Wilshire Center to initiate first Cool District in nation

On  July 19, 2007, the Wilshire Center Business Improvement Corporation’s Board of Directors approved the “WCBIC Cool District Plan”, which was inspired by and modeled after The Sierra Club Cool Cities Initiative.

The Wilshire Center Cool District is a four step program and consists of

• Take the pledge to reduce the districts’ GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) by 2% per year.
• Conduct a global warming emissions inventory
• Create a solutions plan
• Implement and monitor progress

The science behind global warming is in, and the majority of the world’s leading climate scientist and researchers have come to the same conclusion; we must cut our greenhouse gas emissions or face serious consequences. 

Major shifts in temperature have occurred at a very slow rate in our planet’s history, usually changing only a few degrees over thousands of years.  However, our emission of greenhouse gases (caused by the burning of fossil fuel) is causing global warming to occur at a much faster rate than ever before.  If scientist’s projections hold true, we are looking at an average temperature increase of our planet from 3 to 10 degrees over the course of our children’s lifetimes.  This means we are running short of time to slow and reverse the buildup of GHGs in the atmosphere.  Radical changes of the Earth’s weather patterns and sea levels are already threatening the health and lives of all species on our planet.

How does it happen?  Solar radiation passes through the clear atmosphere.  Some radiation is reflected by the Earth and atmosphere; most radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface and warms it.  Infrared radiation is emitted from the Earth’s surface.  Some of the infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere, and some is absorbed and re-emitted in all direction by greenhouse gas molecules.  The effect of this is to warm the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies 6 GHGs; Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PHCs) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).  Our focus is on CO2, which is the most prevalent of the GHGs and remains in our atmosphere from the time of emission for over 100 years.  Man-made carbon dioxide is produced by combusting fossil fuels found in gasoline, natural gas and diesel that we use to power our vehicles, equipment and stationary sources such as power plants.

We have already taken the first step – the pledge to reduce our carbon emissions by 2% per year.  Now what?  For the Wilshire Center Cool District Plan to be implemented, we need know what our carbon footprint is (the amount of CO2 which our district is dispersing into the atmosphere).  Step 2 of the plans calls for a Global Warming Emission Inventory to be done by a consultant hired by the WCBIC.

State and local governments are taking action.  We now have the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), which seeks to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.  Los Angeles has the Green LA Climate Action Plan, the goal of which is to reduce GHG emissions 35% below 1990 levels by 2030.

 An inventory for the Los Angeles Community done in 2004 states that L.A. is putting our 51.6 million metric tons of CO2, most of it coming for transportation.  Other sources are industrial, commercial, residential and government emissions.  It was estimated that more than 98% of city government emissions result from the generation of electricity by LA Department of Water & Power (at both in-state and our-of-state power plants).

Climate change starts and stops with us.  The Wilshire Center Cool District Plan aims to reduce CO2 emissions 2% per year for 40 years (2010-2050).  Our strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions includes encouraging buildings to become more energy efficient and take advantage of renewable energy sources, and encouraging people to make better use of our public transportation system and to make their next car purchase a green vehicle.

Why us?  Here are some reasons:  our government can’t do it all; we all contribute to climate change, so we should all contribute to climate protection; saving energy saves money; safeguarding our climate safeguards our future; we can become a model for other districts, and share the lessons we learn.

What’s next?  Earth Day/Car Free Day on April 22, 2008, will be the kick-off the Wilshire Center Cool District Program: The 2% Solution.  After analyzing our carbon footprint (or emissions inventory), we will be able to report back on our progress on a Solutions Plan next year (that’s Step 3).