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June 09, 2007
Cities Lead The Way
Today's Washington Post has a most interesting article about American cities leading the way on taking steps to reduce greenhouse emissions, while the federal government continues to stall.
From hybrid taxi cabs in New York City, to more energy-efficient home construction in Austin, to waterless urinals in Chicago, America's mayors are implementing actual measures to reduce emissions and decrease energy use, rather than talk about it.
Many in the press noted President George W. Bush's change in tone with regard to greenhouse emissions as he approached the just-completed G8 Summit in Germany. He actually called on the world's 15 biggest polluting countries to develop targets for reducing emissions by the end of next year. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Despite Bush's public proclamations to the contrary, nothing in his approach to actual policy has changed. He balked at German Chancellor Angela Merkel's proposal for the G8 nations to agree to fixed emissions targets; the U.S. was the only country not to agree.
It's good to see, at least, that U.S. mayors aren't waiting around for Washington to tackle this problem.
While Houston wasn't specifically mentioned in the Post article, rest assured that the White administration and City Council are taking steps to reduce Houston's carbon footprint as well. The new budget moves a substantial portion of the City's power use to renewable energy -- eventually about one-third. Improvements in water and sewer technology will make our water/wasterwater system more efficient. A new ordinance coming before Council will require set-asides for green space in new developments inside the City. And, of course, the City continues its legal action -- despite the efforts of some in the Legislature to shut it down, Lt. Gov Dewhurst comes to mind -- against the bad actors in local industry who continue to dump poisonous chemicals into the air.
As is true on so many other issues, the American public has left Bush behind on climate change, and they are simply going around him. Good for them.
Posted by houtopia at June 9, 2007 08:39 AM