In the wake of the climate report issued by the federal government last week, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said the county’s work on renewable energy usage could be the model for the rest of the country’s fight against climate change.
The Trump Administration released the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which warns of dire consequences if the U.S. does nothing to curb the effects of climate change, on Black Friday, ahead of its scheduled December release date. President Trump has already said he does not believe the reports findings are accurate, even though it was conducted by 13 of his government’s federal agencies.
“It’s clearly incumbent upon us all to take the reins on the issue of climate change and demonstrate the leadership needed to mitigate the impacts of flooding, extreme heat, and drought that even the President’s administration now says will be prevalent in our future,” Parisi said in a news release Monday. “The scientific debate on climate change is over; what’s left is a political debate propped up by corporations and politicians who profit from the use of fossil fuels.”
Parisi touted the county’s renewable energy programs as a “national template” for counteracting the effects of climate change. In recent years, the county government has invested millions of dollars in renewable energy programs, such as the conversion of snowplows from diesel fuel to natural gas.
Parisi also promoted the county’s construction of a biofuel conversion facility at the county landfill, which would turn biological waste into vehicle fuel. He also mentioned the county’s efforts to building renewable energy facilities, including a partnership with Madison Gas & Electric to build 41 acres of solar panels next to the Dane County Regional Airport.
Parisi stated his hope that Dane County’s efforts would inspire other local governments and private companies to similarly pursue renewable energy projects.
