“What Your City is Doing for Climate Change”

This week, Mayors from 30 cities around the world are meeting in New York to discuss their role in helping to curb climate change. Not wanting to be left out of things, Mayor Wilders’ office has sent out a press release outlining what actions the City has taken to combat this problem in the last couple of years (Note: the title of this post is taken verbatim from the press release). Here are some selected highlights-

:: Reduced the tree-planting restriction zone around public buildings and monuments from five feet to three feet.

:: Filled in 29 dirt paths in 17 parks with grass.

:: Approved new guidelines restricting personal use of city vehicles to trips shorter than 44.5 miles.

:: Switching from styrofoam to paper plates in all municipal cafeterias and break rooms.

:: Purchased 6000 compact fluorescent light bulbs for installation beginning in January 2009

:: Lowered the temperature to which water is heated in City Hall restrooms, locker rooms and saunas to 90°F.

:: Exploratory committee formed to research possibility of installing giant wind power farm on site of former Clawson Farms cannery.

:: Retired 16 city buses that have consistently failed to meet emissions testing guidelines since 1986.

:: Undertaken a massive re-caulking effort in the City Hall Annex

:: Established an ordinance requiring all city workers hired after July 1, 2008 to live within the city limits, unless approved for exception by their department head.

:: Purchased 3600 slightly irregular fiberglass mats for insulating water heaters in city-owned buildings.

:: Held a competition in public schools for a city climate change slogan. Runners-up: Climate Change isn’t Cool, Ninja Cowboy Green Go!, Clean Up – Fix Up – Cool Down. Winner: Green is Good.
– D. Andrews