1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject: FW: MSC Mtg Mar. 14th. Item 1: IRP
From: lauren cory < >
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2023 3:52 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: MSC Mtg Mar. 14th. Item 1: IRP
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Mayor Gordo and councilmembers,
I have been so impressed with your constant recognition of the hardship high utility bills had had on working class and middle-class residents. Whether in city council or MSC meetings, all of you have expressed deep concern over and over. Thank you.
I taught in Highland Park before teaching in Palo Alto. When teaching in Highland Park, I had students who would miss 2-4 days of school because they had to stay home with a young sibling who was having an asthma attack. Both parents worked service jobs for long hours. The length and frequency of absences would repeat depending on smog levels.
When they came back to class they rarely caught up. It wasn’t just in my history class; it was also in math, English and science.
Higher levels of carbon are consistently measured in lower income neighborhoods. Much higher asthma levels, then more school is missed, then more failure results.
Yet recognizing or not recognizing the social impacts of burning high levels of carbon rich energy is a choice.
If the Social Cost of Carbon, which is a respected economic metric, were factored into PWP’s four scenarios the true cost of our carbon rich energy would be more than obvious to everyone; as would be the much lower cost of carbon-free energy. The difference would be stark.
The Social Cost of Carbon is being used at the local, state and federal levels to inform policy and energy choices. To leave it out of the cost analysis of the four scenarios is to be using outdated models.
MSC, please keep speaking out for our working class and middle class residents – in fact, speak out for all of us – and demand that the Social Cost of Carbon be included in the four IRP scenarios.
Thank you.
2 Lauren Cory
Pasadena 91105