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KING COUNTY, SEATTLE LEADERS RECEIVE NATIONAL SIERRA CLUB AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP Award Affirms That Greatest Progress is Being Made Outside the Beltway SEATTLE - King County Executive Ron Sims and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels will be honored by the Sierra Club’s national leadership in Seattle this week. Both are jointly receiving the Sierra Club’s Edgar Wayburn Award, which celebrates outstanding service to the environment by a person in government. Although the award has traditionally been given to distinguished federal lawmakers, this year the prize was given to two local leaders to acknowledge that cities and counties are leading the curve when it comes to the promoting environmental solutions. "Sims and Nickels are each shining examples of how one leader can make a difference and be an inspiration to others," said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. "Both men are also proof that in today's America the best examples of vision and leadership can be found at the local level." Pope singled out Ron Sims for rising above the typical political stalemates to deliver clean water, salmon protection, new energy sources and transportation choices to our communities. And he credited Mayor Nickels for leading an end-run around federal gridlock on global warming and launching the wildly successful U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Initiative. "I'm humbled and honored to be recognized for our commitment to future generations," said Executive Sims. "I'm encouraged that local governments that take risks and innovate can cause positive change nationally as we work to leave a legacy of a healthy environment and high quality of life. No one illustrates this more than Mayor Greg Nickels, and I'm delighted that we share this distinguished award." Mayor Nickels added, "I'm thrilled that the Sierra Club has recognized our efforts in Seattle and King County with the Edgar Wayburn Award. And I'm honored to share the award with the County Executive. In the spirit of Dr. Wayburn, I hope our leadership can show what's possible when people who care about the environment roll up their sleeves and do the hard work that needs to be done." All over America, cities, counties and states are leading an exciting grassroots movement to help solve the nation's most pressing environmental problems. This is especially true with global warming. Frustrated by stalling on the federal level, local leaders have been moving forward with innovative energy solutions that cut our dependence on oil, benefit public health and save taxpayer dollars. And to date, 266 mayors representing over 47 million Americans have pledged to reduce their cities' global warming emissions to below 1990 levels by 2012. "I couldn't be more proud of both leaders for their tireless work and political courage," said Michael McGinn, a Seattle resident and local Sierra Club volunteer. "Both have tackled very difficult problems and even faced brutal criticism, but they have shown a real knack for rolling up their sleeves to find creative solutions that benefit our economy, our environment and our communities."
BACKGROUND KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE RON SIMS Ron Sims is now in his third term as King County Executive, and in issues large and small, he has never hesitated to lead on environmental issues. King County is Washington State's most populous county, stretching from Puget Sound to the crest of the Cascade Mountain range. In addition to Seattle, it includes numerous suburban cities, rural towns, farmland, commercial timberlands and wilderness. Highlights of Sims environmental record include: Transportation When it comes to forward-thinking transportation policy, King County is on the move, thanks to Sims. The county's Metro Transit now boasts clean and efficient hybrid buses as well as vehicles that low-sulfur and bio-diesel fuels. Sims has also been a long-time advocate for light rail. As chair of the regional Sound Transit board, he -- along with Mayor Nickels -- helped push through light rail despite many obstacles. And this week, the board announced a new extension into east King County. Parks and Open Space Sims has pledged to conserve an additional 100,000 acres of green space in King County by 2010, on top of the more than 130,000 acres already under permanent protection. He has also improved coordination between transportation and land-use decisions to avoid the unnecessary development of important natural areas. In addition, he "held the line" on King County’s Urban Growth Boundary, cutting the rate of rural land development to less than 5% annually. Salmon Protection Sims stood up for the environment against irresponsible developers when he fought for the Critical Areas Ordinance, establishing new protections for wetlands, streams and rivers. Although he was subjected to extraordinary attacks from anti-environmental groups, he stood firm.
SEATTLE MAYOR GREG NICKELS Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels made national headlines when he bucked federal cynicism on global warming and launched the Mayor's Climate Protection Initiative. He led by example when he committed Seattle to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the 1990 levels by 2012, and more importantly he challenged other cities to make the same commitment. As of July 14, 2006 266 mayors representing over 47 million Americans have accepted his challenge. Some of the specific steps Nickels has taken to meet his pledge include: Green Vehicles The mayor launched the "Clean, Green Fleet Plan" in 2003, which included downsizing the city’s fleet, replacing older compact sedans with more fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid cars, and discouraging the purchase of new SUVs. In addition, new trucks come equipped with technology that automatically turns off the engine while idling, to avoid unnecessary pollution, fuel consumption, and cost. Seattle’s fleet has cut the use of fossil fuels by 12 percent since 1999, largely by converting to hybrid vehicles and using biodiesel in many of its heavy trucks. These changes have cut global warming pollution by about 2,400 tons - the same as taking more than 500 cars off the road for a year. Clean Power In 2005, Seattle City Light became the first - and remains the only - major electric utility in the nation to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions. As part of that effort, some cruise ships docking at Seattle’s waterfront now get electric power from City Light so they can cut their engines and reduce emissions. And the privately owned garbage trucks contracted by the city, have switched to cleaner-burning biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur fuels to help protect the climate and reduce pollution. Energy Efficiency Seattle has developed one of the strongest green building programs in the nation, requiring that new high rise buildings downtown meet LEED building standards. And its One Less Car Challenge is a new, creative program that encourages residents to get around town without a car. Other Successes Early in his term, Nickels expanded recycling for businesses and residents, including food waste recycling, to meet a goal of recycling 60% of the city's waste. The city's P-patch program allows Seattle residents to purchase small plots for gardening in their neighborhoods. He has championed greater residential density in Seattle, supported parks and open space, and reduced subsidies to parking. Finally, he has begun an initiative, Restore Our Waters, requiring city agencies to coordinate and expand efforts to improve water quality and habitat in creeks, lakes and in Puget Sound. # # # |
