The Whitefish City Council has signed a proclamation upholding the Paris Agreement, a move that comes weeks after President Donald Trump announced he was withdrawing the United States from the historic climate accord.
Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld said the city has already been preparing for the impacts of climate change for years, and continues to work toward reducing its footprint on the environment.
City officials are considering a suite of options to curb the city’s energy demand and use, citing examples like efficiency improvements at the city’s wastewater treatment plant and the diversion of wastewater to irrigate tree farms; the addition of electric vehicles to the city’s fleet; and converting boulevard street lamps to LED.
“The city of Whitefish recognizes that energy conservation and other actions to address climate change can complement economic development and offer the community opportunities for new technology, new business ventures and more,” the proclamation states.
The city already benefits from the generation of hydropower at its water treatment and wastewater treatment plants to offset electrical use, while city officials are applying for carbon-sequestration credits that result from conservation easements in Haskill Basin, where the land will remain in forested condition in perpetuity.
“We obviously will need to weigh the merits of these options with the cost benefit, and that is an important consideration for city council and climate action,” Muhlfeld said. “We will certainly be looking at opportunities to maximize the return on our investment.”
The Paris Agreement aims to bring participating countries together to address global climate change in concert. Under the accord, the United States pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.