Takoma Park, Maryland, paved the way Wednesday night toward a total reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, including phasing out such things as heating, water heating, lawn care equipment and cooking equipment that are fossil-fuel based.
It also includes banning fossil fuel sales by 2045.
The city already is famous for being a nuclear-free zone when it banned the production, transportation, storage, disposal, and activation of nuclear weapons back in 1983.
As the new plans are spelled out in a resolution and not an ordinance, they are not mandatory.
The resolution, which is expected to be adopted on March 4, spells out how Takoma Park plans to move toward the elimination of all fossil fuels, including adding to the tree canopy, making current houses and all new structures more energy-efficient and convincing residents to walk and use public transportation rather than purchase their own cars.
Takoma Park will set up a Sustainability Assistance Reserve Fund to be used to help pay for improvements and updates by low or middle-income residents and business owners.
Proposed energy upgrades could cost between $150 and $200, and homeowners will be given several years to do the work.
“It sets up a sustainability fund – a bucket if you will” to ease the burden of paying for upgrades, said Councilmember Cindy Dybala.
At the Wednesday night work session, Dybala called the resolution a strategy that will be updated regularly so that Takoma Park eventually can eliminate the use of fossil fuels.
“This is our affirmation of our commitment as a council,” she said.
Councilman Peter Kovar referred to the resolution as “a framework” for the city to evaluate what the next steps are needed.
He stressed that those steps will not be mandated.
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If there’s no gas station in town – then no traveler is going to stop and maybe spend some other money in town. Or will they erect road blocks some distance out of town and direct traffic around the town. How long before an advertisement appears – “Motel for sale – very very cheap”.
Energy saving for $150 to $200 for a residence? Someone is out of touch with current prices.
A city run by fools!
Will their ban include everything made from petroleum? Here’s a partial list.
https://www.innovativewealth.com/inflation-monitor/what-products-made-from-petroleum-outside-of-gasoline/
this council woman needs to practice what she preaches about using nothing with fossil fuel; she needs to live totally naked outside in the wilderness, making her clothing solely from fallen leaves and getting heat only from the sunshine. one hopes she knows which mushrooms are edible
Make her live in a cave with creepy crawlies around her as well as bats and cold drafts
Takoma Park is run by a bunch of total idiots all probibly Liberal Democrats this whole thing against Fossil Fuels is stupid and based on Junk Science and Politics
So brave! So woke!