This morning I had a meeting with Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens as well as citizen activists Rich Shaw, Holly Reid, and Anne Lindsey about the possibility of its Board adopting the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement so that Hillsborough can become a Cool City.
It was a great meeting. Mayor Stevens, who was endorsed by the Sierra Club when he was elected in 2005, has the perfect vision and leadership style for his community, and the results show every day.
One thing that I was particularly pleased to learn is that Hillsborough, population of 6,162, recently purchased a hybrid for its vehicle fleet!
They bought a Chevy Silverado and it is being used by the town's Fire Marshal while he goes around to do inspections and investigate arsons.
I've been talking this year, maybe ad nauseum, about how small cities can show leadership on the environment just as much as big cities, only on a smaller scale. Hillsborough is a shining example of that reality.
Thank you to Assistant Town Manager Demetric Potts for giving me the details on the hybrid and thank you to the whole Town Board and staff for providing a model of sustainability to other communities across the state.
2.28.2007
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It's a good first step, but remember, the Silverado (like a lot of light truck hybrids) is a mild hybrid design, meaning it's only getting about 10% better gas mileage than a standard Silverado. Good driving practices could produce the same savings in emissions on the whole fleet with no conversion necessary.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think biodiesel is the way to go with light duty trucks. The technology just isn't here yet to get very good improvement from going the hybrid route, but we can get biodiesel and reclaimed vegetable oils right now!
Of course, for in-town work with not much stuff to carry, an EV like a Zap Xebra might be all the capacity you need. But I'm not holding my breath.
Still, I'm glad to see Hillsborough taking a first step in a greener direction.