City Of West Hollywood: City Of West Hollywood To Participate In California Clean Air Day On October 6

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

October 05, 2021 4:42 PM

The City of West Hollywood will participate in California Clean Air Day, a statewide initiative on Wednesday, October 6, 2021. By joining together for a unified day of action, communities throughout the state will help create new habits to clear the air. California Clean Air Day is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people into action to improve our community health. The City Council of the City of West Hollywood, at its regular meeting on Monday, October 4, 2021, adopted a Resolution to support and participate in California Clean Air Day.

“Responsibility for the environment is a core value of the City of West Hollywood. Our City has consistently worked to develop and implement policies that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, and promote sustainability,” said City of West Hollywood Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath. “As we recognize Clean Air Day and as we encourage community members to take the pledge to make small steps that help make a big impact in our air quality, I’m proud that West Hollywood is making progress each and every day with a default of 100% renewable energy through Clean Power Alliance providing the greenest plan available to our community members.”

“As someone who suffers from severe asthma, I know first-hand that clean air is the basis for health and well-being,” said Councilmember John M. Erickson. “Statistics in our state speak for themselves: we must all continue to work for cleaner air quality. Californians are four times more likely than those in other states to experience serious air pollution-related problems; seven of the 10 most ozone-polluted cities in the nation are in California; and one-million annual school absences are California students related to air pollution. We must all do our part to make vital improvements. Whether you’re an individual, a business, a government agency, or a nonprofit organization, the first step to take in improving our air quality is joining the Clean Air Pledge. I’m glad that the City of West Hollywood is taking the pledge and is inspiring community members to be part of leading the way to combat the climate disaster we’re seeing unfold before our very eyes.”

California has some of the most polluted regions in the United States, and air pollution is recognized as a primary contributor to negative health outcomes such as higher rates of cancer, heart, and lung diseases. The American Lung Association lists seven California cities among the top 15 most polluted in the nation, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area ranks as the dirtiest, by ozone, in the entire country. Health complications caused by air pollution in the Central Valley cause $3 billion per year in economic losses. Climate change will continue to have dramatic local effects on the health and well-being of both residents and visitors.

The Clean Air Pledge empowers individuals and organizations to commit to clear the air, through actions big and small. Participants who take the pledge can review and mark a checklist of actions that have impact, such as: switching-out gas-powered yard tools with electric- or hand-powered tools; changing to natural all-purpose cleaners only; planting something in a home garden or plot in a community garden; and/or reducing vehicle emissions by walking, bicycling, or scooting to the store or a transit stop. Community members are encouraged to take the Clean Air Pledge at www.cleanairday.org/pledge/individual/CityofWestHollywood.

The City of West Hollywood has taken the Clean Air Pledge and has committed to many specific actions, such as creating an incentive program for employees who walk, bike, take public transit, carpool, or use alternative modes of transportation in getting to work. Although climate change is a global problem, the City has a strong record of developing and instituting progressive and forward-thinking environmental policies in recognition that effective strategies to adapt to a changing climate must be enacted at the local level.

In 2017, the City of West Hollywood joined with more than 1,000 cities and mayors from major metropolitan centers to sign the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. That year, more than 2,600 leaders across the nation stepped up to declare that they are “still in” and remain committed to meeting climate goals set forth in the landmark Paris Agreement after then-President Trump announced a plan to withdraw from it. Under the administration of President Biden, the United States officially rejoined the Paris Agreement in February 2021, positioning the country to once again be part of the global climate solution.

In 2019, the City of West Hollywood shifted to Clean Power Alliance, which has helped the City advance its clean energy goals. Residents are automatically enrolled in a 100% Green Power rate option, which provides 100% renewable content and gives customers the opportunity to support sustainability.

Currently, the City of West Hollywood is updating its “WeHo Climate Action” Plan to further champion the actions needed to meet the global and local challenges of climate change and reaffirm West Hollywood as a vibrant, sustainable, and resilient leadership city for current and future generations. Community members are encouraged to visit the City’s Climate Action webpage area at www.weho.org/climateaction to learn more. For more information about Going Green in West Hollywood, please visit www.weho.org/gogreen and click on links to learn about the City’s range of sustainability programs and efforts.

California Clean Air Day was founded in October 2018 by the Coalition for Clean Air (CCA), whose organizational mission is to “protect public health, improve air quality, and prevent climate change.” In 2020, 1.6 million people, 50 counties, and more than 500 organizational partners helped build community around clean air. For details, please visit www.cleanairday.org.

For more information, please contact Robyn Eason, City of West Hollywood Long Range Planning & Sustainability Manager, at (323) 848-6558 or at reason@weho.org.  For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. West Hollywood City Hall is open for in-person transactions by appointment. Visitors to City Hall and City facilities will be required to adhere to vaccine verification requirements starting on October 7, 2021. Click here for details. To make an appointment, visit www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org. City of West Hollywood coronavirus information is available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.

For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

slunn@weho.org

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.