Under ambitious new goals, Los Angeles will be ‘zero waste’ by 2050

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 03: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (L) speaks at a press conference at City Hall announcing the launch of the 'ShakeAlertLA' mobile application on January 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 'ShakeAlertLA' is the country's first publicly available early earthquake warning app. The app uses the USGS earthquake sensor network to potentially provide users with seconds of advance notice before shaking from an earthquake begins. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announces a new plan to reduce carbon emissions across the city.

California already leads the nation in pursuing progressive environmentally minded policies and legislation. Under Mayor Eric Garcetti’s new plan, the city of Los Angeles wants to go a step further.

California already leads the nation in pursuing progressive environmentally minded policies and legislation. Under Mayor Eric Garcetti’s new plan, the city of Los Angeles wants to go a step further.

The Mayor announced this morning an ambitious plan to dramatically reduce the city’s carbon emissions, by mandate zero carbon for new buildings -- from office towers to homes -- by 2050. Also in the plan: the creation of a zero emissions transportation network, a zero carbon electricity grid, and by 2050, a Los Angeles that “won’t send a single piece of trash” to the landfill.

How achievable are these goals? Guest host Kyle Stokes talk to KPCC reporter Sharon McNary.

With guest host Kyle Stokes.

Guest:

Sharon McNary, infrastructure correspondent for KPCC who is covering the story; she tweets

Tweets by KPCCsharon

Cara Horowitz, co-executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law

Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at UC Berkeley