Global Warming Survey Results

Global Warming Survey Summary

The Conservation Leaders Network wanted to know what the county officials themselves thought would be most helpful to them to fight global warming.  They were asked to rate each item as “very helpful,” “somewhat helpful,” or “not at all helpful.”  The Conservation Leaders Network researched both existing services and possible services, using input from a variety of county officials and county staff interested in the subject.  The survey was presented as a menu of options.  The survey was sent by email to 1,200 county commissioners nationally in March 2007.  The response rate was 4%.

There were 7 categories:

·           Economic assistance/incentives

·           Networking

·           Growth management

·           Transportation

·           National Association of Counties

·           Natural resource management

·           County government

Of these seven categories, Economic assistance/incentives was rated the highest.  County government was second and Natural resources was third.

Economic assistance/incentives

Economic assistance/incentives received the highest ratings for being “very helpful.”  All seven items with the Economic assistance/incentives category received a “very helpful” rating from at least 69% of respondents.  It was also the category with the item with the highest rating of all.  83% of respondents rated “information on existing options available to counties now (economic incentives, free services/advice, etc.)” “very helpful.”

County government

County government offered eight items.  One received a 73% “very helpful” rating:  purchase energy efficient equipment and appliances for County use.

Natural resource management

The third highest category contained two items, both of which received a 70% “very helpful” rating.

Transportation

Although most of the items in this category did not receive high ratings, one item received a 77% “very helpful” rating:   “increase the average fuel efficient of fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including fuel-saving driving practices; convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel or hybrid.”

Growth management and the National Association of Counties received mixed scores.  No item in Networking received over 50% “very helpful” ratings.

Based on these results, from the county perspective, the most important things we can do are:

Provide economic assistance/incentives

·           Provide counties with information on existing options available to counties now (economic incentives, free services/advice, etc)

·           Show counties how to conduct a comprehensive county inventory of greenhouse gas emissions

·           Help counties promote preservation of restoration of natural habitat such as forests, prairies and wetlands for carbon sequestration so they can get $2-25 an acre.

·           Help them advocate for and promote economic incentives for counties to register and reduce greenhouse emissions

·           Provide an analysis of and report on the economic impacts of global warming in their state

·           Educate counties about King County WA’s system to register and profit from counties’ reductions of greenhouse gas (through the Chicago Climate Exchange) 

County Government

·           Provide funds for counties to purchase energy efficient equipment and appliances for County use

Natural Resource Management

·           Maintain healthy forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb CO2

·           Help counties promote preservation of and restoration of natural habitat such as forests, prairies and wetlands for carbon sequestration and get $2-25 an acre for it

Transportation

·           Increase the average fuel efficient of fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including fuel-saving driving practices; convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel or hybrid.

Following are the ratings for the highest rated items in each category.

Economic assistance/incentives

Economic assistance/incentives received the highest ratings for being “very helpful.”  Six of the seven items within the Economic assistance/incentives category received a “very helpful” rating from at least 70% of respondents.  It was also the category with the item with the highest rating of all.  80% of respondents rated “information on existing options available to counties now (economic incentives, free services/advice, etc.)” “very helpful.”

A second item received a “very helpful” rating from 75% of respondents:  “how to conduct a comprehensive county inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to position your county to excel in carbon markets.”

A third item received a “very helpful” rating from 74% of respondents:  “help you promote preservation of restoration of natural habitat such as forests, prairies and wetlands for carbon sequestration and get $2-25 an acre.”

Two items received a “very helpful” rating from 71% of respondents:  “help you advocate for and promote economic incentives for counties to register and reduce greenhouse emissions” and “an analysis of and report on the economic impacts of global warming in your state.”

One item  received a “very helpful” rating from 70% of respondents:  “educate counties about King County WA’s system to register and profit from counties’ reductions of greenhouse gas (through the Chicago Climate Exchange).”

The last item received a 58% “very helpful” rating:  “how to work with performance contracting firms to reduce energy costs at no cost to taxpayers.”

County government

County government was the second highest rated category and offered eight items.  One received a 73% “very helpful” rating:  “purchase energy efficient equipment and appliances for County use.”

A second highly rated item, at 68%, was “make energy efficiency a priority by making it a part of the decision-making process for county affairs, through building code improvements, by retrofitting county facilities with energy efficient lighting, and by urging employees to conserve energy.”

