[E-updates] City secures tool to measure green house gas emissions

[Lisa Patterson]

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
City of Lawrence, Kansas
 

Contact: Dena E. Mezger, Assistant Director of Public Works, (785)
832-3134

 
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2007
 
City secures tool to measure green house gas emissions
 

(LAWRENCE, Ks) - The next step in Lawrence becoming a cool city is
creating a baseline inventory of local greenhouse gas emissions.  The
inventory tools will be available shortly to the City of Lawrence.

 

The city recently joined an association of more than 650 local
governments working on climate protection and sustainable development,
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, becoming
eligible for the technical assistance and emissions analysis software
necessary to complete the baseline inventory of green house gas
emissions.  An emissions inventory will determine what kind of emissions
the city is putting into the air through the energy use, waste, and
transportation habits and then help the city determine how those
emissions could be reduced over a period of time.

 

Cool Cities is an initiative by Sierra Club and local governments taking
action on global warming, initially in the form of 200 mayors signing
the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement.  By resolution on March 7,
2006, the City Commission confirmed the city's commitment to advance
climate protection at the local level and authorized then Mayor Boog
Highberger to sign the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement.

 

Work to complete the baseline emissions study will include data
collection and data analysis.  Data will be collected for local
transportation, waste, and energy consumption. The software computes
emissions numbers as well as benefits related to cost savings and air
pollution prevention. The resulting inventory serves as a baseline for
measuring progress. ICLEI resources will help the city identify
emissions reduction ideas and strategies. 

 

"Our community expects us to be good stewards of the environment and the
city of Lawrence has a solid history of protecting our natural
resources," said Lawrence Mayor Sue Hack.  "Although the task ahead is
fairly technical and time consuming, the results are sure to benefit the
future generations of our community.  I look forward to the results that
volunteers and staff are able to produce using these resources."

 

A case study from ICLEI member Ann Arbor, Michigan outlined plans to
switch the downtown street lights to LED lights, which use a fraction of
the electricity, in the next few years and is considering expanding the
program across the city. The cost of the change will be paid back in
energy cost savings in less than five years. A recent study by city
officials in Ann Arbor found that about 25 percent of its energy budget
was spent on traffic signals and streets lights, and of that almost all
of it was due to street lighting.

 

Future Lawrence steps in fulfilling the cool cities agreement are to
create a solutions plan and an implementation plan.  City staff has been
working with local Sierra Club members to meet the commitments of the
Cool Cities designation. A national web cast entitled Local Government
Climate Change Initiatives: Practical Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse
Gases was hosted in City Hall in June.  The web cast was a partnership
presentation by the National Association of Government Environmental
Professionals and the Sierra Club Cool Cities initiative.  Attendees
included City Commissioner Boog Highberger, Sustainability Advisory
Board members, local Sierra Club members, and city staff.

 

The city's annual ICLEI membership was $1200 and is also included in the
2008 city budget.

 

Of the 650 members of ICLEI, Lawrence residents may relate to the
programs and activities of these ICLEI members, Overland Park, KS;
Prairie Village, KS; Columbia, MO; Des Moines, IA; Kansas City, MO;
Decorah, IA and Little Rock, AR.

 

-END-

 

_____________________________

 

Lisa K. Patterson | Communications Manager

City of Lawrence

PO Box 708 | Lawrence, KS 66044

(785) 832-3406

fax (785) 832-3405

lpatterson at ci.lawrence.ks.us

www.lawrenceks.org

 

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