Greenprint for Akron addresses concerns

Brookings Report and Akron's Carbon Footprint

(05/29/08) - In light of a recent national report ranking the carbon footprints of American cities, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic says the Greenprint for Akron program he created in 2007 is more important than ever.

"Akron and other local governments must play an active role in response to these growing environmental concerns," said Plusquellic.

Greenprint for Akron is a long-term plan designed to quantify Akron’s carbon footprint while creating ways to reduce it. 

"We are continuing, through Greenprint, to devise a new plan for how Akron can compete effectively in a world that is increasingly concerned over environmental issues," said Mayor Plusquellic, who was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2005 and presided over the it when it unanimously endorsed a Climate Protection Agreement, an initiative in which mayors commit to reduce emissions in their cities to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

Keep Akron Beautiful is acting as the community clearinghouse for information on how Akron can become more "green" to save energy, to limit waste and to make new buildings "smarter."

Akron is conducting this comprehensive emissions inventory as a member of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability ('International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.) This analysis includes a comprehensive evaluation of emissions associated with metropolitan communities using more detailed and localized data sources, including non-highway transportation and commercial buildings which are not factored into the Brookings report. 

Akron City Council approved legislation in March of this year to support the creation of a the Greenprint for Akron, which will set measurable goals for reducing green house gases over the next five years within the government and through  a process of community engagement.

Plusquellic noted some of the many success stories Akron has had that have already been environmentally effective, including the automated trash collection program implemented in 2006. The program has boosted participation in recycling by more than 30% of the city’s households. 

Other so called green projects underway or completed include:

• Summit Metro Parks is rehabilitating an old home on Sand Run Parkway for offices that will be LEED-certified; First Energy Corp’s. new offices on White Pond Drive will seek the LEED designation as well.  LEED is a national "green" building certification and stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
• Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority will be employing green building standards in its $50 million Edgewood Homes project adjacent to the zoo.  AMHA is also committed to insulating the new homes to conserve energy and will be installing energy-efficient appliances.
• On a smaller scale, but important as a symbol of the city's commitment, bicycle racks have installed downtown - at City Hall, at Lock 3, at Canal Park, and at Cascade Plaza to promote use of bikes over cars for commuting.
• Recyling of asphalt and oil. Akron has been recycling asphalt and motor oil for many years, minimizing demand on sources of oil, a non-renewable resource.
• Conservation of energy in City-owned buildings. Ten years ago, the City embarked on energy conservation in its facilities.  New controls on heating and air conditioning systems and retrofitted lighting have already saved nearly $4 million.
• Sludge-to-fuel.  Biogas technology has wide use and acceptance in Europe, but Akron  will be home to the first such operation in the United States. Akron's Wastewater Treatment Plant has for many years taken sludge and turned it into Class A-rated compost that is then applied as a soil nutrient. Now the plant is working with a private company to begin using some of the solid waste to produce energy to help operate the facility.
• Securing regional water supply safety: Since May of 2001, roughly 1,300 businesses and residential properties in the Joint Economic Development Districts have been able to use safe, reliable Akron water and sewer service and eliminate the use of wells and septic systems.  
• Conservation and easements to protect natural resources: On Akron's watershed property in Geauga County, tens of thousands of trees have been planted and conservation easements have been purchased to prevent development of environmentally sensitive areas near the Upper Cuyahoga River. The City has also given hundreds of acres of land to the Trust for Public Land to protect green space in perpetuity. Akron has been recognized for its stewardship of the 207 acre watershed, which is habitat for beaver, mink, deer, raccoons, coyotes, fox, geese, turkeys and American bald eagles.
• Brownfield Remediation.  The city has been directly involved in 22 projects to clean up "brownfield" sites with $18 million in cleanup costs shared by city, state and federal government.  It has produced $140 million in private investment on these remediated properties.  Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial properties carrying a threat of hazardous substances.
• The Urban Landscape.  Akron maintains municipal parks and is a partner with Metro Parks Serving Summit County to provide green space, hike and bike trails and natural beauty inside the city.  Keep Akron Beautiful enhances that effort by creating and maintaining three dozen flowerscapes throughout the city.  In 2003, Akron was recognized with the national America in Bloom Award, a tribute to KAB's efforts and those of the city forestry department.
• The greening of highway system: America in Bloom called Akron a "leader" in the state for the visual landscape of Akron road and expressway by limiting sound barrier walls and encouraging planting. City Arborist Bill Hahn has been instrumental since the late '90s to beautify Akron's expressway system by planting tens of thousands of plants, trees, shrubs and ground cover. The eco-friendly project has saved taxpayers money on mowing and fuel associated with the hazardous job of mowing expressway medians, berms and ramps.

The Brookings Institution report, Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America, ranks the carbon footprints of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas based on total metric tons of carbon emissions per capita in 2005.   As the United States Congress begins to debate national climate change legislation, the report demonstrates the need for a strong federal-local partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the report, Akron ranks 62^nd in per capita carbon emissions among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas.  The average Akron resident is said to have produced 2.637 tons of carbon, from highway transportation and residential energy in 2005 compared to 2.60 tons of carbon emitted by the average American from transportation and residential energy.  The study indicates Akron’s per capita footprint increased 8.47% in these two areas between 2000 and 2005.

Akron is working with Climate Communities and ICLEI to educate federal policymakers about the essential role of local governments in addressing climate change.  Climate Communities is a national coalition of cities and counties that is seeking new federal resources to help localities reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  ICLEI is providing direct assistance to more than 400 U.S. localities to help them develop and implement local climate action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal Legislation Implications

In early June, the U.S. Senate is set to begin consideration of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, championed by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) and John Warner (R-VA).  This national legislation would reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 65 percent by the year 2050.  Climate Communities has worked with the bill’s champions to amend the legislation to include significant new federal resources in support of local actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   The amended legislation will enable communities like Akron to benefit from federal dollars aimed at fighting global climate change.

Congress will also soon consider whether to provide FY 2009 appropriations for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG), which was championed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and authorized by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  Full funding of the Energy Efficiency Block Grants would enable cities and counties to enact strategies that reduce fossil fuel emissions, cut total energy use, and improve energy efficiency.  Funding for the new Energy Efficiency Block Grants is authorized at $2 billion annually, 68% of which goes directly to local governments.   Cities with populations greater than 35,000 and counties with populations greater than 200,000 would receive direct funding determined by formula.  Cities and counties with smaller populations would be eligible for competitive state funding.

Mayor Don Plusquellic joins Summit County Executive Russ Pry in urging Congress to fully fund the Energy Efficiency Block Grants and to enact national climate change legislation that provides local governments with the tools and resources necessary to reduce carbon emissions in communities nationwide.