Energy & Environment
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BEAT THE HEAT:
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid tells why he signed the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement and how La Mesa is helping to stop global
warming—a threat top scientists now warn poses a greater danger to humanity than terrorism.
By Miriam Raftery
Last year was the hottest ever recorded in the U.S., according to NASA. Ten of the hottest years in human
history have occurred in the past 14 years.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of the world’s leading international climate scientists
assembled by the World Meterological Organization and the United Nations, issued a report (http://www.ipcc.
ch/) in February concluding that global warming is “unequivocal” – and that odds are over 90% that carbon
dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases from human activities are the major cause of rising temperatures.
Scientific experts predict that 200 million people worldwide could be displaced by severe droughts, rising sea
levels and flooding if nothing is done to curb global climate change. Earlier this year, an island nation became
the first to completely vanish, submerged by rising tides.
To prevent the worst consequences of global warming, the U.S. would need to reduce its production of
greenhouse gases by 80%, the Environmental Defense Fund reports. Yet America remains the biggest global
warming polluter.
Here in East County, three out of four mayors have taken some steps to stop global warming. Solar panels have
been added to all Lemon Grove schools under leadership of Mayor Mary Sessom, a Democrat. In El Cajon, a
fleet of trash trucks has been converted to run on natural gas and a tree planting program has been
implemented, Republican Mayor Mark Lewis said.
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid, a Republican, has emerged as the local leader in the climate protection movement,
however. Mayor Madrid recently joined with 650 other American mayors in signing the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection agreement. This landmark document provides that each mayor will strive to make his or her city
climate neutral by taking steps such as planting trees, reducing greenhouse emissions, or converting to
renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy. The Mayor also spoke at East County United’s Party
for Climate Change, where he emphasized the importance for everyone to take steps to protect our community
and our planet from the potentially devastating effects of global climate change.
Our Back Fence editor Miriam Raftery interviewed Mayor Madrid to find out what steps La Mesa has taken—and
plans to take in the future—to help reduce global warming.
Q: How will global warming impact East County residents, if nothing is done to reduce the effects of climate
change?
Mayor Madrid: First of all, if our carbon footprint continues to increase and we do nothing about it, the return
from heat generated by our region will continue to increase slightly, so the warming aspects will have a
negative impact on plant life…There are insects and bugs that thrive in hot weather, so that will create a
greater amount of discomfort and maybe even health-related problems. Insects and bugs which are carriers
can thrive in warm climates.
Q: Will hotter, drier weather also increase the risk of wildfire?
Mayor Madrid: Fire and water will both be affected. The potential for fire is exacerbated and the impact on
water is more dramatic because as it gets warmer, people will use water for any and all uses.
Q: How is La Mesa addressing global warming?
color for our drivers to see the red green and amber colors.
Q: How else is La Mesa combating global warming?
Mayor Madrid: We have been designated as a Tree City USA community for the past 22 years because we are in
effect an urban forest and take great pride in continually planting and or replacing trees to absorb C02. Also,
we have now purchased two hybrid vehicles for our fleet. That is our goal from now on.
Q: What about building construction standards? Are new buildings in La Mesa going green?
Mayor Madrid: We are considered a smart growth city because of the approval of buildings, apartments and
condominiums on our transit routes. We are encouraging that to happen. WE will eventually as a council look
at revising our standards which will in the near future require permitees to meet some requirements for their
buildings to encourage them to become `climate neutral’. That’s a good term. We are in process of building a
new police station; plans are being finalized now, and we are trying to become LEED certified. The other thing
that is critical: We are the only city in East County and one of the few in the entire region that has established
an Environmental Sustainable Committee made up of residents and key agencies that will help us address
these global warming issues.
Q: You’ve signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Change agreement. Two other East County Mayors did not sign, but
are taking significant steps to reduce global warming. However your fellow Randy Voepel, Mayor of Santee (a
Republican) believes climate change is a “left wing attempt to cripple the economy” and that climate change is
cyclical, not caused by man’s activities. Mayor Voepel refused to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Change
Agreement and sent an e-mail to the host of a party for climate protection. In it, he stated “I wish you a great
time at your destroy the American economy party and hope signing meaningless documents makes you feel
better about a future that is in God’s hands alone.” What do you think of his position?
Mayor Madrid: “Individuals who have that mindset or that perception are into a severe state of denial, and
really don’t want to acknowledge empirical data from scientific evidence.”
Now citizens can sign an international climate protection pledge, too. To sign the pledge and find more actions
that you can take to help protect the earth from global climate change, visit http://www.climateprotect.org/aa16.
