Climate and environment

“Climate and the Environment” was a top issue for City College Community Agenda respondents, with 51% selecting it on the survey.

The issue was underrepresented on the ballot this year: only one proposition, Prop 4, directly addressed the community’s concerns. 

The issue was discussed by candidates during the debates and forums analyzed by City Times Media. President-elect Donald Trump criticized the transition to renewable sources because “it takes a whole desert to make some (solar) energy come out.”

California’s next senator, Adam Schiff, took the opposite approach in his Oct. 8 debate with republican Steve Garvey.

“We have to aggressively incentivize renewable energy and move us away from fossil fuels,” Schiff said.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria emphasized the importance of protecting the environment to keep San Diegans safe and meet the city’s climate goals.

City council candidate for District 9 Sean Elo-Rivera said that San Diego needed to create alternatives to driving, calling for policies that allow people to live closer together and create a “multitude of mobility options.”

Candidates for city council for District 3 weighed in on San Diego’s stormwater crisis. The winner, Stephen Whitburn, offered a measured approach: “Well, I mean, more taxes would be required than we currently have at the moment in order to address our stormwater problems in any kind of an efficient way. Even if we don’t pass the sales tax or any other tax measures, we’ll continue to work at it and make improvements.”