Lewisburg And Other Municipalities Work With DEP To Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Harrisburg PA

14 May, 2022

9:30 PM

Description

By NCPA Staff, NorthCentralPA.com May 14, 2022 Local municipalities are taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a local level. 12 participants representing 121 municipalities recently completed the Local Climate Action Program, a project of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). DEP's 2021-22 Local Climate Action Program conducts inventories of local greenhouse gas emissions and helps to develop plans to reduce emissions. "The DEP Local Climate Action Program has greatly increased the capacity of our borough to make informed decisions about the adaptation and hazard mitigation we'll need to do to respond to the climate crisis. We are fortunate to have participated in the program, as it's provided a guiding framework we are certain our community will use for decades," said Taylor Lightman, director of Lewisburg Neighborhoods, a 501c(3) nonprofit dedicated to neighborhood revitalization in Lewisburg Borough. The Local Climate Action Program has trained 53 entities, representing about 380 municipalities in Pennsylvania. Lewisburg was among the most recent participants, which also included Camp Hill, Carnegie and Swissvale Boroughs, 49 municipalities in Delaware County, 62 municipalities in Lehigh Valley, Milford, Millersville, O'Hara Township, Rutledge Borough, Warrington Township, and West Bradford Township. Participants were assisted by students from Bryn Mawr College, the University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Bucknell, Drexel, Messiah, Moravian, Penn State, Temple, and Wilkes Universities. ICLEI, a national nonprofit, helped to perform greenhouse gas emission inventory data from local buildings, transportation, waste management, and other sectors. The teams identified climate-related vulnerabilities within their communities such as flooding, extreme heat, and effects on disadvantaged populations. Following the inventory and risk analysis, the teams used a template to draft local plans to lower emissions and prepare for climate-related difficulties that they may encounter. Once the plans are completed, participating municipalities are eligible for free services from an energy management consultant to help determine the best first steps to reduce impacts. "Climate change is often discussed in terms of global temperature increase, sea level rise, and hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "But the way people experience climate change is at the local level, and along with actions at the state, national, and international levels, actions in our communities are needed to reduce risk. DEP is committed to equipping municipalities in Pennsylvania to plan climate action and strengthen the sustainability of their communities." DEP is currently accepting applications for year 4 of the Local Climate Action Program, which begins later this summer. Communities have until June 30 to express their interest. Please contact Christopher Nafe at [email protected] or (717) 783-9722 to sign up. The Local Climate Action Program is run by the DEP Energy Programs Office and funded by the State Energy Program of the U.S. Department of Energy. Learn more at dep.pa.gov/LocalClimateActionProgram. NorthcentralPa.com provides the region with reliable, relevant, and real-time news, covering weather, community news and events, crime, police activity, local, regional, and national alerts, and PennDOT-reported road construction and conditions. We report on local and regional politics, offer a platform for nonprofits to report their news and events, and share obituaries. Scanner reports let readers know what's happening outside their homes the minute it happens.