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know as well as anyone how important the Clean Power Plan is to the security and well -being of Americans, and how reasonable EPA's rule really is." City and county governments are the first line of defense in weather disasters and climate impacts, which grow increasingly frequent and severe as greenhouse gas emissions cause the climate to change. Many cities are already experiencing — and paying for — damage caused by climate change. The amicus brief provides examples: Faced with flooding propelled by rising sea levels, Miami Beach is investing $400 million in an adaptation strategy that includes pumping stations, raised roads, and seawalls. Rising seas likewise put Miami at risk for "losing insurability," and threaten drinking water supplies across southeast Florida. The 2011 Texas heat wave not only filled hospital emergency departments in Houston but also burst pipes and water mains, draining 18 billion gallons of drinking water and with it millions in revenue for the city. Disruptive heat waves in Grand Rapids, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh have caused electricity brownouts and blackouts, in Arlington County, Evanston, Dallas, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City they have compromised an airport runway, buckled roads and warped rails. Cities and counties disproportionately shoulder the impact and bear the costs of continued inaction on climate change, and many are acting on their own to reduce the emissions under their direct control. However, local governments' ambition to act on climate change is limited by their lack of control over many aspects of this worldwide problem. According to the brief: Cities' efforts to adapt to a changing climate and to mitigate its causes are highly sensitive to national policies like the Clean Power Plan, which shape national markets, steer state action, and have the largest impact on nationwide emissions ... Cities working to shoulder the burdens of adaptation would therefore face an ever harder —and ever more expensive —task in the absence of the Clean Power Plan. The local government brief recognizes and builds on strong demand for climate action by cities and counties, which view the Clean Power Plan as a "legally necessary step toward addressing the extraordinary threat posed by climate change." In 2015, more than two dozen mayors sent a letter to President Obama urging him to "provide a path forward to make meaningful reductions in carbon pollution while preparing for the impacts of climate change." Furthermore, more than 125 U.S. cities have already committed to the Compact of Mayors, a global coalition of more than 460 mayors pledging to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, track their progress transparently and enhance their resilience to climate change. Of the 52 cities signed onto the brief, more than half are committed to the Compact. "This amicus brief shows how cities across America are leading the way in the fight against climate change —and how eager they are for state governments to join them," said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, three -term mayor of New York City and the UN Secretary - General's Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. "Mayors are responsible for people's health and safety, and with their cities already feeling the effects of climate change, they can't afford to let ideological battles slow the great work they're doing to clean the air, strengthen local economies, and protect people from risks." Read the full brief. https.Ilweb.law.columbia.edu /climate- change /document - login /document- access