First City to Address Energy and Climate Problems Jointly

Although the issues of climate change and oil depletion are linked, and the actions that can address the risks cities face from them often coincide or complement each other, they have to date generally been treated separately. As of this month, "Spokane ... has become the first to tackle climate change and global oil depletion together, marking a new step in local government responses to these increasingly urgent challenges." Feb. 6 marked the launch of the city's new strategic planning effort to identify and address the impacts of climate change and energy security.

"Spokane, the second-largest city in the state of Washington, has built on previous sustainability efforts to emerge as a new leader in the fight against climate change and global oil depletion. With the launch of this initiative, Spokane joins other more recognized sustainability leaders like Seattle, which in 2005 launched the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and Portland, Ore., which in 2006 pioneered the nation's first Peak Oil Task Force to identify the local risks posed by global oil depletion."

"Speaking to an overflow crowd at the February 6th launch of the Spokane initiative, Daniel Lerch of Post Carbon Institute said, 'We're entering uncharted territory with world oil production plateauing and atmospheric carbon reaching record levels. Cities need to identify the new risks they face, because there isn't any state or federal government agency that's going to do it for them.'"