A New Board Being Formed Will Tackle Climate Change in Yakima

The Yakima City Council earlier this year endorsed and passed a resolution joining the SAFE Cities movement and endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

City officials will talk on Tuesday about the creation of a new board

Officials from Bellingham based Stand.earth who created the initiative say the city of Yakima is only the second city in the United States to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, joining a global movement that includes cities like Los Angeles, Barcelona, Vancouver, B.C., the Australian Capital Territory as well as the City of Moreland, and several more within the U.K. On Tuesday the council will talk about the creation of a new board to “overlook sustainability and adverse effects of climate change” within the city. The council meets on Zoom at 5:30PM. You can find more information at yakimawa.gov.

The city has already agreed to block expansion of the fossil fuel industry

Officials with Stand.earth say by passing the resolution the cities agree they will block expansion of the fossil fuel industry within city limits. They say Hundreds of organizations representing thousands more individuals have also joined the call for world leaders to stop fossil fuel expansion, including 1,200+ scientists and 101 Nobel Laureates such as the Dalai Lama.
Yakima Mayor Patricia Byers however wasn't on board with the idea. She voted against the resolution in June.
Tzeporah Berman, International Program Director at Stand.earth and Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. “The scale of the climate crisis calls for urgent, collective action and presents real threats to agricultural production and forest resources. With such a diverse agricultural economy, Yakima’s vote is a step forward locally to protect community livelihoods, the regional economy and environment.”