State of the City - Winter 2020 Copyrighted
February 17, 2020
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 6.
ITEM TITLE: State of the City-Winter 2020
SUM MARY: Mayor Roy D. Buol's State of the City article for Winter
2020.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Mayor Buol's W inter 2020 State of the City Staff Memo
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The Winter 2020 installment of Dubuque's"State of the City" affect infrastructure,health,agriculture,forestry,transportation,
is a focus on the global significance that can be created by our air and water quality,and more:'
cumulative efForts to positively affect the state of our planet...
when we"Think Globally and Act Locally." Here,in Dubuque,we are seeing more extreme and less
predictable weather resulting in dangerous and destructive
While we find ourselves in a time where our nation is divided flooding.Last year,the Mississippi River was above flood stage
on many significant issues, there is one issue for which we can in Dubuque for a record 86 days and the early predictions for
take personal action and corporate social responsibility within this spring indicate a strong chance for more flooding in the
our own communities and cities:continuing and enhancing our Midwest.
efforts and partnerships to prepare for and respond to climate
change. As we look out into the future of our children and theirs,this
means that by 2050,Dubuque could experience a I 5 percent
This global problem,with indisputable facts and scientific increase in average rainfall,a 30 percent increase in heavy
consensus,is showing up in real time on television and in our precipitation;our average annual temperature could increase
news with increasing regularity. According to the latest climate I I degrees and we could see an additional 48 days above 95
data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric degrees resulting in a 266 percent increase in air conditioning
Administration and NASA,2019 was the second hottest year demand.Our growing season could increase by 48 days and
on record globally. This is just the latest in a long series of we could have 35 fewer days below 32 degrees,which may
objective,scientific confirmations that the Earth is steadily sound good to people who don't like winter,but it comes at a
getting hotter. significant cost.
We are in a decades-long trend of increasing temperatures that What would be the impact to Dubuque? Flooding,more
is expected to continue.Alarmingly,our planet is on track to extreme weather,decreased air quality,increased mosquito
significantly exceed the temperature targets set by the Paris and tick diseases,power grid failures,food insecurity,and even
Agreement,developed to help countries deal with greenhouse wildfires. The people most vulnerable to climate-related threats
gas emissions mitigation and adaptation and ratified by over I 80 are children,older adults,individuals with disabilities,those in
nations and the European Union. economic stress,people of color,at-risk workers,food-insecure
individuals,and people without vehicle access.
According to NASA,"Global climate change has already had
observable effects on the environment.Glaciers have shrunl<, As mayor,it is my responsibility to work alongside my city
ice on rivers and lal<es is breal<ing up earlier,plant and animal council colleagues to develop policies and provide resources
ranges have shifted,and trees are flowering sooner. Effects that to City staff to identify climate hazards for our community,
scientists had predicted in the past would result from global develop worl<able solutions to those risl<s,and build resiliency
climate change are now occurring:loss of sea ice,accelerated for Dubuque residents and businesses.
sea level rise,and longer,more intense heat waves:'
Currently,a group of passionate residents and city employees
Different parts of the planet are being affected by global climate are working to update Dubuque's Climate Action Plan to
change in different ways. Locally and regionally,warmer average reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to climatic impacts. I
temperatures are affecting our weather patterns. According to invite and urge your involvement in that process. Please visit
the most recent National ClimateAssessment,"The frequency www.sustainabledubuque.org or call 563.690.6038.
and intensity of heavy precipitation events across the U.S.have
increased," especially in the northern and central parts of the
country. ��The one who plants trees, knowing that he will
National ClimateAssessment Reports released by the U.S. neVeC Slt IIl tllelC SI18(Ie, has at least started to
Global Change Research Program identify the following impacts understand the meaning of life."
currently being experienced in the Midwest and say they will
continue,"Extreme heat,heavy downpours,and flooding will Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet
State of the City Winter2020