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| Mayor Seng of Lincoln, Nebraska, signs
the US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement at her Environmental
Advisory
Council
meeting. |
Solving global warming one city at a time, is more than just a
slogan. Right now cities are taking action and putting solutions
to work. One of the brightest lights of this movement is the U.S.
Climate Protection Agreement, which was inspiration for the Sierra
Club’s “Cool Cities Campaign.”
Initiated by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in February of 2005, the
U.S. Climate Protection Agreement has been signed by 755 mayors,
representing over 76 million citizens in 51 states and the District
of Columbia, as of January of 2008. These mayors have pledged to
reduce global warming carbon dioxide pollution in their cities
to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012 (the same reductions and target
date called for under the Koto Global Warming Treaty).
Many of these “Cool Cities” leaders are moving forward
with innovative energy solutions that cut our dependence on foreign
oil, benefit the public health, and save taxpayer dollars. The “Cool
Cities” strategy is to use the U.S. Mayors’ Climate
Protection Agreement to achieve two important goals:
1. Get cities
(and eventually states and the federal government) to take action
with smart energy solutions that reduce global warming emissions,
and
2. Energize, support, and build volunteer activism and influence.
In Nebraska there are four Cool Cities that have taken the pledge
to reduce greenhouse gas emission, Bellevue, Lincoln, Hastings
and Omaha.
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| Former Sierra Club president Lisa Renstrom,
center, is shown standing in front of a Prius hybrid car
with Phil Davidson of Bellevue, Nebraska and Omaha Mayor
Fahey after a press conference recognizing Fahey and Bellevue
Mayor Ryan. |
Omaha’s Mayor Fahey, signed the climate protection agreement
two years ago. Since signing, the Green Omaha Coalition was founded.
Their mission is the promotion of a healthy, sustainable community
through parternerships, policy, and smart solutions. The Green
Omaha Coalition intends to accomplish its mission through leadership
and coalition building with public and private sector entities.
The GOC would like to foster collaboration with key stakeholders
in the community and to accelerate the adoption of green practices,
policies, and programs.
Five councils have been established:
1. PUBLIC AGENCY COUNCIL is a forum for local municipalities and
public utility groups to collaborate on green initiatives to include
those for buildings. They work to create green standards, share
information, and support each others' programs and initiatives.
2. LEARNING GREEN EDUCATION COUNCIL is an organizing group that
works with local school districts and universities to infuse sustainable
education into curriculum and green operations in educational facilities.
3. GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL provides venue for neighborhood associations,
homeowners, and nonprofit groups committed to educating residential
neighborhoods on the collective benefits of sustainable home ownership.
4. GREEN BUSINESS COUNCIL is a resource for local businesses of
all sizes and functions on greening business operations, products
and services and will include chambers of commerce and economic
development boards throughout the area.
5. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION council is a collaborative effort amongst
design and construction professionals to increase awareness among
the construction community through educational programs and resource
development.
For more information on the Green Omaha Coalition go to www.greenomahacoalition.org.
In neighboring Council Bluffs, Mayor Hanafan was approached last
June to sign the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and an environmental
forum was held in October for the city council candidates to express
their opinions regarding the proposed agreement. On January 14th
the issue was again brought before the mayor and city council,
but no firm commitment has been made. To encourage support of the
a Cool Cities initiative in Council Bluffs, please write or call
Mayor Hanafan at:
209 Pearl Street, Council Bluffs IA 51503, (712) 323-4601.
The “Cool Cities” concept is also being adopted by
the faith community in a campaign called “Cool Congregations".
Members of Broadway United Methodist Church in Council Bluffs are
helping parishioners and other congregations reduce carbon emissions
in an effort to curb the effects of global warming. “Cool
Congregations” is part of a nationwide effort to organize
a meaningful new dimension to faith stewardship. Interested congregants
make a faith-based pledge to reduce their contribution to global
warming by taking energy efficient actions, often saving money
in the process. Participants calculate their carbon footprint,
find ways to reduce their carbon footprint and learn how to save
energy in their church.
Cool Congregations is a program of the Iowa Interfaith Power
and Light (www.ncric.com/llPandL-webpage.html) which is one of
twenty plus state initiatives of The Regeneration Project (www.theregenerationproject.org).
Their goal is to educate faith communities about global warming
and encourage them to take steps to solve the problem, both in
their institutional buildings and in member households.
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| Sign
me up to make Omaha and other Nebraska
cities "Cool Cities." |
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