Easton’s mayor says the city is combatting climate change, but federal support is crucial - lehighvalleylive.com

Easton’s mayor says the city is combatting climate change, but federal support is crucial - lehighvalleylive.com

Climate change has been a widely debated topic across the country and the world, and Easton’s Mayor Sal Panto Jr. says it’s an issue affecting Easton.

Panto said Easton residents are experiencing impacts from extreme weather events, caused by climate change. Federal efforts, he said, can help the city address these impacts and benefit its residents.

The city held a news conference on Thursday to discuss these federal investments and how they affect Easton. Panto, among the speakers, cited the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which featured significant funds committed to reshape American energy use and reduce emissions. These commitments, Panto said, include tax credits and rebates for solar panels, electric vehicles and heat pumps.

Before this, Easton launched its Climate Action Plan in 2021, which aims to cut Easton’s greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 from 2019 levels, and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

“America’s mayors continue to lead the fight against climate change through innovative policies, programs and zoning that are building climate resiliency, promoting the use of clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cities across the country,” Panto said. “And it’s local governments, like the city and the county, that are leading the change.”

Panto said, however, that without support from the federal government, it’s difficult for local governments to tackle climate change.

“Unfortunately, we did not get support from the federal government until August of 2022, and that’s when President [Joe] Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law,” Panto said.

He said Easton has taken action to combat climate change, including planting trees throughout the city to provide shade, opening fire hydrants on hot days, updating building codes to protect residents who utilize solar energy, and installing electric vehicle charging stations at the parking garages.

Easton’s future plans, Panto said, include converting methane gas from the wastewater treatment plant into electricity to power the entire plant, exploring on-street electric car charging stations, and seeking bike share programs that would lessen reliance on automobiles.

Tara Zrinski, elected last year as Northampton County controller, concurred with Panto that climate change impacts are affecting Easton. She said at the news conference residential energy use contributes approximately 20% of U.S. household greenhouse gas emissions. She said weatherization of homes is essential to build climate resilience and reduce energy use, which means making improvements to reduce the amount of energy used in a home.

She said weatherization can be costly, especially for low-income families. It is these households that face “uncomfortable” living conditions due to mold and outdated systems, Zrinksi said. Marginalized communities, single parents, and older adults with fixed incomes are especially affected by energy insecurity, Zrinksi said.

She said the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Acts allocated $1.8 million to the Lehigh Valley. Through the Weatherization Assistance Program, 17 homes in Northampton County have seen improvements to seal out bad weather.

“We must resist any attempt to roll back these critical investments,” Zriniski said. “As Northampton County controller, I assure you that I will diligently oversee the use of these funds to support our community’s needs.”

Vice Mayor Ken Brown said weatherization also creates jobs for contractors, manufacturers, and small businesses.

“By implementing this weatherization plan, we will begin to do the necessary changes that we need for our community,” Brown said.

Nick Horting, director of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Center for Residential Reinvestment Programs, said $186 million in total have been allocated for weatherization programs across the state through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He said this will help an estimated 14,000 to be weatherized.

“Pennsylvania has one of the most robust weatherization agency networks in the country, and today they have completed over 1,400 units ... but there’s still a long way to go and a lot of work to do,” Horting said.

In addition to weatherization efforts, he said Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program was established to ensure 3% of federal funding will be invested in workforce development and on the job training programs.

Panto praised federal leaders, such as Biden, and state leaders for making funds available to local governments.

“We must all work together to protect our planet,” he said.

more easton area news

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Chelsea Kun may be reached at ckun@lehighvalleylive.com.