When it comes to Northeast Ohio’s climate and environment, the candidates for Ohio’s 11th Congressional District have different views. Democratic incumbent Shontel Brown is highlighting federal and local investment in clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act, while Republican challenger and Cleveland Heights Mayor Alan Rapoport is stressing the need for a free-market approach to climate solutions.
Ideastream Public Media’s Zaria Johnson sat down with the two individually to discuss their plans for climate action and environmental policy after taking office.
What would you point to in your past actions that speak to your approach to environmental issues?
Brown: We can speak to the historic legislation we’ve been able to successfully pass, including the Deflation Act, the largest contribution to the climate crisis in our nation’s history. And I’m proud of it because it’s been able to create over 300,000 new clean energy jobs. We expect to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in 2023.
And the good news is that it’s a 10-year account and only about 15% of that has been spent so far, so I think that shows where I stand and the work that we’ve been able to do with what we’ve got. looking to do in the future.
Rapoport. While I was mayor of Cleveland Heights, we built a lot of public buildings. We have built a new municipality. We are building two fire stations to replace three old stations built in the 20’s, and we have also done a lot of work renovating Kane Park. And we also did a lot with water lines, sewer lines, streets. we did huge construction works. And one of our goals in doing that was to create a more efficient system, but also to take advantage of new technologies, particularly with the municipality.
We had to look at everything we could do to make it more energy efficient as well as keep it user friendly. So I think it’s the commitment that I developed over the course of trying to do things right. Something I think is stubborn. I’m still interested in being very hands-on but also very proactive and trying to create a good environment.
Climate change is having more pronounced impacts that are being felt locally in Ohio, with everything from temperature extremes to more frequent severe weather. What role do you see yourself and the federal government playing in reducing the impacts of climate change on people and communities? How would you strengthen your position in Congress?
Rapoport. I don’t think pumping too much gun is a good idea. It certainly won’t help us in the short term. And I. It is not possible to help us in the long run. So I think it should be given some consideration at the federal level.
This is an example of something that bothers me a lot. Our government, in its infinite wisdom, blocked the transfer of liquefied natural gas to other countries. I think it was a very bad idea because the result was that other countries became more dependent on Russian oil, which is much dirtier than ours.
It also prevents transfers from other sources, such as coal, liquefied natural gas, which would be much cleaner, and it puts some of our foreign alliances at risk because it has taken countries that are quite dependent on energy supplies and turned them into are people who
As suppliers we probably don’t want to encourage as suppliers. So I just think the federal government can be very involved in trying to change the overall direction, not only here but in other places.
Brown. The good news is that we have had significant local impact. One of the things I would point to was just a few months ago, I think it was August, we sent $129 million to Cuyahoga County to build brownfield solar.
I’d also like to mention that in May we gave tax credits to local schools to install solar panels, including our neighbor in Warrensville. [and] Maple Heights. Let me think here. We just, I just visited the Cleveland Cliffs plant yesterday that received $19 million for clean steel production.
MetroHealth is another key example where we were able to provide a $17 million climate justice grant to provide free equipment to more than 1,200 low-income households with asthma. So, it is an attempt to replace old gas stoves with new electric ones.
And then finally, I would point to a $156 million solar investment in the Midwest through Opportunities Partners, a group in Cleveland. So we’re celebrating historic, monumental legislation and investments being made at the local level in partnership with the federal government.
Are you in favor of clean energy production in the country? Does the federal government have a role in supporting this, and you?
BrownAbsolutely. Yes! Yes! I think you can see from the work that we’ve done locally, once again, with the historic legislation around the Inflation Reduction Act, that we recognize the importance of protecting our planet and that this is the only thing we have and nothing else. : is more important. If we don’t have a planet, then everything else is invalid, right?
Rapoport. I think there’s going to be a gradual development in different areas, and I guess what I’m taking is kind of an all-of-the-above approach to see which one works out. I think we’re still learning about forms of energy like solar and wind, and I don’t think we’re ready to move massively into any of those areas yet.
I hope that as we all learn more about the pros and cons of different forms of energy, we will learn not to rely on any particular source and eventually hopefully find our way to some sources that promote efficiency, but also better environment.
One area that I’m a little surprised isn’t being pursued more aggressively is something called carbon offset credits. I guess I tend to take a free market approach to almost everything, but that includes motivating people to do things that you want them to do.
I think tax credits that basically reward certain behaviors aren’t necessarily a bad thing, and it’s something the federal government can do. I don’t like that the government chooses winners and losers. I remember Solyndra, a company that the federal government decided to invest a lot of money in, that collapsed.
Now, if it’s a free market and someone invested their own money and they chose to take a risk, that’s fine, but I don’t like using taxpayers’ money to play dice with the energy market. But I think carbon offset credits are an area that I think the federal government could be much more proactive about.
What specific steps would you take to support stewardship in and along Lake Erie? Do you support multilateral cooperation with other Great Lakes states in the US and Canada? Do you think there should be changes?
Rapoport. One of the great advantages of living in northern Ohio is Lake Erie, not only for recreational purposes, not only as a water source, but there is much that can be done to make it a better body of water. I think the interstate compact with the other Great Lakes states is very important and should be reviewed frequently to make sure we are all on the same page about what we need to do as lake stewards.
I also think this involves some very clear discussions with our Canadian neighbors about how they feel about the lake. We have common issues to worry about, like invasive species, and how to deal with that problem. I sometimes joke that one of the reasons I’m in favor of the Second Amendment is because I want a gun to stand on the border of Lake Erie and keep those Texans away when they come to take our water away from us.
It was a joke, but I really think we have a resource that is specific to our region, and other people will find out over time.
Brown. The Great Lakes are very important to me. When I talk to community leaders and elected officials, as well as business people, I realize how important the lake is to our future. It is a huge value, but we must protect it.
Perhaps the collective’s biggest concern is warmer temperatures and pollution, which we know has historically led to more algal blooms, which are devastating to lakes.
So what I would mention in relation to the lake is the bipartisan infrastructure act that included $1 billion for Great Lakes restoration. And I have to give a shout out to Congresswoman Kaptur, who I like to call the Queen of the Great Lakes, for her tenacity and tenacity to make sure this investment was made.
But I think it’s also important to get to know our neighbors in Buffalo as it stretches from Buffalo to Minnesota. So this is a big undertaking. And I’m proud to be a member of the Great Lakes Task Force. And I want to ensure that we continue to reaffirm … this Great Lakes restoration initiative and increase funding for cleanup and coastal protection.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
Brown: I want constituents to know that I am proud to represent them and to be responsive to their needs. I am not going to Congress with a personal agenda. I go to Congress with an agenda that keeps them at the forefront of my mind and truly considers the issues that will have immediate and long-term benefits for my constituents.
And so I hope that the work that I’ve been able to do and the results that I’ve been able to deliver is a testament to that, and I hope that they will continue to trust me to represent them in the future.
Rapaport. I have a different philosophy than other people who pretend. I consider myself pragmatic and moderate. It may be an endangered species in today’s political world.
I’ve always, as I suggested, been interested in getting results, not in pontificating and not in liquid clichés about how I think the world should be. I believe that we all have very little time on this earth to solve problems, and I hope to make the best use of my remaining time.
Back in the 80s, I left the political position because my family developed. I had a daughter and I wanted to send her to college and I wanted to earn money so I could pay for college. Well, it’s done. He’s out on his own and my wife now says I need a hobby.
So I’m back in the public arena and looking for an opportunity to participate again, this time on a much larger scale, to try and do my part to make the world a better place. Because I believe that making the world a better place for others makes it a better place for me too.