How would you allocate resources among the following six priority areas?
(Assume you've got $10 to "spend". Each dot represents $1.)
CARBON SEQUESTRATION: The removal of carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees or utilizing technologies that capture and store carbon (1), CLEAN ENERGY: Increasing use of renewable sources of electricity like solar and wind, decreasing use of fossil fuels (2), CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Taking actions to address flooding, extreme temperatures, severe storms, and other impacts of a changing climate (1), PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION: Activities focused on engaging the community in climate action and things they can do in daily life to help combat climate change (1), TRANSPORTATION: Increasing access to mass transit, increasing use of electric vehicles, promoting alternative forms of transportation like ride sharing, bicycling, and walking (5)
Which factors are most important for the County to use when prioritizing actions? Positive health, economic, or other impact on residents/businesses
Please share any other thoughts related to the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases or prepare for the impacts of climate change. Promote biking and electric vehicles usage by building and enforcing EV only park spaces, charging stations, ev only road lanes, adding a lot of bike lanes. Close town centers for pedestrians, bikes and trams only.
Please provide your zip code to ensure we are incorporating all voices from throughout the county. 20841
Describe yourself (check all that apply) Homeowner in the County
Your age 25 to 44
What is your race or ethnicity? (Select all that apply) White

How would you allocate resources among the following six priority areas?
(Assume you've got $10 to "spend". Each dot represents $1.)
BUILDINGS: Reducing energy use in existing buildings, increasing energy performance requirements for new buildings (3), CARBON SEQUESTRATION: The removal of carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees or utilizing technologies that capture and store carbon (1), CLEAN ENERGY: Increasing use of renewable sources of electricity like solar and wind, decreasing use of fossil fuels (1), CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Taking actions to address flooding, extreme temperatures, severe storms, and other impacts of a changing climate (1), PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION: Activities focused on engaging the community in climate action and things they can do in daily life to help combat climate change (2), TRANSPORTATION: Increasing access to mass transit, increasing use of electric vehicles, promoting alternative forms of transportation like ride sharing, bicycling, and walking (2)
Which factors are most important for the County to use when prioritizing actions? Magnitude of greenhouse gas reduction, Positive health, economic, or other impact on residents/businesses, Prioritizing those at highest risk, Cost of implementation
Please share any other thoughts related to the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases or prepare for the impacts of climate change. The County needs to educate residents about the reason we need to reduce greenhouse gases, the main drivers of climate change (building energy use and transportation) and include other personal choice based drivers (eating meat vs more plant based diets, reducing food waste) and mandate GHG reduction programs. There needs to be more focus on residential energy efficiency and conservation programs including education programs and mandates for reducing and conserving energy use. We need to create a culture of awareness and action and get residents to work together on solutions and to engage people to help create community based solutions. GHG reduction programs and actions need to be adopted by Councilmembers and County staff and County leaders, to model the actions the public need to take to reduce GHG. The county also needs to establish GHG reduction programs with regional partners to coordinate actions and set and work on common goals. The co-benefits of GHG reduction programs need to be highlighted, especially the public health benefits. GHG reduction programs need to be created with input from residents from low income populations and people with diverse ethnic backgrounds, in order to address the diverse needs within the county. County agencies and departments need to work together and establish common GHG reduction goals and track program progress and the programs need to be better integrated to achieve mutually beneficial goals.
Please provide your zip code to ensure we are incorporating all voices from throughout the county. 20853
Describe yourself (check all that apply) Homeowner in the County, Work in the County, Volunteer in the County
Your age 45 to 64
What is your race or ethnicity? (Select all that apply) White

