Fairbanks Assembly considers climate action plan rejected by previous Assembly majority

On Thursday, the FNSB Fairbanks North Star District Council will consider the Climate Change Action Plan – the same plan that was rejected by the council 9-0 last year.

The plan represents a fundamental shift in the district’s policy by placing ecosystem health above the needs of residents and, if adopted, will become the guiding principle of policy.

The document blames climate change rather than mismanagement of forest resources for the forest fires.

The document does not blame trawler bycatch for the lack of fish, but rather climate change, particularly in area M.

It puts the “scientific consensus” above actual science.

It calls for a reduction in the use of carbon-containing fuels (coal, natural gas, fossil fuels) in one of the most inhospitable environments in North America.

The plan calls for political solutions that have nothing to do with climate change and removes popular power in favor of activist organizations.

It envisages the creation of at least two new jobs and aims to redirect staff time to climate change activities.

You can read more information about the plan at this link.

The public may testify by phone or in person. Please call in advance to receive your witness testimony number: 907-459-1401

The plan is largely led by Assemblywoman Mindy O’Neal, who is the executive director of the Cold Climate Research Center. As executive director, she directly benefits from this management plan because her salary is directly tied to the center’s profitability. O’Neal has a financial interest in the passage of this plan. The CCRC is mentioned several times in the document as a “community partner.” Critics have asked why she is using her seat in the House to pursue her own agenda and secure her “seat at the table” once her term ends next year.

The plan claims to be community-driven, but critics ask, “What community?” Less than 1% of the county’s population had an opportunity to learn about the plan. Promotion of the plan was largely limited to the City of Fairbanks and the University District, while two-thirds of the county’s population lives outside the City of Fairbanks and has not even had an opportunity to learn about the plan. Most of the county has poor internet access, and many areas such as Salcha, Fox and Two Rivers have limited access.

The plan calls for climate issues to be the governing concept in planning, zoning, roads, trails and other areas where the county plans. Trails are governed by the ecosystem, land use is governed by the ecosystem, roads are governed by the ecosystem – land use and zoning are governed by the ecosystem, and the implications of this policy shift are enormous.
Instead of a government by the people and for the people, a government for the environment and for friends of government is created.

Further examples are:

In Annex C, p. 14, the Climate Action Plan calls for the consolidation of rest areas because it is “more efficient.” There appears to be no justification or support for demonstrating that the consolidation of rest areas has an impact on the climate.
The plan calls for monitoring and collecting greenhouse gas data by sector, so businesses will be monitored just as much as homeowners. This seems quite intrusive and goes far beyond the authority of a second-class district. This is simply an invasion of the privacy of every district resident.

On page 19 of Appendix C, the plan calls for “greater collaboration” with community-based organizations like the one led by O’Neal. “Partnership” is a synonym for “role-assumption.” In other words, environmental NGOs will assume county functions. This means that the elected county government will no longer be responsible for policy, as policy will be set by these community-based organizations.

In Appendix C, page 24, the plan calls for encouraging denser economic development to reduce vehicle emissions. Critics say people aren’t moving to Alaska to live in a city like Hong Kong. They’ve come to secure their “sprawl” in the forest and live a certain lifestyle. This will disperse PM2.5 and other emissions and stop concentrated emissions. But the Climate Action Plan states that the FNSB’s new development goal is to encourage urban density — which would presumably stop any development outside of Fairbanks’ urban core and limit the amount of land a person can own.

Under this plan (p. 61), each settlement will have only through roads; all roads will be through roads. Recent testimony on the road plan was revealing, as residents in some areas were clear that through roads would undermine the integrity of their neighborhood; several hours of testimony on the subject made it clear that neighborhood integrity is important to residents. If all settlements must have a second exit, whose house will be demolished to enforce this policy?

There will also be a push for electric vehicles. It is believed that using coal or diesel generators to generate electricity to charge a car is more efficient than a gasoline engine. Most fire stations are not prepared to fight a fire caused by an electric car.