The Reader Beat: Environmental Advisory Council Notes from March 26, 2025

The following are our notes taken during the Environmental Advisory Council meeting held on March 26

I attended the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) meeting on Wednesday, Mar. 26 at 3 p.m. Mayor Joe Schember sat in on the meeting. Members Sr. Pat Lupo, Aaron Kerr, and Associate Member Sara Wettekin were absent. The meeting included a presentation by Pennsylvania State University students Tyler Bogle and James Schafer about a Local Climate Action Plan (LCAP) and their findings on Erie's greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. 

The data showed that transportation produced the most greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 37 percent of the total emissions. Industry came in second with 27 percent and residential in third with 19 percent. The students suggested that more accessible public transportation, electric bikes and scooters, and low-emission vehicles could lower Erie's carbon footprint in transportation. 

The students recommended that Erie develops a climate action plan, as it will provide a framework for reducing emissions and mitigating climate change in the future. 

Director Jacqueline Spry brought up the possibility of modifying the 100 buildings that the city owns to be more energy efficient. "We could do a local government operational inventory of all of your facilities," Dr. Peter Buck, the Co-Director of the Local Climate Action Program at Penn State said. "The LCAP would be very eager to have you as part of our cohort next year." 

Member Dr. Sherri Mason addressed a draft of an ordinance for a Plastic Bag Ban. Single-use utensils and styrofoam containers were included in the proposed ban along with plastic bags. Later in the meeting, EAC discussed the possibility of a dark sky ordinance in the City of Erie that would reduce light pollution and allow for a more clear view of the sky and stars.