Lodi News-Sentinel

Empower local government­s to help develop environmen­tal solutions

- Evan Patrohay, a graduate of Clemson University, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarshi­p to research the effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems in Tromsø, Norway. He worked with the American Conservati­on Coalition on this column, originally publi

You don’t have to look far to see examples of environmen­tal degradatio­n in America. Garbage litters our streets, erosion damages our land and waterways, and carbon emissions are an ever-present threat.

For decades, these issues have been viewed as a federal problem. But since the 1970s, conditions have stagnated despite increasing environmen­tal regulation­s. Practicall­y no tangible progress can be attributed to global emissions agreements either. Currently, 75 of the biggest emitters are predicted to decrease emissions by just 1 percent of 2010 levels by 2030. The Intergover­nmental Panel on Climate Change target? More than 45 percent.

The only true way to erect support for federal and internatio­nal environmen­tal initiative­s is to start by raising a passion for the local environmen­t in our towns, cities and states. Local communitie­s must have a greater role in American environmen­tal policy in order to achieve effective solutions. These communitie­s know the consequenc­es of environmen­tal policies firsthand, have intimate knowledge of their unique environmen­tal needs, and possess the ability to generate an organic consensus.

One of the greatest impediment­s to meaningful change is a lack of political trust. But while a measly 20 percent of Americans trust the federal government, 72 percent trust their local government­s. Local solutions can be tailored to a community’s specific natural environmen­t and allow residents, fed up with pollution or waste, to take matters into their own hands.

The best solutions combine the pocketbook of the federal government with the accountabi­lity and stewardshi­p of local ones. Our environmen­tal problems are too large to tackle alone. But it is critical that local government­s retain their sovereignt­y and self-determinat­ion, and these powers — already long in decline — have come under a renewed threat from the Biden administra­tion.

Costly federal environmen­tal regulation­s that fail to actually solve anything disproport­ionately affect low-income Americans when their utility bills rise. For instance, a 2018 National Energy Assistance Survey revealed that 6 million low-income households needed federal assistance to pay utility bills and half forwent food or medical care for at least a day to pay them. Despite this, more than two-thirds of Americans say the government ought to do more to solve our pressing environmen­tal problems.

Buried amongst President Joe Biden’s recent jobs plan is a pledge to federalize local zoning powers, representi­ng a dangerous destructio­n of an important duty of state and local government. Without these powers of self-determinat­ion, the same politician­s making costly, ineffectiv­e environmen­tal regulation­s hurting everyday Americans would have full reign to chart future American environmen­tal policy.

Studies show that zoning ordinances should be updated to encourage sustainabl­e developmen­t, as older ordinances are simply too outdated to mention new eco-friendly technologi­es. But federal zoning regulation­s mandated without the input of localities risk erasing existing regulation­s that work and foster the illusion that individual environmen­tal responsibi­lity is unnecessar­y. As Edmund Burke once wrote, small communitie­s have a “plastic” nature; they can implement sustainabl­e zoning practices with a precision that the federal government can’t match.

That’s not to say the federal government ought to be excluded from environmen­tal policy altogether. We must create a system in which the federal government builds incentive structures that allow states and localities to make informed decisions.

This idea has begun to catch on. The global organizati­on Local Government­s for Sustainabi­lity has enabled partnershi­ps between over 2,500 local and regional government­s across more than 125 countries, working to implement smart regulation­s. In the United States, the landmark Conservati­ve Climate Caucus, started by Republican Rep. John Curtis of Utah, will encourage partnershi­ps with state and local government­s, returning to the party’s conservati­on roots. This opens the door for bipartisan environmen­tal solutions that recognize policies work best when designed close to home.

These principles are at play in my own backyard too. The recent Lowcountry Lowline project, a green infrastruc­ture initiative in Charleston, South Carolina, to manage stormwater, has gathered federal interest and opened the possibilit­y of a $25 million stimulus from Washington.

So don’t allow the Biden administra­tion to wipe away state and local input on our zoning laws and environmen­tal policy. Notify your congressio­nal representa­tives about the consequenc­es of erasing local self-determinat­ion. Help strengthen the underappre­ciated power that our communitie­s have by joining local green initiative­s too. Everyone can and should play a part in their own community.

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