A possibility: Community Choice Aggregation in Leonia
The threats to our environment are growing as time progresses. Earth is getting warmer, weather conditions are getting harsher, habitat loss is worsening, and deforestation is increasing by the minute. All of these issues were brought about by human actions.
Unfortunately, Carbon Dioxide levels are currently higher than they ever have been before. According to NOAA Research, “Atmospheric carbon dioxide continued its rapid rise in 2019, with the average for May peaking at 414.7 parts per million at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego announced today (NOAA Research).” NOAA demonstrates that our planet is in danger due to the excessive carbon dioxide that is being emitted by human activities.
The Leonia Environmental Commision has a plan to bring Community Choice Aggregation to our town. Community Choice Aggregation is an energy system where a town gets their energy from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels. CCA is extremely beneficial as it will get a large amount of people at a time to use renewable energy. According to Food and Water Action, “Livingston began their CCA in March 2019. The program offers residents 100% renewable energy, primarily from wind and solar power. Residents expect to see a 10% saving on electricity bills, which will total a projected $1.125 million in community-wide savings (Food and Water Action).” Community Choice Aggregation in Leonia would not only make a positive impact in our town, but can also inspire other communities to do the same.
The Leonia Environmental Commision will be expressing their proposal to the Leonia Mayor Meeting on March 15, 2021. The Leonia High School Environmental Science club will also speak at the meeting, publicly supporting their plan. We hope that these two organizations standing in unity will convince the leaders and citizens of Leonia that Community Choice Aggregation is the best solution to our growing environmental issues, specifically climate change.
Sources:
https://www.foodandwateraction.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NJ-CCA-Examples-One-pager.pdf