Palm Springs Director of Sustainability LP McCloy, center, Coachella Grants Manager Jamie Arroyo, left, and Indio City Councilman Oscar Ortiz discussed how Coachella Valley cities are addressing environmental health issues during a moderated forum Saturday.
Representatives from three Coachella Valley cities, including Palm Springs, outlined their environmental health and sustainability efforts during a panel discussion Saturday, highlighting both progress and challenges in addressing the effects of climate change.
Palm Springs Sustainability Director LP McCloy, Coachella Grants Manager Jamie Arroyo and Indio City Councilman Oscar Ortiz presented their cities’ efforts during a session that was part of the two-day “Healthy Desert, Healthy You” summit hosted by the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation.
McCloy emphasized Palm Springs’ focus on heat mitigation, especially in transportation.
“We really need to think hard about how heat and shade impact our transportation network,” she said, explaining the new “Heat and Shade Layer” project being funded by the California Transportation Commission.
Coachella recently won a $10 million grant for its Community Resilience Center, Arroyo reported. The funds will be used to renovate a 17,800-square-foot packing house into an emergency shelter and cooling center with an improved HVAC system and backup power generation.
“When the Resilience Center is not functioning as an emergency shelter on a day-to-day basis, it will host our small business support and food innovator programs,” Arroyo explained, emphasizing the facility’s dual purpose.
Indians promote the planting of native species for a variety of benefits, including water conservation and wildlife habitat.
“If planted in the right direction, they can actually provide shade for your home, reducing your energy consumption and therefore your emissions,” Ortiz says.
All three representatives emphasized the importance of regional collaboration through organizations such as the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) and the Coachella Valley Energy Commission (CVEC).
“CVAG provides a really good platform to make that happen,” McCloy said, referring to collaboration between the cities.
But cities face challenges in implementing sustainability measures. Ortiz noted the difficulty of changing long-standing practices. “We’re kind of stuck in the old ways, you know? We like grass and ornaments and things that require a lot of water,” he said.
Special interests also pose an obstacle, Ortiz said.
“Every now and then we start getting signals that something’s not right, that something’s not mathematical, that it doesn’t fit our community,” he said.
Panelists encouraged community involvement through a variety of means: McCloy encouraged residents to attend Palm Springs’ Sustainability Committee meetings, while Arroyo emphasized the importance of working with community-based organizations.
“It’s really important to work with community-based organizations and people who are working at the grassroots level,” Arroyo said.
Ortiz encouraged a hands-on approach, saying, “Getting your hands dirty is a great way of saying it’s not just about dirty tasks like composting, but also about exploring different topics that interest you.”
McCloy added that Palm Springs will soon be launching a zero-waste initiative to help businesses and will bring in consultants to help companies reach their zero-waste goals.
