By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-948648.mp3
Albany, NY – The City of Albany takes a big green step forward... Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas was on hand when Mayor Jerry Jennings announced a round of greenhouse gas reduction strategies for 2011.
The drive to make Albany a more sustainable community has been ongoing since 2005. Last year, using federal grant money, Jennings launched the Mayor's Office of Energy & Sustainability, with the intention to develop a citywide greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Jennings explains its all about cutting costs while improving quality of life. He's identified the top priorities for government operations for 2011. Among them: a municipal waste reduction program. With the municipal landfill nearly at capacity, the city has been involved in work on a regional waste management plan to present to the state DEC. Last night the city general service committee unanimously endorsed the final draft of that plan, which embraces recycling initiatives some say are long overdue.
Doug Melnick, director of the Mayor's Office of Energy & Sustainability, says Albany's goals entail diverting 65% of solid waste from the landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from city facilities by 25% and replacing 10% of city vehicles with ones powered by alternative fuels by 2030.
Officials claim Albany is the only upstate city that has embraced a comprehensive green development program ... back in 2007 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg set goals of cutting municipal government emissions by 30 percent by 2017 and reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
In Massachusetts, 53 municipalities are now designated as Commonwealth "Green Communities," ranked as clean energy leaders and eligible for renewable power and energy efficiency grants.