If you are elected, what are three specific actions you would propose for the City of Boston to promote energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the local environment?
Mayoral Candidate Responses
Michael Flaherty
We need to better understand the effectiveness of the measures we’re taking to fight global warming. That’s why I would ensure greenhouse gas emission inventories of our municipal buildings are conducted annually and their results are constantly informing next steps.
I would increase the city’s recycling rates by: immediately expanding our single-stream recycling pilot program to the entire city; mandating the recycling of all construction and demolition debris and special event materials; directing local restaurants to provide their compost-able material and kitchen trimming/scrapings to neighborhood gardens and city parks in exchange for reduced hauling fees.
I would improve the city’s efforts to educate businesses and residents about how they can become more energy efficient by welcoming programs like “Energy Smackdown” and launching a “green” city website that provides residents information about energy tax credits, local weatherization services and basic tips to reduce energy use.
Thomas Menino
I’m proud that the Natural Resources Defense Council just named Boston as the top “green” city on the East Coast in its “Smarter Cities” survey. This goes along with Popular Science’s ranking of Boston as third in the nation, after Seattle and San Francisco. We were the first city in the nation to implement tough LEED standards for new building construction, we’re implementing single stream recycling throughout our neighborhoods, and we’ve enlisted numerous businesses in “Boston Buying Power”, an effort to lower energy costs through shared purchasing. We have also issued the first “green jobs” training grants, with more to come.
As we look ahead, we hope to find more appropriate locations for wind power, we will utilize more solar options, and we are now looking for the best proposals for the new Energy and Environment Block Grant from Washington.
At-Large City Council Candidate Responses
Felix Arroyo
- Encourage bicycling by expanding bike lanes and improving roadways that bikers use. Dr. Peter Furth of Northeastern University has come up with several proposals to make Boston more bike-friendly, and I would add those to initiatives that the current administration is already pursuing.
- Promote home weatherization trainings to make sure our housing stock is as energy efficient as possible (this is also a component of an economic development plan that will look to create thousands of ‘green jobs’ retrofitting houses in Boston)
- Establish compost collection for homes and restaurants, turning waste into nutritious soil for our community gardens and residents who garden at their homes.
John Connolly
As Chair of the Environment and Health Committee, I filed the Council’s first Green Agenda aimed at pushing Boston to be the greenest, most environmentally friendly city in the world. I secured a commitment from the administration to triple the number of hybrid vehicles to be added to the city fleet and shepherded over $6 million in environmental stimulus money through the Council that will be used for weatherization and solar expansion. If reelected I will continue to push my Green Agenda that includes: a call for an Environmental Science Academy in BPS, a school focused on educating environmentally responsible citizens prepared for the expanding green economy; a carbon neutral neighborhood pilot program, and a shared-bike program. I will continue also to hold neighborhood environmental summits like those that I held in Dorchester and Charlestown aimed at getting neighbors to work together to reduce their carbon footprints. These summits were inspired by a JP based BCAN Global Warming CafÈ that I attended in early 2008. Finally, I will continue to push for green buildings, especially municipal buildings and schools like the Agassiz in JP where I convened a hearing in JP to address serious environmental health issues that are impacting all who spend time in that school.
Tomás Gonzalez
The City should set the example by aggressively replacing an aging fleet with hybrid, bio-fuel and/or electric vehicles. Furthermore, the green cab program needs to be expanded to the greater Boston area to all Taxi companies that operate with in the Boston Area. Finally, the stimulus money projected for the City of Boston for the weatherization of municipal building and public housing developments need to be implemented in earnest. On the consumer side, we need to introduce Renewable Energy Payments (REP), like the ones newly in use in Gainesville Florida. REPs would allow consumers to put solar panels on their homes or install windmills on their properties, which would feed the energy back into the grid. Consumers would get paid for the energy produced.
Tito Jackson
Sustainability should be a top priority for the City of Boston and its residents. To support this, I would propose:
Open Space Development
Open space plays a critical role in sustaining effective communities. I would support a policy, to be applied at any licensing or permitting hearing, that requires developers to study, present, and be prepared to implement viable alternatives to lost lands as part of their permit applications.Smart Growth
Greenhouse gas emissions produced by commuters can effectively be reduced through creating better jobs for Boston residents that are closer to home. I propose to do this by supporting training for jobs in converting existing residential and commercial space towards the efficient use of energy in all of Boston’s neighborhoods.Recycling
The City of Boston can do more to encourage recycling. I would support a mandatory residential and commercial recycling and composting program, phased in over 2-4 years, and legislation to prohibit the use of city funds to purchase bottled water. I would moreover encourage City workers to use re-useable containers.
Andrew Kenneally
First and foremost, the key to engaging the public in environmental issues is through education. There are many and an increasing number of action steps that individuals and communities can take to increase energy efficiency and reduce the community’s overall carbon footprint. Individuals can reduce their energy usage by unplugging appliances that aren’t being used, weatherproofing their homes to reduce the need for winter heating, buying locally-grown produce, using public transportation or electric- motored bikes whenever possible, replacing fluorescent light bulbs with Ultra Compact LEDs, and so many others. I would establish a citywide Make Boston Green campaign that combines informational resources and tax policies to incentivize environmentally-friendly behaviors. Actions steps would range from tax breaks for businesses that purchase products with the “Energy Star” label and weatherproof their facilities to seeking contracts with energy companies along the lines of the British firms Good Energy Limited and Ecotricity, both of which provide 100% renewable electricity. A focus on transit issues will also be central, namely expanding access to public transportation.
Steve Murphy
I have been an advocate for several years now on the Computer Take Back issue and have, in fact, been the only councilor up at the State House to testify on this issue.
In terms of what we should do in the City of Boston, as Chair of Ways & Means (2008) and working with Councilor Connolly, I pressed for and tripled the number of hybrid vehicles the City purchased. I continue to push for more. I am an advocate of generating electricity through wind turbines and solar panels. I also would like to see the City use energy efficient light bulbs and continue to use motion censor lights wherever possible. I also know we can reduce the lighting costs for the City by turning off the lights on city buildings at night and on the weekends.
All efforts mentioned above would require the collaboration of everyone on all levels in our city.
Ayanna Pressley
- Promote and lead climate change solutions that are economically progressive and ease cost impacts on the lowest-income residents of our state-thus making advocates for low-income communities allies in the fight against climate change
- Partner with the City Environmental and Energy Department and private utility companies to educate my constituents about products and services such as energy audits, energy efficient appliances, smart metering, and energy efficiency tax incentives.
- Support ongoing partnerships with local community organizations that raise awareness of environmental issues and environmentally-responsible living, particularly in underserved communities.
