[SustainableTompkins] City of Ithaca pursues sustainability

[GayNicholson at aol.com]

'Dancing' with the mayors 
By: Mayor Carolyn Peterson  
11/15/2006

In July 2005, I attended a Mayors Gathering on Climate  Protection, by 
invitation of Robert Redford, Mayor Rocky Anderson of Salt Lake  City, and ICLEI 
(International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) -  Local Governments 
for Sustainability, held at the Sundance Preserve in Utah. It  was at the 2005 
gathering of 46 mayors that Al Gore presented, with passion,  scientific 
evidence and research on the evidence of climate change and global  warning. That 
presentation became the film An Inconvenient Truth, a message that  has been 
shown and told hundreds and hundreds of times throughout the United  States and 
internationally. Since the 2005 gathering, the city of Ithaca has  passed a 
Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions for City of Ithaca  
Government Operations. The plan's objectives will be implemented in order to  reduce 
pollution, reduce energy costs and encourage private investment in  reduction 
efforts. Since the 2005 gathering, the city has made a commitment to  wind 
power purchases, has replaced traffic lights with LEDs, has begun  alternative 
fuel vehicle purchases and county-wide discussions on alternative  fuel depots, 
has made a fiscal commitment to restructure public works to  emphasize 
pedestrian amenities, and is about to enter into the next phase of  energy 
performance contracting with Johnson Controls. (Note: During the 2007  budget process, 
the superintendent of Public works highlighted a lower expense  line that 
already indicates immediate payback for the LED lights.)
Cities  large and small across the United States are making such commitments, 
as Federal  policies have not been at all adequate in this area. Even with 
the recent  elections, there is such an overwhelming amount of work to be 
(un)done to  protect the environment that controls on greenhouse gas emissions may 
still be a  long time coming. 
Fortunately, Ithaca has been invited back to Sundance,  Nov. 12 to 14. New 
tools for mayors have been prepared by ICLEI that will  include a communications 
guidebook and PowerPoint presentations. Sessions with  mayors from across the 
United States - San Francisco, Anchorage, Austin, Fargo,  and Minneapolis to 
name a few - will focus on sharing innovative solutions and  plans that have 
worked in their communities. 
The three-day, intensive  gathering will once again feature a review of the 
science, especially for those  mayors who may not have seen such a 
presentation. The facts, photos (such as  glacier melt in Greenland or on Kilimanjaro), 
and potential sea level change  that will affect millions of people create a 
very sobering effect in a room of  listeners. Sometimes a listener may joke that 
places like Ithaca could use a  little warmer temperatures, not realizing the 
intricate balance of nature: the  types of trees, soil conditions, insect life 
changes and major agricultural  damage that can occur. 
The city of Ithaca/Tompkins County has much to share  and offer at this 
meeting. As we are taking steps forward and learning, I can  also provide 
information on how we are leaders in some areas. Surprisingly, many  communities do not 
mandate recycling. Ithaca excels in its urban forestry  program. 
We have one of the highest walk to work ratios in the country. But  we also 
know that other communities have much to offer us; some ideas that we  can 
copy, some that would be more difficult. I am pleased that we have a very  active 
and dedicated group of individuals working toward a carsharing program in  
Ithaca. Sustainable Tompkins is a leader in community discussions on  
sustainability. Recent opportunities have arisen to collaborate with our  municipality 
and local educational institutions. Host Robert Redford in his  invitation 
states, "I believe that collective action by mayors and the citizens  of your 
respective municipalities is our best hope for real, long-term solutions  that will 
enable the kind of future we all want for generations to come." It is  this 
hope that translates into action. 
Besides the tools that I will be  bringing back to Ithaca from this meeting, 
I am recruiting people to join me and  city staff in two committees focused on 
these efforts: First, the revitalized  transportation demand management 
committee, which will examine issues, such as  park-and-ride facilities, transit 
subsidy, carpools and bicycling facilities.  Secondly, the Local Action Plan 
needs a focus on methodologies to reduce  greenhouse gas emissions by the City of 
Ithaca - as a municipal government. I  also appreciate the number of articles 
and ideas that citizens send to my office  for consideration-for this is the 
best way to accomplish these goals, as a  partnership with the government and 
strong citizen participation. 

----------------------------------------------------
Gay  Nicholson, Ph.D. 

607-533-7312 (home office)
607-279-6618  (cell)

1 Maple Avenue
Lansing, NY  14882
gaynicholson at aol.com

Sustainable Tompkins 
Program  Coordinator 
w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/) 

Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities
Regional  Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
615 Willow  Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
agn1 at cornell.edu