by David Taber

At its inaugural meeting Jan. 25, the Board of Aldermen’s Special Committee on the Environment participated in a Web cast with over 100 cities to share strategies for combating global climate change at the local level.

"I came to this basically because I am an outdoorsman.  I see the changes around me," said Robert C. Trane, President of The Board of Aldermen who oversaw the special committee.

Environmental concerns are no longer fringe issues, and it is time for the city to get serious about them, Trane said.

Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah L. Gewirtz, who initiated the city’s involvement in the Web cast, said a number of ideas discussed, including rooftop gardening programs, incentives for green building, and phasing hybrid vehicles into the city’s fleet, sparked her interest.   

Gewirtz recommended the city include at least two hybrid vehicles the next time vehicle purchases are made, she said.   

The Web cast, which lasted 90 minutes and was sponsored by the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals, featured presentations by Brendan Daley, Chicago’s Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Steven Nicholas, director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment in Seattle.

Daley, who is not related to Chicago’s mayor, said Chicago’s strategy consists largely of connecting with other city departments to implement environmentally sustainable strategies.

Through Chicago’s planning department, the city is now expediting the permitting process and providing incentives for developers who adopt green building strategies, he said.

Chicago also implemented emissions mandates for both diesel and gas city vehicles, requiring drivers to turn off engines after five minutes of idling, except in special circumstances, he said.

The city is also in the process of developing an industrial rebuild program which will provide full audits and recommendations for energy efficient upgrades, and will soon offer low or no-interest loans for companies that undertake upgrades, Daley said. Many businesses are voluntarily upgrading because it is cheaper in the long term, he said.

"They throw it into their capital expense and see the benefit of doing it themselves," Daley said.

He also said, in addition to mitigation, Chicago is taking steps to plan for adaptations, as the reality of climate change begins to effect day-to-day life on the planet.

They are investigating whether their sewer system can adequately handle extreme storm systems, and planning accommodations for refugees, in the event of future, Katrina-like weather systems, he said.   

Nicholas said he proposed a similar set of initiatives in Seattle.  He said Seattle Mayor Gregory Nickels committed the city to abiding by the Kyoto Protocol Feb. 16, 2005, the day the treaty went into effect, despite recalcitrance on the part of the federal government. He challenged cities across the United States to join him, said Nicholas.

Somerville is one of over 300 cities to take up that challenge, said Peter B. Mills, Somerville’s Environmental Program Manager.

The treaty proposed to reduce carbon emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, Mills said. "I actually think we could do a little bit better than that."

The city will soon take bids for contractors to conduct a detailed audit of energy use at municipal buildings and schools, Mills said. "They will come back with recommendations on how we can implement structural changes."

Mills said he is initiating conversations about participating in forward capacity markets, which would allow the city, when it conserves energy, to sell it back to the regional market.

At the municipal level, a centralized system would be required to gauge energy usage; if they are willing to provide remote access to their meters, businesses and residents may also participate, he said.   

The forward capacity markets are just being set up and the infrastructure the city would need to participate will not be in place for two-to-three years, said Mills.

The policy to promote green development is still in the early planning stages, he said.

As far as adaptation policy is concerned, Mills said he had not considered the subject before the Web cast discussion.  "It‚Äôs something we should start thinking about.‚Äù

His job was created in 2006, based on the recommendation of a 2003 report by Somerville’s Commission on Climate Change and the Environment, which was appointed by then mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay, he said.

The commission is set for some new appointments, he said. A volunteer climate action committee also consults with the city, he said.

The Board of Aldermen’s Special Committee on the Environment will help develop policy and promote community projects, he said.