Climate Change Adaptation
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Improve storm water monitoring to include storm surge and sea level change protection
Realistic with current General Assembly?
Reduction of Methane through Composting
Use scientifically determined estimates for ocean level rise and start protecting those areas via
zoning, subdivision permits and CAMA permits
Carbon Footprint Reduction
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Most comprehensive bike, scooter, walking network of paths/sidewalks in Nation!
Industrial Gas Emissions CO2 capture
Conversion to Algae for range of products (fuel, plastics)
Educate Homeowners/ renters
o Conserve energy
o Recycle
o Plant deciduous trees
o Buy energy star products
Anaerobic Digestion
Use anaerobic digestion to convert organic waste to Biogas
Reduce vehicle use and encourage biking and walking
Lower urban speed limits, restricting access to cars, parking management
Air Quality Standards
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Convert vehicles to electric , need fill stations
Low emissions zones- drive wise
Hold industry accountable for their actions- fine the actual owners/bosses to keep jobs secure
for employees “just following directions”
Set new standards that go beyond California Guidelines and set time frame to meet goal
o New businesses must comply, but get tax, etc. credits
Encourage biking/scooter culture, Bike and Scooter friendly path
Oysters for clean water and CO2 sequestration
Solid Waste Reduction
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Compost program- Compost an recycling pick up every week and Trash pickup every other week
(Portland, OR)
Fine those not recycling (commercial and residential)
Education for solid waste collectors to know what is recyclable
X 4 Composting Methods
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Commitment to divert more, recycle more, and waste less through statement of commitment
on how much % we want to recycle and divert
Dumpsters at county recycling sites for steel cans
Address the use of plastic bags within the county
County recycling program
Build world-class recycling plant- quite burying our problem (Shane)
Require all garbage collections to offer curbside recycling
Require all garbage rollout containers to be small and recycling containers to be big
Start curbside recycling of hazardous wastes (few times per year)
MSW Handling- gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion
Renewable Energy
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Education
Tax breaks
Write representatives
Make it easier to change to renewable energy- cost, the degree
Power generation from solar
Renewable energy- county vehicles, public transportation
o Harvest bio LNG
Bio Gas/ Biomass- NC is one of the most carbon rich states in US. Ability to grow our fuels’ and
grow our energy. Port can export Bio LNG. Develop BioLNG infrastructure
Retain renewable energy portfolio standards (REPS)
Agricultural Waste remediation
o Hog lagoons- filter with algae
o Corn storer – cellulose ethanol
Energy crops- example biochemtex- Sampson County. Energy Grass grown on hog waste spray
fields
Methane capture for energy from compost of landfill
Methane thru AD (anaerobic Digestion)
Water Conservation and Supply
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Bottle refill stations instead of water fountains in government buildings
Data validation- do we really know how much is needed?
Industrial/Municipal Waste Water Reuse
o One option- Algae filtration- convert algae to new products- fuel, plastic or biogas
Rainwater harvesting
Water supply and conservation- encourage rain barrel use and rain gardens
Annual “Desert Day” encourage everyone to not use H20 one day and educate folks on water
conservation (Shane)
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Sturgeon City, Jacksonville
Stream, Watershed, and Floodplain Protection
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Refocus Azalea Festival… (add natives!!)
Pride of place (habitat), tourism/biodiversity hot spot, NCDOT roadsides , Plant/Habitat tours
Incentivize (more) redevelopment of already disturbed sites (keep/restore existing green space)
Integrate ‘habitat’ into detailed planning language (standard details/lists) – “Plazas”, “Buffers”,
etc.
Conservation Easements (tax incentives for landowners)
Habitat Award Program (Cape Fear Audubon Society)
NC Natural Heritage Program- Registry Agreements
Water Quality Protection IS the top priority- All key policies need to support this somehow. We
live downstream, need help from upstream
Use smaller scale methods (bio swales, rain gardens) in addition to storm water detention ponds
Brownfield Mitigation and Redevelopment
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Facilitate Brownfield Redevelopment
o Inventory of sites and Development Agreements
Mycological Remediation
ID use of ? – Secure grant money for cleanup if needed for repurposing
Enzyme and Microbes for waste remediation
Natural Topography Respect
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Encourage natural beach sand flow
Clean up river banks and tidal marshes
Strengthen floodplain protection
Ban terminal groins
Strengthen enforcement of CAMA regs on buildings
Ban bulkheads on waterways use stone sills instead
Stop building on swampy areas which causes numerous problems
Flat topography vs storm water ordinances (conflicting ordinances)
Green Infrastructure
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Bike paths, sidewalks
Traffic lights timed more efficiently to promote better flow, less congestion and air pollution
MAPS- Metropolitan Area Projects- set aside $.01-$.03 cent sales tax for 5 years – millions of $=
web of bike paths/ greenways/ blueways
Advertise- integrate public transportation, trolley/bus labelling- longleaf pine, maritime forest,
etc.
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Using electrical vehicles
City/county/public spaces turned into food production instead of lawns
Encourage safe bicycle lanes and greenways long side of them for biodiversity corridors (linking
habitats)
Renewable natural gas- expand pipelines, vehicles fuel stations
Tax incentives for natives natural yards, solar, and conservation
Expand county parks system, including pocket parks
Natural Habitat Protection
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Tax distribution
o Example-hunting and fishing license revenue is diverted to habitat protection
o Do similar w/ tourism tax revenues
Encourage LID when possible
Delineate and enforce stream buffers
o Strengthen and expand Special Use Permits to cover this
Preserve existing forest cover in rural areas
Selective tree harvesting
Pollinator gardens and habitats
Non-native invasive species management
Greenways and paddle trails
Educate clubs interested in protecting National Habitat.
o Cape Fear Garden Club has a division within club “Gardening with Wildlife”
Conservation and mitigation banking
Liaison among conservationist industry, developers and community
Offer “NC native Plant” labels free to big box and other retail so they use them