Evanston’s Community Solar Program, a cheaper alternative to other available renewable energy sources, has been open for resident subscriptions since May 2021.
The program aligns with the goals of the city’s Climate Action Plan, according to Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th).
The Evanston Climate Action Plan was established in 2008 with the goal of a 13-percent carbon emission reduction by 2012. The second version of the plan, the Livability Plan, passed in 2014 and raised the bar to a 20-percent carbon emission reduction by 2016. The most recent version of the plan, created in 2018, is the Climate Action Resilience Plan, which aims to reach zero carbon emissions in Evanston by 2050.
Evanston Township High School senior Jacob Brodsky presented solutions for local food insecurity that he gathered from his city urban gardening survey in a Thursday afternoon presentation.
As part of his independent study class presentation, Brodsky delivered his results to community members, including 4th Ward alderperson-elect Jonathan Nieuwsma, 5th Ward alderperson-elect Bobby Burns and Joel Freeman, a board member of Citizens’ Greener Evanston and co-chair of Evanston’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan.
The survey focused primarily on urban agricultural solutions residents were looking to implement, and guided Brodsky’s presentation. His slideshow suggested respondents’ input had a common theme of creating “a more resilient food system that isn’t as dependent on large scale operations” something he said is currently the norm.
As deadlines set in the Climate Action and Resilience Plan approach, some advocates are questioning whether Evanston is allocating enough funding and resources to the Office of Sustainability.
CARP plans for carbon neutrality by 2050, but it also sets smaller, more specific benchmarks to ensure Evanston stays on track over the next few decades.
Some of these goals are quickly approaching. By 2025, CARP aims for all vehicle fleets operating in Evanston, including school buses, to transition to 50 percent electric vehicles.
It also aims for the city to divert 50 percent of waste out of landfills from 2017 levels through increased recycling, reuse and composting, and for 75 percent of Evanston electricity to be supplied by renewables by 2025.
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