My name is Ariane Jong-Levinger and I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Chapman University. I urge the City Council to direct staff to work with Chapman University students to develop a Sustainability Plan. As an Environmental Engineer and alumna of the Environmental Science & Policy program at Chapman, I know that our community is vulnerable to the local impacts of climate change--including wildfires and extreme heat--and yet has so much to gain from swift and decisive action. Unprecedented funding for climate action is available through the Inflation Reduction Act, which can help Orange residents save money when adopting sustainable technologies like electric vehicles and appliances. Without a Sustainability Plan, the City of Orange loses out on both federal and state funding opportunities. Moreover, Orange has the opportunity to be seen as one of OC's leaders in sustainability along with Irvine, Costa Mesa, and other cities that are already developing such plans. Lastly, by developing the Sustainability Plan in partnership with Chapman University, the city not only saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, but also gives our Environmental Science & Policy students a real-world, hands-on project to learn from while benefitting from the expertise of the professors leading the program at Chapman. It is truly a win-win for our city, the students, and our community as a whole. I myself intend to get involved as an expert on post-fire flood risk and how to manage it with flood control infrastructure. I implore you to direct staff to work with Chapman University students to develop a Sustainability Plan as soon as possible.
My name is Ariane Jong-Levinger and I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Chapman University. I urge the City Council to direct staff to work with Chapman University students to develop a Sustainability Plan. As an Environmental Engineer and alumna of the Environmental Science & Policy program at Chapman, I know that our community is vulnerable to the local impacts of climate change--including wildfires and extreme heat--and yet has so much to gain from swift and decisive action. Unprecedented funding for climate action is available through the Inflation Reduction Act, which can help Orange residents save money when adopting sustainable technologies like electric vehicles and appliances. Without a Sustainability Plan, the City of Orange loses out on both federal and state funding opportunities. Moreover, Orange has the opportunity to be seen as one of OC's leaders in sustainability along with Irvine, Costa Mesa, and other cities that are already developing such plans. Lastly, by developing the Sustainability Plan in partnership with Chapman University, the city not only saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, but also gives our Environmental Science & Policy students a real-world, hands-on project to learn from while benefitting from the expertise of the professors leading the program at Chapman. It is truly a win-win for our city, the students, and our community as a whole. I myself intend to get involved as an expert on post-fire flood risk and how to manage it with flood control infrastructure. I implore you to direct staff to work with Chapman University students to develop a Sustainability Plan as soon as possible.