18
SEATTLE, WA—A major investment in public transportation has yielded a new streetcar line, light rail line, commuter rail service, bus service, and planned BRT. Frequent reliable transit lets people keep the car at home and save big. Seattle “Way to Go” participants save more than $6,000 a year in car costs plus save stress, get exercise, and feel more connected to their community.
SANTA FE, NM—The city’s new residential green building code sets high standards for energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable practices in new construction. The typical home built to this code will save $860 per year in energy costs and eliminate 10,650 lbs. of C02
e.
KANSAS CITY, MO—The GreenWorks KC program will leverage a $20 million stimulus grant to retrofits of thousands of residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and public buildings—especially in the city’s Green Impact Zone, an urban core area that has experienced significant decline. The goals over two years are to reduce 216 million kWh/year in electricity, 570 million cubic feet/year in natural gas, and 60 million gallons/year in water use; create or retain 455 jobs, and slash utility bills for the community.
LOS ANGELES, CA—The Clinton Climate Initiative is helping the city replace 140,000 conventional streetlights with super- efficient LED streetlights, which will save the city up to $10 million per year in reduced energy and maintenance costs and cut GHG emissions by 40,500 tons.
HOUSTON, TX—Solar- powered units that float on reservoirs and circulate drinking water—called SolarBees—have helped the city reduce the need for energy-intensive water treatment methods. SolarBees on Lake Houston save the city $769,000 per year in energy costs at its treatment plant, save 1,436 tons of C02
e per year, and
lessen the need for chemical treatment by 67%. The water even tastes better!
Green $CENE
In tough economic times, smart local governments are saving taxpayer dollars and creating jobs by expanding sustainability and energy programs—not scaling them back. Nothing could be further from the facts than the idea that going green harms local economies. Scan this map for examples of the countless cash-saving, climate-fighting initiatives at play in communities across the United States.
BY DON KNAPP Local Action Moves the World •
www.icleiusa.org
PLANET EARTH \\ SAVING MONEY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68