Some Counties Voted for Trump and Permitted Local weather and Conservation Measures

Local weather and Conservation Poll Measures Permitted Even in Locations Trump Gained

By Avery Ellfeldt & E&E Information

CLIMATEWIRE | President-elect Donald Trump received almost 70 % of the vote in Florida’s Clay County final week.

One other large winner within the Republican county close to Jacksonville was a poll measure that may improve taxes by $45 million to fund initiatives that may enhance water high quality, shield wildlife and scale back harm from floods.

Practically two dozen conservation- and climate-related poll initiatives had been authorized on Election Day in states from Florida and Georgia to California and Colorado. The measures purpose to increase parks, protect pure areas and put together communities for the impacts of local weather change.

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“This is not a partisan issue,” mentioned Pegeen Hanrahan, affiliate director of conservation finance on the Belief for Public Land, a non-profit that advocates for conservation- and climate-focused poll measures. “We see wins in crimson states and in blue states.”

Many of the initiatives passed in Democratic areas such as Denver, which approved a measure to install and improve air conditioning in public schools. The city saw saw record-breaking temperatures this fall. Several measures won the support of voters in states and counties that backed Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax” and has promised to scrap pollution regulations and President Joe Biden’s climate policies and programs.

The success reflects a growing recognition among residents and officials that global warming poses a rising risk to people, property, budgets and tax bases — and will get worse absent intervention.

“Everybody, regardless of their political leanings, understands that and is willing to make these kinds of investments,” said Justin Marlowe, who directs the Center for Municipal Finance at the University of Chicago. “It’s an economic development strategy.”

Hanrahan mentioned her group tries to handle “the impacts of climate change” through ballot measures. “In some places we don’t discuss the direct cause of those impacts,” Hanrahan said.

The Clay County measure was listed on the ballot as the Land Conservation Referendum to Protect Water Quality, Wildlife Habitat, Forests and Farms.

Four measures were approved by Florida counties that backed Trump.

In Lake County, near Orlando, voters passed a measure to preserve natural areas, improve water quality and protect wildlife habitat. The county will pay for the work by issuing $50 million in bonds that it will pay back through an increase in property taxes that will cost the average homeowner $21 a year for 20 years, according to a Trust for Public Land analysis.

The Clay County measure has similar aims and authorizes the county to sell bonds that could cost the average homeowner up to $33 per year, according to the trust. A referendum in Osceola County south of Orlando authorizes $70 million in bonds to renew a land conservation program.

Voters in Martin County north of Palm Beach approved a measure with similar objectives. But instead of selling bonds, the county will raise its sales tax by half a cent for the next decade to raise $183 million.

None of the Florida measures mentions climate change. And that’s intentional.

“We’re not out there talking about climate change a lot,” mentioned David Weinstein, western conservation finance director on the land belief. “We’re talking about the worst effects of climate change, and that’s what resonates with voters.”

Nonetheless, the poll measures purpose to fund initiatives able to lowering greenhouse gasoline emissions, getting ready communities for local weather impacts — or each.

“The main benefit of doing land protection for climate is that obviously natural lands absorb carbon, absorb flood waters [and] create a habitat that is healthier for movement of wildlife,” mentioned Hanrahan of the land belief.

Different authorized poll measures purpose to scale back wildfire threat in Colorado, protect forests in Illinois, and fund parks, neighborhood facilities and extra in New Mexico.

California voters authorized 4 associated poll measures together with one which mentions “climate” a number of instances. Proposition 4 earned 58 % of the vote and authorizes the state to difficulty $10 billion in bonds to finance initiatives geared toward stopping wildfires, offering protected ingesting water and defending California “in the face of significant threats from climate change.”

As climate impacts intensify, Marlowe of the University of Chicago expects ballot measures that address climate change to become more common — and to remain popular with voters.

“There are estimates that say we’re going to must borrow twice as a lot cash as we at the moment borrow yearly to maintain up with” climate impacts, Marlowe said. “If you’re a mayor, or a city council or a city manager or a chief finance officer, you can’t wait for action from Washington.”

Reprinted from E&E Information with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E Information offers important information for power and surroundings professionals.