How would you allocate resources among the following six priority areas?
(Assume you've got $10 to "spend". Each dot represents $1.)
BUILDINGS: Reducing energy use in existing buildings, increasing energy performance requirements for new buildings (3), CLEAN ENERGY: Increasing use of renewable sources of electricity like solar and wind, decreasing use of fossil fuels (1), CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Taking actions to address flooding, extreme temperatures, severe storms, and other impacts of a changing climate (2), PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION: Activities focused on engaging the community in climate action and things they can do in daily life to help combat climate change (1), TRANSPORTATION: Increasing access to mass transit, increasing use of electric vehicles, promoting alternative forms of transportation like ride sharing, bicycling, and walking (3)
Which factors are most important for the County to use when prioritizing actions? Positive health, economic, or other impact on residents/businesses, Prioritizing those at highest risk, Magnitude of greenhouse gas reduction, Cost of implementation
Please share any other thoughts related to the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases or prepare for the impacts of climate change. It's time to consider climate change in every policy and program we have, and we should never be satisfied with one benefit. What can we do to mitigate and adapt to climate change while also improving our lives by reducing inequality, providing health care to everyone, implementing better urban design, setting standards for safety (e.g., food, transport), and increasing civic engagement?
Please provide your zip code to ensure we are incorporating all voices from throughout the county. 20910
Describe yourself (check all that apply) Homeowner in the County
Your age 65 or over
What is your race or ethnicity? (Select all that apply) White

How would you allocate resources among the following six priority areas?
(Assume you've got $10 to "spend". Each dot represents $1.)
BUILDINGS: Reducing energy use in existing buildings, increasing energy performance requirements for new buildings (2), CARBON SEQUESTRATION: The removal of carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees or utilizing technologies that capture and store carbon (2), CLEAN ENERGY: Increasing use of renewable sources of electricity like solar and wind, decreasing use of fossil fuels (2), CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Taking actions to address flooding, extreme temperatures, severe storms, and other impacts of a changing climate (1), PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION: Activities focused on engaging the community in climate action and things they can do in daily life to help combat climate change (1), TRANSPORTATION: Increasing access to mass transit, increasing use of electric vehicles, promoting alternative forms of transportation like ride sharing, bicycling, and walking (1)
Which factors are most important for the County to use when prioritizing actions? Magnitude of greenhouse gas reduction, Positive health, economic, or other impact on residents/businesses, Prioritizing those at highest risk, Cost of implementation
Please share any other thoughts related to the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases or prepare for the impacts of climate change. This is an emergency. It is larger than the pandemic. At least the same level of resources and extreme measures should be applied to addressing the climate emergency as were applied to the pandemic. Many more people will die from the effects of climate change than will die from COVID-19.
Please provide your zip code to ensure we are incorporating all voices from throughout the county. 20850
Describe yourself (check all that apply) Homeowner in the County, Work in the County
Your age 45 to 64
What is your race or ethnicity? (Select all that apply) White

How would you allocate resources among the following six priority areas?
(Assume you've got $10 to "spend". Each dot represents $1.)
BUILDINGS: Reducing energy use in existing buildings, increasing energy performance requirements for new buildings (3), CLEAN ENERGY: Increasing use of renewable sources of electricity like solar and wind, decreasing use of fossil fuels (3), CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Taking actions to address flooding, extreme temperatures, severe storms, and other impacts of a changing climate (1), PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION: Activities focused on engaging the community in climate action and things they can do in daily life to help combat climate change (1), TRANSPORTATION: Increasing access to mass transit, increasing use of electric vehicles, promoting alternative forms of transportation like ride sharing, bicycling, and walking (2)
Which factors are most important for the County to use when prioritizing actions? Magnitude of greenhouse gas reduction, Cost of implementation, Positive health, economic, or other impact on residents/businesses, Prioritizing those at highest risk
Please provide your zip code to ensure we are incorporating all voices from throughout the county. 20912
Describe yourself (check all that apply) Homeowner in the County, Business owner in the County, Work in the County, Volunteer in the County
Your age 45 to 64
What is your race or ethnicity? (Select all that apply) White

