FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Haven't you guys been working on a CAP for a long time? Why hasn't it happened yet? We've been engaged with local climate action since 2017. Our current project is new, however--instead of a city Climte Action Plan, we're now working with the County.
What's going to be in the Climate Action Plan? Our current project is not to write the CAP, it's to commit the County to writing the CAP. Once we've passed a Resolution committing to writing the CAP, the real fun will begin! You can find a detailed description of our vision for a CAP on our Climate Action Plan page.
Is climate change hopeless? Not if we do something about it. Even if we hit 1.5 or 2°C, it's still worth fighting to keep our planet from getting any warmer. The world will not automatically end when we reach a certain threshold, and no matter how bad it gets, it's still our responsibility to fix it.
What's the deal with heat pumps? Heat pumps work with a similar mechanism to a refrigerator, but they use electricity to heat instead of cool (although they can also act as AC). You might be hearing a lot about heat pumps lately; that's because we have huge potential for them in Cook County, since almost all of our heating is with propane. Supplementing/replacing a propane heating system with a heat pump is *very* cost-effective: electricity is a lot cheaper than propane, so the consumer saves money. And, of course, as Minnesota's grid decarbonizes, switching over to a heat pump will have a significant impact on carbon emissions.
What about IRA and state incentives? The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as well as legislation from the state of Minnesota, have budgeted significant funds to help reduce the up-front costs of purchasing low-carbon technology (heat pumps, solar panels, EVs, etc.). A lot of those programs haven't been rolled out yet, mostly due to understaffing. We hope that, as part of the CAP, Cook County could help guide residents through the incentive process.
Why climate action in Cook County? We are in a crisis that must be addressed at every level of government.
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