County board passes climate emergency resolution, becomes the first county in Minnesota to do so

Olya Wright and Naomi Arnica, two high school students, came before the county board this past Tuesday, imploring commissioners to approve a climate emergency resolution. For several years both students have been involved with efforts to have local government and businesses reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to extreme weather events and climate change.

Additionally, the students requested that the county government reduce its carbon footprint by making its buildings energy efficient and reducing emissions from its vehicle fleet and reducing water consumption, among other things. Administrator James Joerkes said those issues were being looked at and would be addressed.

Before Wright or Arnica spoke, the commissioners heard from about ten county residents who favored passage of the climate emergency resolution during public comment.

Language in the resolution cited last summer’s historic drought, air quality issues from forest fires, and a tornado confirmed here in Cook County on December 15, 2021, as evidence of climate change negatively affecting our area.

Wright pointed out that time was of the essence, noting that to achieve the goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, carbon emissions must be halved by 2030 and reach net-zero global emissions by 2050.

“This (resolution) is a perfect first step in a long staircase of steps,” that needs to be done, said Wright, adding that 136 people in the county had signed a petition calling for the commissioners to pass the resolution, adding “This is the final countdown.”

Arnica told commissioners she was too young to vote, too young to serve on a council or commission, so all she could do was show up and talk. “It’s time for you to take up your end of the bargain,” she said.

The resolution calls for organizations such as the Cook County Local Energy Project, the county Housing and Rehabilitation Authority, and Grand Marais/Cook County EDA to propose and implement responses to address our changing climate and best energy practices. It also calls for the county to position projects to take advantage of state and federal climate action funding opportunities.

Commissioners complimented the young ladies for their presentation. Board Chair Ann Sullivan said, “We appreciate your efforts and commitment.”

Sullivan called for a resolution motioned first by Dave Mills and seconded by Bob Svaleson. The board unanimously passed the motion, making Cook County the first county in the state to pass a climate emergency resolution. Unfortunately, Commissioner Stacy Hawkins couldn’t be at the meeting, so the vote was 4-0.

Cook County now joins the City of Grand Marais, Duluth, Minneapolis, and a dozen other statewide municipalities that have passed similar climate change measures.

The historic resolution passed by commissioners on February 22, 2022, ends with this: “Be it further resolved, Cook County calls on the federal government to immediately commit resources to support the climate mitigation and adaption efforts of cities large and small, to invest in the infrastructure needed for a sustainable future, to ensure that investment at the scale needed, and to provide the necessary global leadership to keep global warming 1.5 Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).”