How would you allocate resources among the following six priority areas?
(Assume you've got $10 to "spend". Each dot represents $1.)
BUILDINGS: Reducing energy use in existing buildings, increasing energy performance requirements for new buildings (2), CARBON SEQUESTRATION: The removal of carbon from the atmosphere by planting trees or utilizing technologies that capture and store carbon (2), CLEAN ENERGY: Increasing use of renewable sources of electricity like solar and wind, decreasing use of fossil fuels (2), CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Taking actions to address flooding, extreme temperatures, severe storms, and other impacts of a changing climate (2), TRANSPORTATION: Increasing access to mass transit, increasing use of electric vehicles, promoting alternative forms of transportation like ride sharing, bicycling, and walking (2)
Please share any other thoughts related to the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases or prepare for the impacts of climate change. Covid-19 has given us an opportunity to reassess our values but, sadly, this doesn't make changing lifestyles and mindsets easy. If we could get marketing and advertising experts to create a campaign around the huge benefits of greening MC, then perhaps we could create the public support we need to do what we MUST do if our children's children are to survive. Frankly we may not even have that long; it might be ourselves we're trying to save.
Please provide your zip code to ensure we are incorporating all voices from throughout the county. 20815
Describe yourself (check all that apply) Renter in the County, Volunteer in the County
Your age 65 or over
What is your race or ethnicity? (Select all that apply) White

Goal 2, Goal 3 and Goal 4 are great because they are directly linked MC’s goals of GHG being reduced. These goals appear to be associated to the 2nd step of problem solving, design the solution. They show an awareness of the current county processes that have contributed to the Climate Emergency problem. But, they need to define how much of a reduction and by when. Their strategies and actions are directly linked MC’s goals of GHG being reduced.
Action 4.1.2 – Right On!
Action 4.1.4 – That should be done NOW.

Action 3.2.1 – Develop a County-provided best practices list for high-performance energy conservation measures in new buildings. Action 3.2.1. of Goal 3 will be one of the most effective actions once it is determined what are “best practices” for energy efficiency or even how energy efficiency is defined. After an analysis of known energy conservation methods used in new construction is performed then it’s a question of who is qualified to select what designs and methods to be placed on the best practices list. Once the energy conservation best practices for new construction is written won’t the county need to instruct and train the county employees who are paid to promote and inspect that the selected best practice has been correctly implemented at the building or renovation site? If so, that step of training the county employees should be mentioned as part of designing the solution. Nowhere are methods mentioned on how to hire permit office and project approval personal with net-zero building design and/or construction experience and retrain adaptable current employees for writing and applying the new building codes and zoning the county requires to achieve its goals.

Analysis of MC’s government departments, such as Zoning, Building Permit and Code Enforcement Department’s, contributions to the energy consumption/GHG production of MC’s building stock needs to be performed in order to know what practices to stop and identify what GHG reduction practices MC’s needs start and where in those departments GHG reduction practices are to be applied. Description of the inspection process needed to determine if MC has obtained the solution condition is missing. Therefore, exact actions to conduct inspections of buildings for the success of their applying corrective actions is missing. Finally, the ability to determine if MC’s objectively defined solution actually solved the problem has not been analyzed because the word inspection does not appear in Building Work Group’s recommendations.

Goal 2's Analysis---
What type of building improvements is the question that is raised by this goal because of its lack of analysis.
Strategy 2.1 – Good, but is energy efficiency defined as R-values, air infiltration test results, energy consumption with Degree-day values, or quantity of kilowatts generated onsite over a year or all of the above? This as any solution strategy needs the benefit of analysis for it to contribute to achieving the solution condition. This strategy needs defined actions to determine what are the requirements for an upgrade to qualify for financial assistance.
Strategy 2.2 – Right on. But, this strategy needs defined actions, based on analysis of solutions, that concentrate on what energy consumption reduction methods are included in MC’s guidance. Also, it needs a description of qualifications possessed by who is doing the selection of those “Retrofit Accelerator” methods.

