A fence or other obstacle that prevents movement or access. A circumstance or obstacle that keeps people or things apart or prevents communication or progress.1
1 Resiliency for All, 2016.
Glossary
Term bank
Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a long period of time (several decades). Scientific research indicates that impacts, such as extreme temperatures, drought, and wildfires are continuing to escalate.
Climate change occurs when there is a long-term change in the average weather patterns at either local, regional, or global scales. Climate change in the 20th and 21st century is primarily caused by human activity, in particular by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Natural forces (e.g. cyclic ocean patterns and volcanic activity) also impact climate change.2
2 NASA, Overview: Weather, Global Warming and Climate Change (May 2020)
On October 8, 2019, the Longmont City Council passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency establishing Longmont's intent to take immediate and accelerated action to address the climate crisis.
A Climate Action Task Force composed of residents, including those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; other subject matter experts; partners; and City staff; was convened on Dec. 18, 2019 to discuss further steps the City should take to promote a carbon-free, sustainable city, with the goal of creating and submitting a report outlining such steps within 120 days of this resolution and quarterly thereafter.
Adaptation refers to making adjustments in order to limit the negative effects of climate change, while working to become a more resilient and stronger community.3 Adaptation measures are encompassed in the recommendations of the Climate Action Task Force.
3 University of California, Davis, Science & Climate Definitions, accessed June 2019
Mitigation refers to reducing or preventing the emission of greenhouse gases or taking actions that reduce the rate of climate change.4 Mitigation efforts are expected to be the primary focus of the Climate Action Task Force’s recommendations.
“...the recognition that climate change is a human-made crisis that has primarily been wrought by those with economic power and privilege, while the effects of climate change have a disproportionately negative impact on the historically marginalized and underserved–primarily people of color and low-income communities around the world."5
5 B Corp, The Climate Justice Playbook for Business, 2020.
Small-scale electricity supply or demand resources that are interconnected to the electric grid. In the context of climate action and sustainability, DERs refer to technology that supports the shift in energy consumption to reduce costs, improve reliability, and support the transition to 100% renewable energy. Examples of these technologies could include smart thermostats, solar photovoltaic systems, level 2 electric vehicle chargers, battery storage devices, and others.
Actions that use less or save energy.
Accomplishing the same tasks while using less electricity, such as by making improvements to a home or business or replacing appliances.
"Environmental justice recognizes that all people have a right to breathe clean air, drink clean water, participate freely in
decisions that affect their environment, live free of dangerous levels of toxic pollution, experience equal protection of
environmental policies, and share the benefits of a prosperous and vibrant pollution-free economy."6
An equitable approach differs from an equality-based approach, which offers all community members the same resources, by recognizing that there are systemic factors that put certain community members at a disadvantage. An equity-based approach seeks to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of age, race or ethnicity, ability, gender, socio-economic status or any other distinguishing factor. Through an equitable lens, decisions are made to meet the needs of marginalized community members as a way to level the playing field for everyone.
Equitable climate action refers to local policy and personal habits that reduce climate pollution and increase community resilience in ways that do no harm, and that support all communities according to their needs.7
7 Equitable Climate Action Team group definition, 2020
A City staff led group of community members who work to assist in implementing equitable climate action through community education, outreach and the evaluation of City programs to ensure equitable outcomes. In 2020, the team developed the climate equity recommendations as part of the Climate Action Recommendations Report.
Groups most impacted by climate change and most likely to be affected by crises of ecology, economy and democracy, but historically receiving the fewest benefits. This includes low-to medium-income communities, communities of color, those who speak languages other than English, people with disabilities, older adults, young children, people with criminal records, LQBTQ+, and refugees and immigrants. It is important to focus on frontline communities in climate action outreach and program development to ensure that any efforts are equitable and inclusive.
Greenhouse gases are gases that heat the atmosphere by absorbing infrared (longwave) light and ‘trapping’ it in the lower atmosphere. Direct sunlight(shortwave light, i.e., UV and visible) reaches the Earth’s surface unimpeded because greenhouse gases are transparent for shortwave light. Once shortwave light reaches theEarth's surface it is reradiated to the atmosphere as longwave (infrared) light.Greenhouse gases absorb this energy, heating the lower atmosphere. While gases such as carbon dioxide occur naturally in the atmosphere, human activity has increased atmospheric concentrations.8
8 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, What are greenhouse gases? Accessed August 2019.
Operational indicators are directly linked to actions. They report on the progress of the action and how much the city is working towards that action.
Tactical indicators describe an effort that the city tries to increase or decrease with various actions, often these tactical indicators help build toward the overall strategic indicator. An example of a tactical indicator is "vehicle electrification."
Strategic indicators describe Longmont's greenhouse gas emissions and other overarching key indicators. An example of a strategic metric is “building emissions” or "water use".
Power provider that is owned by the cities of Estes Park,Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland, and generates the electricity that the four cities distribute.
Energy that naturally refills and does not deplete (i.e. wind, solar).
Electricity that is powered from renewable energy sources (see renewable energy definition)
As part of the Zero Waste Resolution, updated in 2022, the City of Longmont aims toward the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.
Those in the community that could benefit from a current program but are not currently being engaged.
Those in the community that are often left out of or not included in the decision-making process.
Resilience for Longmont means increasing the capability of the City and its partners to anticipate risk, limit impact and bounce forward rapidly by adapting and learning in the face of disruptive shocks and stresses.9
9 Envision Longmont, 2016.
Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere and its short-term variation in minutes to weeks. People generally think of weather as the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind.