The Jackson town council has voted unanimously to join other cities and states around the country to commit to the Paris Climate accord, an agreement among 196 of the world’s nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Trump recently pulled the U.S. out of that agreement, saying it wasn’t a good deal for the country.
Jackson city councilor Hailey Morton-Levinson said her reason for voting yes on last week’s resolution was because Jackson has already been striving toward energy reduction. The town improved recycling at its offices, switched to better light bulbs and even tackled more ambitious strategies.
“We have solar panels at our waste water treatment plant. And our waste water treatment plant like most municipalities is one of the largest users of energy. And we were able to significantly reduce our energy at the waste water treatment plant by using solar,” said Morton-Levinson.
With the U.S. out, numerous states and city governments have since formed an alliance to keep working toward the accord’s goals. Morton-Levinson said city governments can make a big difference since municipalities use 75 percent of the country’s energy.
“When you think about that, it’s actually pretty cool that we can as a town, [not only can] Jackson reduce, but also encourage other towns to reduce as well, and really make an impact if everyone’s doing a little bit here or there or making more significant strides over the years.”
Morton-Levinson said the town met a goal of reducing its use by ten percent by 2010 and now has a goal of reducing it by 40 percent by 2020.
