The climate change mitigation strategies outlined in this report were created through the partnership between National City and the SDSU Sage Project during the fall of 2014. Graduate students in the Public Health 700D course titled “Global Climate Change,” taught by Professor Zohir Chowdhury, elected one of two project options: designing a pedestrian and bicycle master plan or devising strategies to aid in environmental impact and mitigation from port, industry, and transportation emissions. The goal of both of these projects was to find strategies for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within National City and to improve the overall health of its residents.
National City already has a Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was published in 2011. This plan provides an emissions inventory for the city as well as forecasting emission data for the future. This data includes reduction targets that the city hopes to reach for the year 2020, as well as 2030. This plan also includes strategies to be implemented that will help to reduce emissions (National City, 2011). It is already 2015, and the 2020 reduction target of 15% emission reductions from 2005 levels is looming. It is urgent that the city implement additional strategies in order to reach the goals outlined in the CAP. New data will need to be collected on emissions within the next five years, as the data currently available is outdated, having been collected in 2005 (National City, 2011).
The first class project topic, designing a pedestrian and bicycle master plan, sought ways to improve the current infrastructure within the city to further support alternative forms of transportation. One method to support this change is to improve connectivity within the city. There are many schools, retail centers, parks, and residential communi-ties which can benefit from new physical infrastructure. The goal of this project was not only to reduce GHG emissions, but also to provide health and environmental benefits. This report will expand upon the following ideas related to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure:
•Phase-by-phase implementation of a bike share system
•Improvements to existing bicycle lanes
•Addition of new bicycle lanes
•Protected bicycle lanes
•Improvements to recreational areas and infrastructure
The second class project topic, formulating strategies to reduce environmental impact and aid in mitigation from port, industry, and transportation emissions, sought first to identify GHG emissions, air pollutant emissions, and other environmental impacts from the port, industry, and freeways. After the above emission sources were identified, the groups then provided ways to mitigate these impacts to improve the quality of life and environment within the city. This report will expand on the following ideas to address these environmental impacts:
•Traffic roundabouts
•Environmental zones
•A group grocery delivery system
•LED streetlights
•Addition of a solar power plant, power-to-gas facility, and waste treatment plant
•A cap and trade system
•Shore power
•Urban forests
This report will conclude by highlighting the most compelling strategies for implementation within National City, including calculations of potential GHG reductions. These strategies should not be viewed as comprehensive plans, but rather as individual ideas that can be adapted into National City’s current CAP. These strategies will help to reduce GHG emissions as well as improve the quality of life for all residents within National City.
In order to meet 2020 goals, it is urgent that these strategies be adapted as soon as possible. Though California has emerged as a global leader in working to combat a changing global climate, without the participation of every community, both large and small, this battle will be lost. Governor Brown recently announced a new aggressive executive order that would call for emission reductions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. This is even more aggressive than President Obama’s plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 (Associated Press, 2015). If this new executive order is passed, it will call for a new inventory of current GHG emissions, a re-evaluation of the current CAP, and the implementation of additional aggressive climate change mitigation strategies.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103
University Faculty Contact
Zohir Chowdhury
Public Health
Local Government / Community Contact