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Columbia City Council Candidates Discuss Environmental Issues

Columbia city council candidates debated issues of energy and climate change at a forum on Wednesday.

Six of the twelve candidates for city council seats in the April 7th election argued over potential methods to increase the sustainability of Columbia’s energy sources. Topics discussed in the candidate forum included the city’s role in preventing the effects of climate change, the implementation of solar power in to Columbia’s energy mix and the impact of urban development on the city’s energy efficiency.

First Ward city council candidates John Clark, Rob Stewart, Jake Loft and Rob Rasmussen as well as Second Ward candidate Paul Love and incumbent Michael Trapp attended the forum, while First Ward candidate Clyde Ruffin and Sixth Ward candidate Betsy Peters submitted answers to questions in written statements.

Mark Haim, the director of mid-Missouri Peaceworks and organizer of the forum, said climate change and energy policy should be a litmus test for the strength of each candidate.

“Climate change is an existential threat,” Haim said. “Some people who are running for office recognize that and are willing ot invest time, energy and resources in addressing it and others are in denial of the threat or don’t think we should be spending our time, energy and resources dealing with this huge problem we’re facing.”

Candidates were given six questions in advance of the forum and were given 1-3 minutes for each question.

First Ward candidate John Clark advocated strongly for the development of a virtual power plant as the source of Columbia’s energy. The model involves using a system of interconnected energy distribution generators that are controlled by one central source. In theory, Clark said, the virtual power plant could increase the capacity of the city’s energy while making it more renewable and sustainable. Other candidates pointed out the substantial fiscal costs and time costs that would be necessary to implement such a complex system.

Jake Loft, a candidate for the First Ward, argued Columbia’s city council does not need to engage in policies to curb the effects of climate change. Instead, Loft said, the city should be focusing on funding police and fire fighters and figuring out how to fix the city’s sewer system. Loft also noted the potential environmental benefits of fixing the city’s sewers, saying at one point, “Fix the sewers, save the streams.”

First Ward candidate Rob Rasmussen said he would like the city to promote the use of alternative modes of transportation, such as creating easier ways to bike through Columbia. On several occasions, Rasmussen admitted to not being thoroughly familiar with the benefits and detriments of various energy policies, and said he wanted to have access to as much information as possible before taking a stance.

“It seems like it’s going to be more difficult to try and get an alternative power plant,” Rasmussen said in response to a question about increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city’s energy mix. “I really don’t have the magic solution. I’ll throw in a hundred bucks if you guys want to go in on one. But we will have to look at all of our options.”

Rob Stewart, a candidate for the First Ward, advocated for an improvement in community education on climate change and energy issues. Stewart said he feels that many Columbia residents can benefit from being exposed to information on the environment and the human effect on the environment. Stewart also said that in energy policy, the city government has a responsibility to protect the land and the people for which it serves.

“The health of the people and the environment, and the future of both is what should guide our decision making,” Stewart said.

Paul Love, a candidate for the Second Ward, said that he is not convinced that climate change is caused by humans, but that he supports any policy that will increase the use of efficient energy. Love said it is crucial that the city be removed from its current contract with the coal company that manufactures electricity for the city and begin aggressively exploring renewable sources of energy. However, he also cautioned against moving too quickly into one source of energy, and noted that solar power technology advances greatly every few years, which would make current solar panels virtually obsolete.

Second Ward incumbent Michael Trapp argued in favor of many of the city council’s current energy policies. He advocated for the city’s current energy goals of drawing 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2018 and 30 percent renewable by 2028, saying that they were both necessary and achievable. He also cautioned against more ambitious alternative energy plans because of the city’s inability to generate revenue from some of those sources.

The Columbia city council election is April 7.