Since the clock changed three weeks ago, the News&Observer has been soliciting suggestions from folks about what to do with their extra hour.
They printed my (environmentally oriented) suggestion today. Check it out.
On the totally non environmentally oriented front, my beloved UNC women's basketball team plays Tennessee in the Final Four Sunday night. Tar Heel fans, this team deserves your support. You can read a couple columns I've written about the team here and here.
Have a great weekend everyone!
3.30.2007
3.29.2007
Money for Cleaner Vehicle Fleets
Anne Tazewell at the North Carolina Solar Center kindly passed along the information that grant money is available for cities (and other interests) who submit project proposals on creating cleaner, greener vehicle fleets.
This is a great opportunity for places that are Cool Cities to get some money to work towards their implementation goals or for places that aren't ready to make the pledge but want to get some things going on the conservation front.
More information here. Scroll down to the part about Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Grants.
This is a great opportunity for places that are Cool Cities to get some money to work towards their implementation goals or for places that aren't ready to make the pledge but want to get some things going on the conservation front.
More information here. Scroll down to the part about Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Grants.
3.28.2007
Take the bus to the Plymouth OLF hearing!
Our friends at the Audubon Society are organizing buses to the OLF hearing in Plymouth next Wednesday, April 4th. This is expected to be an extraordinarily well attended and powerful evening. Information below:
Get on the Bus with Wake Audubon!
Chartered bus from Raleigh to Plymouth to attend one of the Navy’s public hearings regarding the OLF
Wednesday, April 4 • $15 per person
Wake Audubon has organized a charter bus to
3.27.2007
Charlotte OLF Hearing
Two weeks ago we sent a letter to the Navy as a part of a coalition of groups concerned about the outdoors in North Carolina requesting that a public hearing about the OLF be held in Charlotte.
They have responded affirmatively.
It will be on Tuesday, April 17th in Charlotte. We hope folks from throughout the Piedmont who are concerned about this issue will come out and make their voices heard.
They have responded affirmatively.
It will be on Tuesday, April 17th in Charlotte. We hope folks from throughout the Piedmont who are concerned about this issue will come out and make their voices heard.
3.26.2007
Emissions Inventory Training
One of the things about the US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement that rightly makes some folks nervous is having to do an emissions inventory to help determine baselines for reduction goals. It's uncharted territory for most local governments.
Well the EPA is helping out. From May 14th-17th they will be putting on a free conference in Raleigh for folks working in state and local government on how to do this. More information here.
For folks living in Cool Cities or working to bring their communities on board, this is a great opportunity for your civil servants to gain some expertise in this realm. Please pass it along to them!
Well the EPA is helping out. From May 14th-17th they will be putting on a free conference in Raleigh for folks working in state and local government on how to do this. More information here.
For folks living in Cool Cities or working to bring their communities on board, this is a great opportunity for your civil servants to gain some expertise in this realm. Please pass it along to them!
3.21.2007
Things are rolling on the OLF!
A lot of good news and people stepping up to the plate on the OLF the last few weeks.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, expressed his opposition today.
The first public hearing in the eastern part of the state went well on Monday night.
Senator Elizabeth Dole called for a public hearing in the Piedmont, correctly recognizing that it's not just folks who live down east are concerned about this issue.
All this on the heels of the Governor showing some strong leadership last week.
It's nice to see everything sort of coming together- thanks to the North Carolina leaders who have been stepping up- hopefully the rest will follow your lead!
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, a Republican, expressed his opposition today.
The first public hearing in the eastern part of the state went well on Monday night.
Senator Elizabeth Dole called for a public hearing in the Piedmont, correctly recognizing that it's not just folks who live down east are concerned about this issue.
All this on the heels of the Governor showing some strong leadership last week.
It's nice to see everything sort of coming together- thanks to the North Carolina leaders who have been stepping up- hopefully the rest will follow your lead!
3.19.2007
UNC Botanical Gardens Visitors Center
I just got back from speaking (for myself and not on behalf of the Sierra Club) to the Chapel Hill Town Council in support of the UNC Botanical Gardens Visitor Center.
This building will likely be the first LEED Platinum building in North Carolina and if approved will include features such as:
-Photovoltaic Panels
-Geothermal Wells
-Rainwater Cisterns
-Clerestory Windows
-Stormwater Retention Ponds
The Botanical Gardens are already one of the jewels of our state, and this building proposal will back up that reputation.
In fact with buildings like this and Greenbridge coming online in Chapel Hill the next few years, I hope the community will be attracting a lot of green tourism as well as site visits from other communities looking to learn from the great things happening here.
Congratulations to the folks at the UNC Botanical Gardens for their vision and commitment.
This building will likely be the first LEED Platinum building in North Carolina and if approved will include features such as:
-Photovoltaic Panels
-Geothermal Wells
-Rainwater Cisterns
-Clerestory Windows
-Stormwater Retention Ponds
The Botanical Gardens are already one of the jewels of our state, and this building proposal will back up that reputation.
In fact with buildings like this and Greenbridge coming online in Chapel Hill the next few years, I hope the community will be attracting a lot of green tourism as well as site visits from other communities looking to learn from the great things happening here.
Congratulations to the folks at the UNC Botanical Gardens for their vision and commitment.
Celebrating Western North Carolina
Have I mentioned how much I love Bill and Donna Fisk?
On Thursday, April 5th at 10:30 AM, we're going to be having a ceremony at Milepost 412 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where it intersects with US 276. We'll be honoring at least four Cool Cities in western North Carolina- Asheville, Brevard, Canton, and Highlands.
Mayor Smathers of Canton and Mayor Harris of Brevard recently co-wrote a letter that went to all the other Mayors in the western part of the state asking them to join us at the ceremony and sign onto the agreement. If you live in one of those communities, please consider contacting your Mayor.
The public is invited to this exciting occasion, and we hope to see a lot of folks Sierrans and non-Sierrans alike out there.
So what does this have to do with Bill and Donna? They went up to scope out the site yesterday and sent me a bunch of pictures. It doesn't have much in the way of facilities, but it's strikingly beautiful- and the ceremony shouldn't last too, too long anyway.
Hope to see a bunch of folks out on the 5th- and thanks Bill and Donna for going the extra mile(s) to help out with this!
On Thursday, April 5th at 10:30 AM, we're going to be having a ceremony at Milepost 412 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where it intersects with US 276. We'll be honoring at least four Cool Cities in western North Carolina- Asheville, Brevard, Canton, and Highlands.
Mayor Smathers of Canton and Mayor Harris of Brevard recently co-wrote a letter that went to all the other Mayors in the western part of the state asking them to join us at the ceremony and sign onto the agreement. If you live in one of those communities, please consider contacting your Mayor.
The public is invited to this exciting occasion, and we hope to see a lot of folks Sierrans and non-Sierrans alike out there.
So what does this have to do with Bill and Donna? They went up to scope out the site yesterday and sent me a bunch of pictures. It doesn't have much in the way of facilities, but it's strikingly beautiful- and the ceremony shouldn't last too, too long anyway.
Hope to see a bunch of folks out on the 5th- and thanks Bill and Donna for going the extra mile(s) to help out with this!
3.16.2007
Mark your calendar: Brevard Earth Day Film Fest!
On April 21st our Pisgah Group, in conjunction with the Transylvania County Library and the town of Brevard, is holding an Earth Day Film Festival.
It will run from 10 AM-4 PM. Films featured will include Kilowatt Ours, Who Killed the Electric Car, Dimming the Sun, and Al Gore's movie.
Mayor Jimmy Harris will be kicking off the festivities and explaining why he chose to lead Brevard toward becoming a Cool City.
The group will also be having CFL giveaways sprinkled throughout the day.
Please mark your calendar for the Earth Day film fest!
It will run from 10 AM-4 PM. Films featured will include Kilowatt Ours, Who Killed the Electric Car, Dimming the Sun, and Al Gore's movie.
Mayor Jimmy Harris will be kicking off the festivities and explaining why he chose to lead Brevard toward becoming a Cool City.
The group will also be having CFL giveaways sprinkled throughout the day.
Please mark your calendar for the Earth Day film fest!
3.15.2007
Test your NCAA tournament geography knowledge
Ok I'm not going to lie.
I'm going to spend most of the day working on a cool project we're doing to make small communities in western North Carolina Cool Cities.
But my mind is on day one of the NCAA tournament.
Justin Guillory of Public Policy Polling passed along this cool link to a game that tests your knowledge of where on the American map the 65 schools in this year's NCAA tournament are.
