“We are facing a climate disaster,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan.
4 Dec 2020 – Seattle should ban natural gas heat in some new buildings in its quest to combat climate change, said Durkan.
Emissions from buildings are significant, says a new report the mayor released Thursday.
Durkan wants to limit natural gas heat in new commercial buildings and large apartment buildings by updating the city’s energy codes for construction projects. The changes would require such buildings to use efficient electric systems instead. (Since when is electric more efficient than gas?)
“We are facing a climate disaster,” the mayor said in a news release, describing building electrification as “an important step” toward curbing climate change. “It is up to Seattle and other cities to make the bold changes necessary to lower our greenhouse gas emissions.” (What “climate disaster”?)
Environmentalists are hailing Durkan’s proposal, though some are criticizing the move as too meek. The natural gas industry could object, but the labor movement is on board.
Seattle’s interim goal on the way to carbon neutrality is a 58% reduction in emissions by 2035. (That’s only 15 years away.)
See all of this article by Seattle Times staff reporter Daniel Beekman:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/amid-increased-emissions-seattle-mayor-wants-to-ban-gas-heat-in-new-commercial-apartment-buildings/
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December 5, 2020 at 01:39PM
Iowa Climate Science Education 