When it comes to the climate and environment in Northeast Ohio, the candidates in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District have different views. Democratic incumbent Shontel Brown emphasizes federal and local investments in clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act, while Republican challenger and Cleveland Heights Mayor Alan Rapoport emphasizes the need for a free-market approach to climate solutions.
Ideastream Public Media’s Zaria Johnson met with the two individually to discuss their plans for climate action and environmental policy once in office.
What would you show in your past actions that speak to your approach to environmental issues?
Coffee: We can talk about the historic legislation that we have been able to successfully pass, including most notably the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest investment in the climate crisis in our nation’s history. And I’m proud of that 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 bill and only about 15% of it has been spent currently, so I think that’s indicative of where I stand and the work that we’ve been able to do, along with who we are. looking to do in the future.
Report: While I was mayor of Cleveland Heights, we did a lot of public building construction. We built a new town hall. We built two fire stations to replace the three old ones that were built in the 20s, and we also did a lot of work to remodel Kain Park. And we also did a lot with water lines, sewer lines, roads – we did tremendous construction activity. And one of our goals in doing that was to create a more efficient system, but also to take advantage of newer technologies, especially 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 the commitment that I developed during that time to do things correctly is. Something I think is ongoing. It’s still my interest, too, to be very hands-on but also very proactive and try to create a good environment.
Climate change is having a more pronounced effect that is being felt locally across Ohio – everything from temperature extremes to more frequent severe weather. What role do you see for yourself and the federal government in reducing the effects of climate change on people and communities? How would you strengthen your position in the congress?
Report: I don’t think pumping too many guns into the air is a good idea. Of course it will not help us in the short term. And me. It cannot help us in the long run. So I think there should be some consideration of that at the federal level.
An example of something I am very concerned about is that. Our government, in its infinite wisdom, placed a barrier to the transmission of liquefied natural gas to other countries. I think it was a very bad idea because the result of this was that other countries became more dependent on Russian oil, which is much dirtier than ours.
It has also prevented the shift of reliance from other sources, such as coal to liquefied natural gas, which would be much cleaner, and has put some of our foreign alliances at risk because countries that are quite dependent have been taken from power supplies and return them. to people who.
As suppliers we probably don’t want to encourage them as suppliers. So I just think the federal government can be very involved in trying to change the general direction, not just here, but in other countries.
Coffee: The good news is that we have had significant local impacts. One of the things I would point out is just a few months ago, I think it was August, we sent $129 million to Cuyahoga County to build brownfield solar.
I would also like to point out in May, we have given 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, which received $19 million for pure steel production.
MetroHealth is another key example where we were able to provide a $17 million climate justice grant to provide free equipment to over 1,200 low-income families with asthma. So this is an attempt to replace outdated gas stoves with new electric ones.
And finally, I’d point to the $156 million implementation of solar across the Midwest through the Opportunities Partners group in Cleveland. So we mark historic, major legislation and investments being made for and 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 it, and do you?
Coffee: Absolutely. yes. yes. I think you can tell from the work we’ve done in the country, again, along with the landmark legislation around the Inflation Reduction Act, that we recognize the importance of protecting our planet and that’s all we have and nothing else. . is more important. If we don’t have a planet, then everything else is worthless, right?
Report: I believe there will be a gradual development in a number of areas, and I think what I favor is a kind of all-of-the-above approach to see which one works. I think we’re still in the learning stages of forms of energy like solar and wind, and I don’t think we’re ready to move massively into either 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 are efficient but also a better environment.
One area that I’m a little surprised isn’t being pursued more aggressively, and that’s what’s called carbon offset credits. I think I tend to favor a free market approach to almost everything, but that includes giving people incentives to do things that you would like them to do.
I think tax credits that essentially reward certain behaviors aren’t necessarily a bad thing, and it’s something the federal government can do. What I don’t like is that the government picks winners and losers. I remember Solyndra, a company that the federal government decided to invest a lot of money in that went bust.
Now, if it’s a free market and someone was investing their own money and they chose to take a risk, that’s fine, but I don’t like using taxpayers’ money to gamble with the energy market. But I think carbon offset credits are one area where I think the federal government could be much more proactive.
What concrete steps would you take to support stewardship in and along Lake Erie? Do you support multi-state partnerships with other Great Lakes states in the US and with Canada? Do you think there should be changes?
Report: 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 often to make sure we are all on the same page about what we need to do as stewards of the lakes.
I also think it involves some very clear discussions with our neighbors, the Canadians, about how the lake is being treated. We have common issues of concern about invasive species, for example, 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 to have a gun to stand on the border of Lake Erie and keep those Texans away when they come to take our water away.
That was a joke, but I think we have a resource that is unique to our area and other people will notice that over time.
Coffee: 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 great asset, but we must protect it.
The thing that’s probably most concerning to the collective is the warmer temperatures and the pollution, and we know that this has historically led to more algal blooms and that’s devastating to the lakes.
So what I would highlight about the lake is the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which included $1 billion for Great Lakes restoration. And I have to give a shout out to Congresswoman Kaptur, who I like to refer to as 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 know our neighbors in Buffalo because that stretches from Buffalo to Minnesota. So this is a huge undertaking. And I’m proud to be a member of the Great Lakes Task Force. And I want to make sure that we continue to reauthorize … this Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and increase funding for shoreline cleanup and protection.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
Coffee: I want constituents to know that I am proud to represent them and respond to their needs. I do not go to Congress with a personal agenda. I go to Congress with an agenda that keeps them front and center in my mind and that 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 exemplifies that, and I hope that they will continue to trust me to represent them in the future.
report: I have a different philosophy from other people running for office. I consider myself a pragmatist and I consider myself a moderate. This may be an endangered species in today’s political world.
I’ve always been, as I suggested, interested in getting results rather than pontificating and rather than spouting a run-of-the-mill cliché about how I think the world should be. I believe that we all have very little time on this earth to accomplish things, and I hope to use the time I have left to the best of my ability.
I left political office in the 80s 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, that’s done. She is out on her own, and my wife says now that I need a hobby.
So I’m back in the public sphere looking again for an opportunity to participate, this time on a much larger scale, to try and do my part to make the world a better place for others. Because I think that making the world a better place for others makes it a better place for me.