Unfortunately, St. Paul combines licensing and environmental protection in one city office (LIEP), instead of having a separate office for environmental affairs, like Minneapolis.
What would folks think about having two separate offices for each topic? Although this missive is from the mayor's office, rather than from the environmental affairs office, having a distinct office for environmental affairs definitely increases the attention and thought devoted to the environment... Elizabeth Dickinson West Side Environmental Issues Update from Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak October 20, 2004 ____________________________________________________________________________ _____ Minneapolis Exceeds Kyoto Protocol in Measurable Pollutants One of the top cities nationally, yet losing the war on vehicle emissions On September 28th, I testified at a Congressional Briefing in Washington, D.C. that the City of Minneapolis has exceeded the pollution reduction standards set in the Kyoto Protocol by reducing measureable green house gas pollutants 15 percent in the last decade. Minneapolis is leading the way - especially in setting and meeting clear, accountable measures and reforming the city enterprise - but we can't rest on our laurels. We must do more to tackle vehicle emissions or we will lose the war. I testified with state officials from New York and Massachusetts at a Congressional Briefing on State and Local Government Initiatives to Combat Climate Change, sponsored by the Energy and Environmental Study Institute and the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Susan Ode, Outreach Director for the ICLEI said at the hearing, "Minneapolis is in the top tier of cities in the nation in meeting and surpassing global warming pollution reduction goals. The City of Minneapolis was one of the first governments in the world to adopt a plan to reduce pollution that causes global warming, and today Minneapolis has one of the most comprehensive plans in the nation to address air pollution." Greenhouse gas emissions in Minneapolis have dropped by 2.6 million tons, or 15 percent in the past decade, saving the City and the private sector $185 million in energy costs. This exceeds the standards set in the Kyoto Protocol, which called for a seven percent reduction in the United States. This does not reflect figures for current vehicle emissions, which are more difficult to quantify on a city level and have increased in the last decade. Much of the reduction was achieved through the city's partership with Xcel Energy complying with state and federal regulations to achieve energy efficiencies in the commercial and industrial sector. The City of Minneapolis has helped achieve this reduction by making buildings and streetlights more energy efficient, increasing recycling and encouraging transit. I also mentioned several projects whose results are expected to achieve further reductions in coming years, including the conversion of the Riverside Coal Plant from coal to natural gas, which will reduce green house gases another 800,000 tons annually starting in 2009. The Kyoto Protocol was developed during an international summit in Kyoto, Japan, and outlines goals for nations to reduce green house gas emissions. The United States failed to ratify the international treaty. ICLEI works with 150 U.S. local governments to develop strategic plans and implement actions to reduce green house gas emissions to meet local reduction goals. Minneapolis' Environmental Plan can be found at www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/environment/docs/MPLSEnvOverview071604.pdf <http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/environment/docs/MPLSEnvOverview071604.pdf> . You can update or cancel your subscription at any time by clicking here <http://www.govdocs.com/service/user.html?code=MPLS> . All you will need are your e-mail address and your password (if you have selected one). This service is provided free of charge by: City of Minneapolis. P.S. If you have any questions or problems please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