I got 61 out of 65 schools placed correctly, and an overall score of 93.8% Apparently I need to bone up on my knowledge of the placement of various schools within Texas, New Mexico, and Florida.
Try it and let us know how you did in the comments!
Go Heels, let's hope VCU takes down Duke, and for Christa I'll be cheering on Davidson over Maryland too.
I'm going to spend most of the day working on a cool project we're doing to make small communities in western North Carolina Cool Cities.
But my mind is on day one of the NCAA tournament.
Justin Guillory of Public Policy Polling passed along this cool link to a game that tests your knowledge of where on the American map the 65 schools in this year's NCAA tournament are.
I got 61 out of 65 schools placed correctly, and an overall score of 93.8% Apparently I need to bone up on my knowledge of the placement of various schools within Texas, New Mexico, and Florida.
Try it and let us know how you did in the comments!
Go Heels, let's hope VCU takes down Duke, and for Christa I'll be cheering on Davidson over Maryland too.
3.14.2007
Cool Cities has really arrived!
One of the best signs a progressive movement is gaining steam in North Carolina is when the John Locke Foundation starts sniping at you.
Well I guess we're there then since global warming denier Donna Martinez seems to be unhappy that she now lives in the Cool City of Hillsborough.
With eight cities large and small signed on, four in the immediate pipes, and ongoing efforts in many others the bad news for our JLF buddies is that most of the elected officials in our state are way ahead of them. And it's a bipartisan thing too, with one Republican mayor in the western part of the state signed on and another about to come, in addition to many more nationally. So you can't even write off the actions local governments are taking as liberal Democratic things.
Global warming is real. But if some folks still want to waste their time disputing the science, then the more power to them.
Well I guess we're there then since global warming denier Donna Martinez seems to be unhappy that she now lives in the Cool City of Hillsborough.
With eight cities large and small signed on, four in the immediate pipes, and ongoing efforts in many others the bad news for our JLF buddies is that most of the elected officials in our state are way ahead of them. And it's a bipartisan thing too, with one Republican mayor in the western part of the state signed on and another about to come, in addition to many more nationally. So you can't even write off the actions local governments are taking as liberal Democratic things.
Global warming is real. But if some folks still want to waste their time disputing the science, then the more power to them.
Hillsborough Cool Cities Coverage
The Raleigh News&Observer and its subsidiary publication the Chapel Hill News have really done an outstanding job of providing coverage to the Cool Cities program in North Carolina.
There have been three items about it just in the last twelve days, including this good piece about Hillsborough signing on from reporter Emily Matchar.
One thing Emily pointed out that I forgot to mention when blogging about this earlier is that:
She's right. The vast majority of the folks in the audience there were present to see other stuff on the agenda, and it was really neat to see how excited all the non-Sierra Club people there were to see their town take this step. The elected officials and town staff are on board, and it appears the citizenry at large is as well.
Thanks Hillsborough!
There have been three items about it just in the last twelve days, including this good piece about Hillsborough signing on from reporter Emily Matchar.
One thing Emily pointed out that I forgot to mention when blogging about this earlier is that:
The Town Board's endorsement of a Sierra Club program for climate protection met with audience applause Monday night.
She's right. The vast majority of the folks in the audience there were present to see other stuff on the agenda, and it was really neat to see how excited all the non-Sierra Club people there were to see their town take this step. The elected officials and town staff are on board, and it appears the citizenry at large is as well.
Thanks Hillsborough!
3.13.2007
Hybrids in Ann Arbor
Some great news from my home town:
New hybrid buses could save a little more than $9,000 each in fuel costs during their first year of use, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority officials say.AATA has ordered 20 new buses, and at least 13 of them will be hybrids, AATA Executive Director Greg Cook said. He is seeking extra money to make all 20 of the new buses hybrids.
The buses do cost 200k each more than normal buses but the city got the extra money from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.
These changes are expensive, but the money is out there. Hopefully some places in NC will follow suit.3.12.2007
Hillsborough Cool Cities as Organizational Development
While I am thrilled Hillsborough became North Carolina's eighth Cool City tonight, I might be even more happy with how we used this process to expand some folks' Sierra Club involvement while getting other people involved for the first time.
OCG Chair Bernadette Pelissier and I decided at the December ExCom that we would like to work to make Hillsborough a Cool City.
The first key thing that allowed this process to unfold successfully is that Bernadette acknowledged she had too much on her plate to lead this process herself and gave me the go ahead to identify some project leaders. She stayed fully informed throughout but was comfortable with letting others take the lead.
Hillsborough is in the northern part of Orange County, away from Chapel Hill and Carrboro where most of OCG's members are. But we did have two folks from outside the immediate CH/C area, Anne Lindsey and Melissa McCullough, who had been very helpful in the past with our political endorsements. I asked them to get together with me and talk about the Cool Cities program.
We did that the first weekend in January and they were happy to take on the leadership role for the project. It turned out that Melissa had two great friends, Holly Reid and Rich Shaw, who are amazingly involved with local issues in Hillsborough, are committed environmentalists, and were also friends with the Mayor.
In early February the five of us got together at Holly and Rich's beautiful historic home near downtown Hillsborough and made plans for moving forward. We decided the best thing to do would to be to try to get the whole Town Board to approve it, but to try to get the Mayor's support first.
Holly and Rich set up a meeting with the Mayor in late February, we explained how Cool Cities worked to him, he told us about some of the great things Hillsborough was already doing, and he said he would be happy to put it on the agenda in early March.
That meeting was tonight. Holly and Rich, as the only two actual Hillsborough residents in our crew, presented the resolution to the Board and gave specific suggestions of things it would be good for the community to move forward on. Melissa also pitched in with some good info about what a world wide movement there is on global warming right now, and how many resources were available to help Hillsborough in working toward the goals in the Mayor's Agreement.
We achieved several things through this process:
1) Got the group more involved in a part of its territory where there hadn't historically been as much activity as some other parts.
2) Got two folks who had been involved in the past with group activities to increase that involvement to a leadership role, in which they both shined.
3) Formed partnerships with community leaders who have not been involved with the Sierra Club but are still strong environmentalists and have vibrant civic lives.
4) Made Hillsborough a Cool City!
I think Cool Cities is the perfect outlet through which to achieve these kinds of success stories in other groups to expand the scope of Sierra Club activity. And while I might not be able to travel to those places to help out as much as I was able to in Hillsborough, it's still something I'm available to be actively involved in if there's a serious commitment to making it happen.
Thank you so much to Melissa McCullough, Anne Lindsey, Holly Reid, and Rich Shaw for their work and to Bernadette Pelissier for her support. I am really looking forward to having a celebration of this event sometime in April. They have been a great crew to work with.
OCG Chair Bernadette Pelissier and I decided at the December ExCom that we would like to work to make Hillsborough a Cool City.
The first key thing that allowed this process to unfold successfully is that Bernadette acknowledged she had too much on her plate to lead this process herself and gave me the go ahead to identify some project leaders. She stayed fully informed throughout but was comfortable with letting others take the lead.
Hillsborough is in the northern part of Orange County, away from Chapel Hill and Carrboro where most of OCG's members are. But we did have two folks from outside the immediate CH/C area, Anne Lindsey and Melissa McCullough, who had been very helpful in the past with our political endorsements. I asked them to get together with me and talk about the Cool Cities program.
We did that the first weekend in January and they were happy to take on the leadership role for the project. It turned out that Melissa had two great friends, Holly Reid and Rich Shaw, who are amazingly involved with local issues in Hillsborough, are committed environmentalists, and were also friends with the Mayor.
In early February the five of us got together at Holly and Rich's beautiful historic home near downtown Hillsborough and made plans for moving forward. We decided the best thing to do would to be to try to get the whole Town Board to approve it, but to try to get the Mayor's support first.
Holly and Rich set up a meeting with the Mayor in late February, we explained how Cool Cities worked to him, he told us about some of the great things Hillsborough was already doing, and he said he would be happy to put it on the agenda in early March.
That meeting was tonight. Holly and Rich, as the only two actual Hillsborough residents in our crew, presented the resolution to the Board and gave specific suggestions of things it would be good for the community to move forward on. Melissa also pitched in with some good info about what a world wide movement there is on global warming right now, and how many resources were available to help Hillsborough in working toward the goals in the Mayor's Agreement.
We achieved several things through this process:
1) Got the group more involved in a part of its territory where there hadn't historically been as much activity as some other parts.
