OMAHA - From flash flooding to rolling blackouts, from potholes to smoky skies, Omahans have had a bitter taste this past year of the effects that extreme weather has on their lives.

The City of Omaha will join several hundred other U.S. cities with strategies for confronting climate change as other metro entities, such as the Omaha Public Power District, are ramping up efforts to address climate change as well.

Despite these efforts, the Nebraska Legislature has rejected calls for a statewide plan.

In regard to the timing of the plan, Mayor Jean Stothert said, “Omaha has been implementing sustainability measures for some time now without the need for a formal plan. The current timeline gives us the opportunity to maximize the results of more coordination for climate-related practices.”

The course of action has received both praise and frustration from those who had been working towards this goal for years.

David Corbin, chairman of the Missouri Valley Sierra Club's energy committee, disagreed with Stothert's claims that the metro area had no need for such a plan until now.

“I hope the city doesn’t approach other public responsibilities with the same laissez-faire attitude,” he said. “Not having a plan is a type of inaction.”

Most projects of this nature entail the identification of a community's most vulnerable areas to severe weather, the contribution to global warming, and what needs to be done to stop it.

Some of the impetus for the plan comes from Omaha’s desire to remain competitive in drawing new employers and talented workers, said Kevin Andersen, Stothert’s deputy chief of staff for economic development.

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