Texas Mayors Gather to Chart Path Forward on Air Quality, Public Health, Climate Change

Contact: Tony Rutigliano, Mayor Cluck’s Office – 817.673.8333 (cell)
Annie Strickler, ICLEI – 510.844.0699 x328

Arlington, Texas – Mayors from across the State of Texas are gathering in Arlington today for a Texas Mayors Summit to discuss air quality, public health, climate change and the mayors’ role in advancing economically viable solutions that also create safe and healthy communities. The mayors are building on their recent success of banding together to challenge fast-track proposals for coal-burning power plants in the state. The meeting is sponsored by Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and the University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Urban and Public Affairs.

Mayor Cluck will be joined by mayors from across the State to discuss the specific opportunities of joining together to advance climate protection and demonstrate the impact that local leadership can have on the issues of air quality, climate change and public health.

“We will never regain control of our environment until every city in America firmly commits to recognizing the health consequences of climate change, and then develops action plans to reverse those changes,” said Mayor Cluck. “That’s why we’re here today – to make those commitments and move forward in the right direction together.”

Houston Mayor Bill White will join Michelle Wyman, Executive Director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, to also announce the opening of an office based in Houston to serve ICLEI member local governments in Texas working on climate protection and sustainability. The ICLEI office will be housed in Houston’s City Hall and funded by The Meadows Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

"Our goal is to turn Houston's title of energy capital of the world into the energy efficiency capital," said Mayor White. "The ICLEI office will help us with the research and analysis needed to put us at the forefront of sustainable energy consumption."

“We are thrilled to open a regional office here in Texas to support the tremendous work that the state’s mayors and local governments are doing to address climate change and make their communities safer, healthier places to live,” said Michelle Wyman, Executive Director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability who will brief mayors at the event on the tools and services ICLEI provides.

“The mobilization of Texas mayors to confront the threat of global climate change and its impact on our communities is an exciting and encouraging development,” said Assistant Professor Jeff Howard of UTA. “It flies in the face of the conventional assumption that this issue can be addressed only at the national or international level – and signals a more positive environmental image for Texas through action at the local level.”

Texas Mayors Summit: Air Quality, Public Health & Climate Change

12:30 pm: Registration

1:00: Welcome & Introductions

Mayor Robert Cluck, Arlington, TX

Michael Moore, Vice President of Academic Affairs,

University of Texas at Arlington

Richard Cole, Dean, School of Public Administration,

University of Texas at Arlington

 
1:30: Current Profile of Climate Change & Impacts

Dr. Jerry North

Texas A&M University

2:00: Texas Air Quality & Climate: Current Status

Mike Eastland, North Central Texas Council of Governments

David Hitchcock, Houston Advanced Research Center

2:20: Break

2:30: Local Benefits of Climate Action

Mayor Graham Richard, Fort Wayne, IN

Mayor Will Wynn, Austin, TX

3:30: ICLEI Texas Office

Karl Pepple, Director of Environment, City of Houston

Michelle Wyman, ICLEI

3:45: Climate Tools for Local Governments: Texas Resources

Michelle Wyman, ICLEI

Tom Smith, Public Citizen

4:15: Texas Leadership Opportunities

Mat Hames, President, Alpheus Media

4:30: Mayor Bill White (via telephone), Houston, TX

Bruce Esterline, The Meadows Foundation

Michael Northrop, Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Facilitated discussion among all mayors in attendance.

5:30: Departure for Tour of new Dallas Cowboys stadium

Reception sponsored by EcoMedia