2) Got two folks who had been involved in the past with group activities to increase that involvement to a leadership role, in which they both shined.
3) Formed partnerships with community leaders who have not been involved with the Sierra Club but are still strong environmentalists and have vibrant civic lives.
4) Made Hillsborough a Cool City!
I think Cool Cities is the perfect outlet through which to achieve these kinds of success stories in other groups to expand the scope of Sierra Club activity. And while I might not be able to travel to those places to help out as much as I was able to in Hillsborough, it's still something I'm available to be actively involved in if there's a serious commitment to making it happen.
Thank you so much to Melissa McCullough, Anne Lindsey, Holly Reid, and Rich Shaw for their work and to Bernadette Pelissier for her support. I am really looking forward to having a celebration of this event sometime in April. They have been a great crew to work with.
Hillsborough becomes North Carolina's newest Cool City!
I just got back from the Hillsborough Town Barn, where the Hillsborough Town Board tonight unanimously approved signing onto the US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement.
After Mayor Tom Stevens presented the resolution and explained why he thought the Board should pass it, Commissioner Mike Gering asked the town manager how to ensure Hillsborough would follow through on its pledge and make it more than just an empty promise.
Town Manager Eric Peterson gave a thoughtful and detailed answer about how when items within the town budget need to be replaced, the community always looks to find the most environmentally advanced technologies to replace them.
His response encapsulated the message we try to get across to communities across the state when asking them to be Cool Cities. Signing on does not mean going out and doing all 12 things listed in the agreement the next day, but rather commits a community to doing things that help to stop the advancement of global warming when opportunities arise and as is appropriate for that particular place. There is no one size fits all plan, and that's why Cool Cities is such a great, intensely local program.
Hillsborough is the eighth community in North Carolina to sign on and completes the Orange County trio, along with Chapel Hill and Carrboro which previously signed. It also epitomizes our goal of getting smaller communities involved in this fight.
Hillsborough has both a truly visionary Town Board and staff. Thank you to them!
After Mayor Tom Stevens presented the resolution and explained why he thought the Board should pass it, Commissioner Mike Gering asked the town manager how to ensure Hillsborough would follow through on its pledge and make it more than just an empty promise.
Town Manager Eric Peterson gave a thoughtful and detailed answer about how when items within the town budget need to be replaced, the community always looks to find the most environmentally advanced technologies to replace them.
His response encapsulated the message we try to get across to communities across the state when asking them to be Cool Cities. Signing on does not mean going out and doing all 12 things listed in the agreement the next day, but rather commits a community to doing things that help to stop the advancement of global warming when opportunities arise and as is appropriate for that particular place. There is no one size fits all plan, and that's why Cool Cities is such a great, intensely local program.
Hillsborough is the eighth community in North Carolina to sign on and completes the Orange County trio, along with Chapel Hill and Carrboro which previously signed. It also epitomizes our goal of getting smaller communities involved in this fight.
Hillsborough has both a truly visionary Town Board and staff. Thank you to them!
3.10.2007
Global Warming and Sports
Those are the two main foci of my life right now.
I spent this afternoon at the UNC-Miami baseball game while listening to Woody Durham broadcast the UNC-Boston College ACC tournament semifinal on WCHL.
I was kind of shocked when I got home and picked up my mail to see the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated.
The cover has a picture of Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis standing in Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium- half full of water. The text reads "Sports and Global Warming: As the Planet Changes, So Do the Games We Play."
Inside is an insightful series of articles about the potential horrific impacts Global Warming could have on various impacts of sport: stadiums submerged in the Bay Area and Florida, potential destruction of ski industry, the loss of some of our most fabled golf courses.
Never thought I would see Bill McKibben quoted in Sports Illustrated!
I am really impressed by the insightfulness shown by this package. Sports fan or no, go pick up a copy of SI this week!
I spent this afternoon at the UNC-Miami baseball game while listening to Woody Durham broadcast the UNC-Boston College ACC tournament semifinal on WCHL.
I was kind of shocked when I got home and picked up my mail to see the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated.
The cover has a picture of Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis standing in Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium- half full of water. The text reads "Sports and Global Warming: As the Planet Changes, So Do the Games We Play."