The following items received ratings in the 66% to 63% range:

·           “inventory greenhouse gas emissions in County operations and in the community, set reduction targets and create an action plan”

·           “practice and promote sustainable building practices using the energy efficient, certified programs”

·           “increase recycling rates in County operations and in the community.”

The following items received ratings within the 58% to 27% range:

·            “increase the use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, advocating for the development of renewable energy sources, recovering landfill methane for energy production, and supporting the use of waste to energy technology”

·           “sample county- and state-level global warming resolutions”

·            “evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems; recover wastewater treatment methane for energy production.”

Natural resource management

The third highest category contained two items, both of which received a 70% “very helpful” rating.

The first was “maintain healthy forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb CO2.”  The second was “promote preservation of and restoration of natural habitat such as forests, prairies and wetlands for carbon sequestration and get $2-25 an acre for it.”

Transportation

The highest rated item in this category received a 77% rating:  “increase the average fuel efficient of fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including fuel-saving driving practices; convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel or hybrid.”

No other item received higher than a 52% rating and the ratings declined to 33%:

·           promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car-pooling and public transit”

·           adopt and enforce land-use policies that minimize transportation emissions, preserve open space, and create compact, walkable urban communities and transit friendly rural communities”

·           “reduce both car dependency and infrastructure needs by increasing transportation options, through mixed use ordinances, traditional neighborhood development standards, growth boundaries and infill development”

·           “invest in public transit, the creation of regional transit authorities, transit oriented development, and transportation control measures”

·           “create regional transit authorities, transit oriented development, and transportation control measures in order to increase transportation options and decrease global warming pollution.”

Growth Management

The highest rated item in this category received a 64% “very helpful” rating:  “information and model ordinances to help counties promote smarter growth and reduce traffic and infrastructure needs, such as mixed use ordinances, traditional neighborhood development standards, growth boundaries, and infill development.”

The other two received ratings in the 55% to 58% range:

·           “regional workshops on the link between land use/smart growth/energy planning and climate change, including workable solutions”

·           “affordable housing development code provisions, community land trusts, and neighborhood conservation policies, so homes can be located closer to jobs and in already developed neighborhoods.”

National Association of Counties

One of the two items in this category received a 61% rating:  “advocate for strong global warming resolutions through the National Association of Counties’ Environment, Energy, and Land Use Committee.”  The second item received a 51% rating:  “get the latest information on global warming and what you can do about it at NACo’s annual and legislative conferences.”

Given these low ratings, and the fact the NACo finally adopted a global warming policy in March 2007, efforts within the association are not cost-effective.

Networking

This category received the lowest ratings.  None of the four items received more than a 50% “very helpful” rating:

·           an online chat room where you can discuss the issues with your colleagues in other counties

·           global warming email network to provide up-to-date information, ideas and examples of how other counties are tackling global warming in a cost-effective manner

·           teleconferences or national in-person meetings

·           “What Counties Need to Know about Global Warming” web page on the Conservation Leaders Network website.”

The low ratings of the two last categories reflect, we believe, the fact that county commissioners do not have the time to devote to sharing information and discussing the issue.  Clear action items that they can implement now were a higher priority.

From the county perspective, the most important things we can do are:

Provide economic assistance/incentives

·           Provide counties with information on existing options available to counties now (economic incentives, free services/advice, etc)

·           Show counties how to conduct a comprehensive county inventory of greenhouse gas emissions

·           Help counties promote preservation of restoration of natural habitat such as forests, prairies and wetlands for carbon sequestration so they can get $2-25 an acre.

·           Help them advocate for and promote economic incentives for counties to register and reduce greenhouse emissions

·           Provide an analysis of and report on the economic impacts of global warming in their state

·           Educate counties about King County WA’s system to register and profit from counties’ reductions of greenhouse gas (through the Chicago Climate Exchange)

County Government

·           Provide funds for counties to purchase energy efficient equipment and appliances for County use

Natural Resource Management

·           Maintain healthy forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb CO2

·           Help counties promote preservation of and restoration of natural habitat such as forests, prairies and wetlands for carbon sequestration and get $2-25 an acre for it

Transportation

·           Increase the average fuel efficient of fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including fuel-saving driving practices; convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel or hybrid.

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