go to town

Education Images/UIG via Getty Images
Scott Pruitt can’t hold these cities back from a cleaner future.
Despite the never-ending stream of environmental inaction at the EPA, local governments across the country are setting goals to move toward renewable energy. In the last week alone:
- New York City announced plans to power its public buses with electricity by 2040, starting with 10 electric buses this year. With more than 5,000 buses — the biggest fleet in the country — NYC’s switch from diesel to electric would rein in carbon dioxide emissions and local air pollution, reducing health care costs.
- In Los Angeles, the city council unanimously voted to advance a proposal for a “Climate Emergency Mobilization Department,” a group that would work to cut the city’s emissions. Council members cited mudslides and wildfires as key factors in their decision.
- Minneapolis is shifting to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, according to a plan approved by the local government on Friday. Within four years, city facilities aim to rely on renewable electricity, with the rest of the city to follow. This makes it the biggest Midwestern city to pledge to complete reliance on renewable energy.
Take that, Pruitt.