Inside is an insightful series of articles about the potential horrific impacts Global Warming could have on various impacts of sport: stadiums submerged in the Bay Area and Florida, potential destruction of ski industry, the loss of some of our most fabled golf courses.
Never thought I would see Bill McKibben quoted in Sports Illustrated!
I am really impressed by the insightfulness shown by this package. Sports fan or no, go pick up a copy of SI this week!
3.08.2007
Daylight Savings Changes and Energy
There's been a lot of discussion this week about the possible Y2K-esque implications of this weekend's early start to daylight saving time- about four weeks earlier than it's been in previous years.
What's gotten less ink this week is the reason for the change. It's for the environment!
According to NPR:
I've been happy the last few weeks as my 6:15 wake up call has produced a lighter and lighter sky so I'll be disappointed to have my early mornings next week return to darkness (and make it harder for me to get up!) But I guess it's for a good cause.
What's gotten less ink this week is the reason for the change. It's for the environment!
According to NPR:
Thanks to passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time will begin one month earlier in 2007 and will continue for an extra week. It's part of a phased move designed to conserve electricity and save an estimated 300,000 barrels of oil a year.
I've been happy the last few weeks as my 6:15 wake up call has produced a lighter and lighter sky so I'll be disappointed to have my early mornings next week return to darkness (and make it harder for me to get up!) But I guess it's for a good cause.
3.05.2007
Updates
Canton's becoming a Cool City is on the front page of the Mountaineer.
Here's a link to my newspaper column last weekend about the TTA's 'Transit Design Game.'
The Transit Design Game is available through this Friday, March 9th and your community can become a Cool City at any time! Please contact us if you're interested.
Here's a link to my newspaper column last weekend about the TTA's 'Transit Design Game.'
The Transit Design Game is available through this Friday, March 9th and your community can become a Cool City at any time! Please contact us if you're interested.
3.03.2007
Welcome N&O Readers
Welcome to those of you who saw this piece about our blog in today's News and Observer.
We hope you'll look around and learn about our Cool Cities program, our top legislative priority for this session, or even just our take on polish pastries.
And if you want to get involved with any of this stuff, please send me an e-mail at 'tom.jensen' at 'sierraclub-nc.org'
Many thanks to Mark Schultz, who does a tremendous job covering Orange and Chatham for the N&O, for this mention.
We hope you'll look around and learn about our Cool Cities program, our top legislative priority for this session, or even just our take on polish pastries.
And if you want to get involved with any of this stuff, please send me an e-mail at 'tom.jensen' at 'sierraclub-nc.org'
Many thanks to Mark Schultz, who does a tremendous job covering Orange and Chatham for the N&O, for this mention.
3.01.2007
Canton becomes a Cool City!
On Tuesday night the Canton Board of Aldermen endorsed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, becoming the seventh city in North Carolina to do so. In recognition of this the North Carolina Sierra Club will hold a ceremony in April honoring the town and Mayor Smathers as a 'Cool City.'
By signing on Canton has committed to taking appropriate steps toward reaching the emissions goals outlined in the agreement. Over the last few years it has already made progress by:
-Placing their old watershed in a conservation easement and using the funds they received for doing so to build an outdoor sports complex on top of an old landfill.
-Extending water and sewer to areas that were having problems with failed septic tanks and resultant waste seepage problems.
-Significant expansion of the greenway system.
-A major renovation of its water treatment plant to improve environmental
Canton joins Asheville, Boone, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Highlands as Cool Cities in North Carolina. It particularly exemplifies the Sierra Club's stance that no city is too small to take leadership on the environment.
We'd like to have cities on board in all 100 counties, so please contact us if you're interested in working on it.
By signing on Canton has committed to taking appropriate steps toward reaching the emissions goals outlined in the agreement. Over the last few years it has already made progress by:
-Placing their old watershed in a conservation easement and using the funds they received for doing so to build an outdoor sports complex on top of an old landfill.
-Extending water and sewer to areas that were having problems with failed septic tanks and resultant waste seepage problems.
-Significant expansion of the greenway system.
-A major renovation of its water treatment plant to improve environmental
Canton joins Asheville, Boone, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Highlands as Cool Cities in North Carolina. It particularly exemplifies the Sierra Club's stance that no city is too small to take leadership on the environment.
We'd like to have cities on board in all 100 counties, so please contact us if you're interested in working on it.
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