FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2010
Contact: Chris Blazejewski | cblazejewski@gmail.com | 401-484-8814  

Angel Taveras Celebrates Earth Day by Announcing 5 Point Environmental Plan

PROVIDENCE - In celebration of Earth Day, Providence Mayoral Candidate Angel Taveras announced a 5 point environmental program which will reduce Providence's carbon footprint and position Providence as a leader in the rapidly growing green economy.

"I applaud the numerous steps that the City Council and the Mayor have taken to increase energy efficiency, decrease energy costs and reduce the city's carbon footprint - steps that the Sierra Club has recognized in designating Providence a 'Cool City'," said Taveras.  "I have devised a 5 point plan that will work on the successes of city government's efforts to date and ensure that Providence continues towards becoming a national leader in the green economy."

The 5 point program that I will execute as Mayor is as follows:

1. Composting. The City of Providence should follow the lead of cities like Seattle in setting up composting programs within the City.  The City currently sends tons of food and yard waste to the landfill - wasting taxpayer money and harming the environment.  Approximately 20% of Providence's municipal waste could be composted. The City should develop a city-operated composting facility that accepts all organic waste from city properties and turns it into compost for use in neighborhood parks and community gardens. Alternatively, the City should encourage and support residents who turn this waste into compost, a nutrient-rich soil additive.  This initiative creates jobs, reduces tipping fees at the central landfill, reduces green house emissions from trucking waste to the landfill and reduces the cost of compost for city residents and organizations.   

2.  Green City Government. Providence needs to expand on the initiative to green the city's school buildings by consolidating and greening all city-owned and city-funded property.  As an integral part of Providence $750 million effort to renovate or rebuild the majority of Providence’s aging school buildings, the city has mandated green design provisions including day-lighting controls, high efficiency boilers and fixtures, alternative energy systems, reduced water consumption, zero storm water runoff, existing building reuse, and a minimum of 50% recycling of construction debris.  These same green design provisions should cover all city-owned and city-funded buildings.  In addition, the City should ensure that all new purchases in all city property and city-funded affordable housing are Energy Star approved and that all city-funded housing uses LED lights, thermal pane windows, and energy star appliances and mechanics.     

3. City Energy Manager = Budget Savings. More than a year ago, the City Council appropriately approved the hiring of an Energy Manager - an initiative of Councilman Seth Yurdin - but the position has not been filled.  With the the city spending $14 million each year on energy, the Energy Manager will identify concrete ways for the City to reduce energy spending and the city's carbon footprint as well as explore renewable energy options for the city in wind, solar, biodiesel and hydropower.  For example, if the Manager is able to reduce spending on electricity, fuel oil and natural gas by 5%, that will yield an annual savings to the city budget of $700,000.          

4. Turn Abandoned Lots into Community Gardens. The city needs to reduce barriers to turning government-owned abandoned lots into community gardens.  The successful community gardens run by the Southside Community Land Trust, the city, the schools and other residents ensure that bountiful amounts of affordable and healthy food are available to Providence residents.  Currently there are waiting lists for new community gardens and beds in existing gardens.  Every neighborhood needs and deserves a community garden and I will work hand in hand with residents and private organizations to make it happen.    

5. Create a Renewable Energy Revolving Loan Fund.  Currently, energy technologies such as green construction, solar and wind are unaffordable for many Providence homeowners and building owners.  The city should identify public and private partnerships that will support the creation of a pilot program to support Providence residents who want to make capital improvements to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve improved energy efficiency. 

"The issues of global warming and energy independence are deeply connected to local issues such as our city budget and the ability of city families to have affordable energy and food costs," said Taveras.  "I am committed to bringing the city's environmental and renewable energy activists into City Hall with me and making Providence a national leader in the green economy.  We must continue the hard work to make the dream of a clean energy economy a reality, and pass this world on to our children cleaner and safer than we found it."

"As an advocate for the hiring of a city energy manager and a member of the city's Energy Task Force, I applaud Angel Taveras for pushing an ambitious environmental program to reduce global warming pollution and to grow Providence's green economy," said Councilman Cliff Wood.  "The city needs to lead by example and Angel's 5 point program does just that."