LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — This week, climate change is the talk of the town.
Or more accurately — the talk of many towns — as experts across the country meet in Las Vegas to tackle community resilience on a warming planet.
WATCH | Local leaders meet to find solutions to threats posed by climate change
| "We want to reduce the impact to the environment and the impact to the economy for every single resident who lives here and the people who do business here and who visit here." — Marco Velotta, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Las Vegas |
Velotta is among numerous local officials and other stakeholders attending the Climate Change Preparedness Conference Wednesday through Friday.
"I think no matter what the issue is, we'd be better off addressing it than let things not be solved," Velotta said.
In Southern Nevada, solving the challenges that come with extreme heat and drought remain high priority, according to Jodi Bechtel, the Assistant Director of Clark County's Department of Environment and Sustainability.
"Urban heat is a big deal. We are the second fastest warming city in the nation. I think we're supposed to expect 30 days over 106 degrees in the next century," Bechtel said.
She explained that she's here to learn from colleagues across the country.
| "Tips on dealing with things in the current political environment, how do we all deal with that? Making sure we're all working together and talking together and building that consensus among the community that really want to see this sort of work continue." — Jodi Bechtel, Assistant Director, Clark County Dept. of Environment and Sustainability |
The challenges do vary across the United States.
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Lisa Lin, Sustainability Director of Harris County, Texas, noted that her state faces multiple climate threats beyond just temperature extremes.
"We had snow this year, which is not a normal thing that we experience in Houston, Harris County. We had a derecho last year, and hurricanes, flooding," Lin said.
Conference organizer George Rhee emphasized the importance of local collaboration, especially given current federal dynamics.
"Getting people to talk about these problems and form alliances and learn from each other at various levels of local government. I think it's the way forward, particularly with the difficulties at the federal level right now," Rhee said.
The conference comes as portions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that address climate change are being rolled back under President Trump's budget proposal, alongside cuts to programs like the National Weather Service and data collection for billion-dollar disasters.
WATCH | Billion-dollar disasters have been tracked since 1980 — that's no longer the case
Climate Mayors, a bipartisan network of hundreds of mayors across the U.S. tackling climate-related issues, say congressional spending cuts to clean energy investments would be detrimental by raising costs for everyday Americans.
Kate Write, the executive director for Climate Mayors, issued the following statement in response to House committees approving parts of the reconciliation package:
"These proposed bills defy common sense - at a time when nearly half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, we should be lowering costs, not raising them. These programs and tax credits have provided a critical boost to local economies across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, driving billions in private investment, and revitalizing U.S. manufacturing. If Congress goes through with these spending cuts, it’s everyday Americans who will foot the bill in the form of higher energy costs and lower job opportunities.
Clean energy is more affordable, more reliable, and better for people’s health and safety. American energy dominance and security depends on unleashing more of it. Gutting these programs would be inviting instability and chaos, hiking up energy costs at a time when Americans are demanding lower bills.
Climate Mayors across the country have seen firsthand how clean energy tax credits have benefited their communities, in red and blue states alike. Earlier this year, 133 mayors and local leaders sent a letter to Congress urging them to preserve clean energy tax credits. We stand united and firm in calling on Congress to listen to their constituents and keep these programs in place so we can keep innovating, keep people’s energy bills affordable, and build a better, more prosperous, and healthier future for American families.”
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