Strategy 2.3 –
Eliminate this strategy and place all of its actions under Strategy 2.1. because they are all good examples of the 2nd Step of solving a problem, which is design a solution.
Action 2.3.1 – Establish a dedicated fund (e.g., Fuel Energy Tax) to provide robust County energy programs. Instead of robust use effective.

Strategy 2.4 is a crucial to fulfillment of all of MC’s building GHG reduction goals. Is this strategy unworthy of actions? First action, which is problem analysis, would be to hire consultants with knowledge, experience and skills of designing and implementation of both active and passive energy conservation and renewable energy technologies to identify what knowledge and skills the county’s employees and consultants will have to possess to achieve the changes MC is striving to make. The second action, which is design the problem’s solution, for the previously mentioned consultants would be to identify the institutions that provide the instruction that matches their recommended knowledge and skills the graduates would need to possess. The third action for Strategy 2.4 is an example of solution implementation. MC needs to replace the inadequate processes and possibly the employees that have contributed to the county’s Climate Emergency problem. Once selected existing employees as well new employees that MC sent to the qualifying renewable energy institutions graduate with satisfactory grades and they are successful, those employees would be promoted before those without GHG reduction skills to demonstrate MC’s commitment to changing its culture to reform and restoration of Earth’s life sustaining atmosphere.

Strategy 2.5 – Develop/expand an appliance trade-in program to encourage energy-efficiency appliance upgrades. This strategy is so good it is already performed by EMpower program of MD.

2nd develop or design the problem’s solution---
Goal 2 with all of its strategies and actions would be effective solutions after they have been revised to have their subjects’ characteristics described using engineering or the construction industry’s vocabulary. Then, their subjects’ characteristics can be objectively measured in the field and quantifiably reported.

3rd: implement the solution---
Goal 2, Strategy 2.4 – Develop a training program/scholarship in partnership with a University or Trade Association for facility managers/building operators on the latest energy efficient technologies.
This the one solution that can be implemented now. However, what are the latest energy efficient technologies? Should the hired consultant be the only source of those latest energy technologies? What makes a technology efficient are the conditions surrounding the technology. The changing climate makes the conditions surrounding our buildings a moving target. The authority chosen to determine the content of training of the new construction technology and which institution will best provide that training should be knowledgeable of the predicted atmospheric changes that Montgomery County, Maryland will experience in the next one hundred years.

First, I encourage my local government in their elimination of GHG from the county's economy. I have attempted to evaluate this work group’s output by the engineering problem solving method, i.e.
1st Step: analyze the problem;
2nd Step: design problem’s solution;
3rd Step: implement the solution;
4th Step: inspect if the solution will or is eliminating the problem, which is commonly known as Quality Control (QC). Step 4 is applied within the performance of the previous steps to eliminate mistakes before the solution attempt has finished.

Analysis for defining the solution condition is lacking throughout the Building Workgroup’s recommendations as demonstrated by the absence of exact actions MC must conduct to know what success is. Also missing are the inspection actions necessary to determine when its GHG reduction activities are successful.
Goal 1 – Understand the current and planned building stock in Montgomery County”, is so vague it is an obstacle. What is reason for this understand process Goal 1 intends to perform and how do we know we have accomplished it? MC rightly needs to eliminate the GHG emissions from its public and privately owned buildings and it should state that in its goals.

Actions in Goal #1 are aspirational only and need to include how the county collects the data to achieve its 1st goal. Also, what kind of data needs to be collected in order to analyze the problem? How will the number of fossil-fuel units and kilowatt hours that a building consumes be connected to that building’s GHG footprint?

Action 1.1.2 – “Develop a comprehensive directory of top energy consumers and high-performance buildings by industry/location/ownership”, comes as close to effectively performing problem analysis as any recommendation from the Building Workgroup but it has no methods described to collect energy consumption data. Also, it cannot be comprehensive if it ignores the vast majority of MC’s buildings that are not at the extremes of energy consumption.