Obama Goes Local With Climate Action

CURWOOD: President Obama is taking what steps he can to address carbon pollution without the support of Congress. Back in June, he launched the federal Climate Action Plan that aims to cut emissions and prepare US communities for the impacts of a changing climate. And now he's tapped governors, mayors and tribal leaders to serve on a task force to consider how best to support localities and add to their resilience.One of those chosen for the task force is Kristin Jacobs, Mayor of Broward County in South Florida. Welcome to Living on Earth! JACOBS: Thank you so much. CURWOOD: And congratulations on your presidential appointment. JACOBS: Oh, its wonderful, its actually one of the most exciting things thats happened to me in all the time Ive been in public office. Theres an old expression that says, if youre not at the table, youre on the menu. And often, local governments, we feel that way, so its just awesome to be at the table, on the federal level, and to be able to help in deciding some of these issues and where funding goes and what the policies ought to look like. CURWOOD: What do you understand is the goal of President Obamas climate change task force? Kristin Jacobs is Mayor of Broward County, Florida. (Kristin Jacobs) JACOBS: What we understand is that the President has rightly identified all these calamities that are happening across the country that are related to climate change. So whether its increased wildfires, or whether its long-term drought, and then you obviously have sea level rise for any of the coastal counties throughout the country. Its interesting that 60 percent of the nations population lives in a coastal county, so the President has rightly identified that amongst many of the issues that are facing the country to understand what is the federal role from the local perspective, from the state perspective, from the tribal perspective. What is it that the federal government can do to help us in moving forward to become more resilient, to adapt to a changing climate? There are dollars that are already being invested by the federal government in large infrastructure projects throughout the country. Shouldnt they make sure, when they invest these dollars that theyre going to be invested in a way thats smart? You wouldnt want to, for example, a roadway to be built thats going to be underwater in ten years, and I think we are the first line of defense – local governments. The federal government is kind of there to help backstop us. CURWOOD: So, heres a difficult question for those of you in South Florida…you look at the climate models, and they talk about two feet, three feet, four feet or more in sea level rise in not such a long period of time, especially compared to the age of our country. JACOBS: It is scary when you look at some of the projections that are particularly happening in those areas that have very temperate climate as we do here in South Florida. I dont think of it though so much as doom and gloom because the one thing that you know when you look at America and Americans in particular is we always find a way not only to be resilient, but also somehow to make the progress in dealing with that resiliency marketable, and someone always seems to find a way to make some money at it. As long as we are accepting what the future looks like and addressing it, not just from the local standpoint, but with our state partners and our federal partners, I believe this country is going to get to where it needs to go, but I think it starts locally, and it is that engine thats driving this process forward. CURWOOD: Youre an optimist here in a territory that people say is, well, likely to be flooded out in the next century – gone. JACOBS: I dont think its going to be gone. Its going to be different. So are there areas of vulnerability where it doesnt make sense to continue going on in the same direction that you have? Absolutely. Can we make changes and still become resilient, and continue to live where we do? Absolutely. You cant consider that the whole world is going to move miles and miles and miles away from the ocean. There are places all over the world that are equally in difficult positions, whether its extreme drought, its wildfires…I mean theres so many different things that are happening around the world that it isnt just a South Florida problem. Its broader than that. CURWOOD: And whats the elevation, by the way, of South Florida? JACOBS: We run anywhere from about four feet above sea level and then to a couple of points in Brower County that are around 21 feet. I actually live in the second highest elevation in our county at 18 feet above sea level and were about three miles inland. CURWOOD: Politically Florida is a purple state. JACOBS:[LAUGHS] Yes, it is. CURWOOD: How are you guys working across party lines? JACOBS: The thing that gets me out of bed in the morning, I guess, is that were doing it across party lines. These issues that are happening, these things that are happening to us and going to continue to happen arent happening because theres Democrats in one county and Republicans in another. Theyre going to happen regardless of our party, and our population doesnt care when that water is filling up their swimming pool or their business is underwater, they dont care what party it is thats answering the phone – they want solutions and they want answers and they want to know that their government thought ahead and used their tax dollars wisely. Its what I think in many cases the federal government is not able to do and that local governments have successfully demonstrated we can do and will do. Into the future, it is super important that we understand that we have to work together in partnership across all levels of government if were going to be able to truly be resilient. CURWOOD: Kristin Jacobs is the Mayor of Broward County in South Florida, and is part of the Presidents Task Force for the Climate Action Plan. Thank you. JACOBS: Thank you, thank you for having me.