|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Stamford, Connecticut – Wednesday, April 9, 2008 – Mayor Dannel P. Malloy joined approximately 60 county and city leaders from across the country gathered today in the U.S. Capitol in meetings with Members of Congress. The message conveyed by the local officials was clear. “Let us play our part in the carbon trading system you’re putting together to address global warming,” said Mayor Malloy. “Local governments can reduce carbon footprints as fast as anyone because we’re so close to the sources – and we’re already doing so many things that contribute to the solution.” “America cannot meet the global warming challenge without federal support for the climate change initiatives that only cities and counties can provide,” said Sacramento County, California Supervisor Roger Dickinson and a founder of Climate Communities, an organization of local governments dedicated to halting climate change. “There are major greenhouse gas reductions to be had at the local level, through green buildings, clean transportation, renewable energy and sustainable community development.” Local governments have the ability to lead the effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. For example, more than 33 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated by energy use in residential and commercial buildings. Cities and counties are uniquely suited to reduce that pollution through new building codes and green building incentives. Local government officials across the nation convened a Local Government Climate Change Summit in Washington, D.C. on April 8, 9 and 10. The Summit included a breakfast meeting with Congressman John Dingell, Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and a public event with Senators Joseph Lieberman and John Warner, the architects of the S. 2191 “Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act,” which is making its way through the U.S. Senate now. During this Summit, the leaders of Climate Communities called for the passage of climate change legislation that includes incentives and resources for local government actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy efficiency, green buildings, green infrastructure, clean energy sources, public transit and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled. Appearing on Capitol Hill with the group was an old oil boiler removed from a subdivision in Levittown, New York, one of America’s original post-World War II suburbs, on display next to a modern, highly efficient biofuel boiler. The boiler replacement program is part of Nassau County, New York’s Green Levittown Initiative, which is helping residents conduct home energy audits and replace old boilers in a bid to reduce carbon emissions 20 percent by this year. “Thirty percent of the homes in Levittown still have the original boiler from 60 years ago,” said Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. Suozzi pointed out that if all these homes shifted to the efficient new boiler, 1.3 million gallons of oil would be saved and 32.3 million fewer pounds of carbon pollution would be emitted each year. “Levittown represents only 3 percent of the homes in Nassau County and Nassau County is just a single community. Imagine how much carbon pollution we could reduce if every community in America implemented solution like ours.” Transportation is another area where city and county governments can have a significant impact. To cut greenhouse gas emissions, localities can modernize vehicle fleets with more fuel-efficient, clean-fuel buses and cars and establish or expand public transit. Other measures involve increasing walkability in communities and making other changes to reduce vehicle miles traveled. “Local governments are the first responders to the impacts of climate change,” said King County, Washington Council Member Larry Phillips, Ca Climate Communities leader. “We’re the ones who must be prepared to deal with drought, flooding, wildfires and a host of other impacts that can happen quickly and disrupt out citizens’ lives. And we’re also on the front lines of the solutions being talked about now in Washington, D.C.” Local governments have come up with a number of innovative ideas for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. King County, Washington is purchasing 500 new hybrid buses over the next five years as part of an effort to convert its entire transit system to low-emission vehicles. Here in Stamford we are promoting green building standards for commercial buildings and the extension of property tax relief for citizens who purchase hybrid cars. Sacramento County, California has established a blueprint for the metropolitan region that links transportation investments to a vision of sustainable future growth served by public transit, transit-oriented development and other measures to reduce vehicle use by 27 percent by 2050. To find out more about the Climate Communities coalition and to learn about other initiatives, contact Patricia Charles at 301-887-1060 or patricia@kelleycampaigns.com About Climate Communities Climate Communities is a national coalition of cities and counties that is educating federal policymakers about the essential role of local governments in addressing climate change and promoting a strong local-federal partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, see www.climatecommunities.us © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: The Loft Artist Association to present Stamford's largest annual art experience - Sep 19, 2008 - 8:22 AM Mayor Malloy joins other leaders to develop climate change blueprint - Sep 15, 2008 - 1:43 PM Stamford Historical Society plans urban renewal exhibit and fund raising gala - Sep 9, 2008 - 11:02 AM Mayor Malloy to speak at the Mayors' Institute on Climate Change - Sep 3, 2008 - 12:01 PM City further tightens restrictions on Trump Pare construction - Aug 5, 2008 - 10:01 AM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