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid tells why he signed the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement and how La Mesa is helping to stop global
warming—a threat top scientists now warn poses a greater danger to humanity than terrorism.
By Miriam Raftery
Last year was the hottest ever recorded in the U.S., according to NASA. Ten of the hottest years in human
history have occurred in the past 14 years.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of the world’s leading international climate scientists
assembled by the World Meterological Organization and the United Nations, issued a report (http://www.ipcc.
ch/) in February concluding that global warming is “unequivocal” – and that odds are over 90% that carbon
dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases from human activities are the major cause of rising temperatures.
Scientific experts predict that 200 million people worldwide could be displaced by severe droughts, rising sea
levels and flooding if nothing is done to curb global climate change. Earlier this year, an island nation became
the first to completely vanish, submerged by rising tides.
To prevent the worst consequences of global warming, the U.S. would need to reduce its production of
greenhouse gases by 80%, the Environmental Defense Fund reports. Yet America remains the biggest global
warming polluter.
Here in East County, three out of four mayors have taken some steps to stop global warming. Solar panels have
been added to all Lemon Grove schools under leadership of Mayor Mary Sessom, a Democrat. In El Cajon, a
fleet of trash trucks has been converted to run on natural gas and a tree planting program has been
implemented, Republican Mayor Mark Lewis said.
La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid, a Republican, has emerged as the local leader in the climate protection movement,
however. Mayor Madrid recently joined with 650 other American mayors in signing the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection agreement. This landmark document provides that each mayor will strive to make his or her city
climate neutral by taking steps such as planting trees, reducing greenhouse emissions, or converting to
renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy. The Mayor also spoke at East County United’s Party
for Climate Change, where he emphasized the importance for everyone to take steps to protect our community
and our planet from the potentially devastating effects of global climate change.
Our Back Fence editor Miriam Raftery interviewed Mayor Madrid to find out what steps La Mesa has taken—and
plans to take in the future—to help reduce global warming.
Q: How will global warming impact East County residents, if nothing is done to reduce the effects of climate
change?
Mayor Madrid: First of all, if our carbon footprint continues to increase and we do nothing about it, the return
from heat generated by our region will continue to increase slightly, so the warming aspects will have a
negative impact on plant life…There are insects and bugs that thrive in hot weather, so that will create a
greater amount of discomfort and maybe even health-related problems. Insects and bugs which are carriers
can thrive in warm climates.
Q: Will hotter, drier weather also increase the risk of wildfire?
Mayor Madrid: Fire and water will both be affected. The potential for fire is exacerbated and the impact on
water is more dramatic because as it gets warmer, people will use water for any and all uses.
Q: How is La Mesa addressing global warming?
color for our drivers to see the red green and amber colors.
Q: How else is La Mesa combating global warming?
Mayor Madrid: We have been designated as a Tree City USA community for the past 22 years because we are in
effect an urban forest and take great pride in continually planting and or replacing trees to absorb C02. Also,
we have now purchased two hybrid vehicles for our fleet. That is our goal from now on.
Q: What about building construction standards? Are new buildings in La Mesa going green?
Mayor Madrid: We are considered a smart growth city because of the approval of buildings, apartments and
condominiums on our transit routes. We are encouraging that to happen. WE will eventually as a council look
at revising our standards which will in the near future require permitees to meet some requirements for their
buildings to encourage them to become `climate neutral’. That’s a good term. We are in process of building a
new police station; plans are being finalized now, and we are trying to become LEED certified. The other thing
that is critical: We are the only city in East County and one of the few in the entire region that has established
an Environmental Sustainable Committee made up of residents and key agencies that will help us address
these global warming issues.
Q: You’ve signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Change agreement. Two other East County Mayors did not sign, but
are taking significant steps to reduce global warming. However your fellow Randy Voepel, Mayor of Santee (a
Republican) believes climate change is a “left wing attempt to cripple the economy” and that climate change is
cyclical, not caused by man’s activities. Mayor Voepel refused to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Change
Agreement and sent an e-mail to the host of a party for climate protection. In it, he stated “I wish you a great
time at your destroy the American economy party and hope signing meaningless documents makes you feel
better about a future that is in God’s hands alone.” What do you think of his position?
Mayor Madrid: “Individuals who have that mindset or that perception are into a severe state of denial, and
really don’t want to acknowledge empirical data from scientific evidence.”
Now citizens can sign an international climate protection pledge, too. To sign the pledge and find more actions
that you can take to help protect the earth from global climate change, visit http://www.climateprotect.org/aa16.
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