colorado River and Lake Mead beyond their breaking point.

Tucsonans have been paying close attention to the list of transformative investments that we have made as a city in just the last four years. I knew in 2020, when we declared a climate emergency, that these were the types of actions that we would have to take as a city to protect Tucsonans. But we can’t do it alone.

Like many of you, my family has lived in the Sonoran Desert for generations. I continue to work fast and furiously with my colleagues on the Council to take action now so that Tucson continues to be the safe, thriving, sustainable and resilient desert city into the future. This Earth Day is a reminder to all of us not to take for granted the beauty of our surroundings. The desert is a resilient but delicate ecosystem. It has been a source of life for thousands of years, and we have a responsibility to work together to care for its resources now and into the future.

Read the original opinion article here.