Austin launches aggressive climate change initiative (Global warming alert)

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF ^ | Thursday, February 08, 2007 | By Kate Alexander

[Arrowhead1952]

Pushing for change

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The Austin Climate Protection Plan includes the following goals:

•Power 100 percent of city facilities with renewable energy by 2012.

•Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from entire city fleet by 2020 through use of electric power and nonpetroleum fuels.

•Achieve 700 megawatts in savings through energy efficiency and conservation by 2020.

•Meet 30 percent of all energy needs through renewable resources by 2020.

•Commit to lowest-emission technologies for any new power plants and carbon dioxide reductions on existing plants.

•Boost energy efficiency in new homes and other buildings.

•Require energy efficiency improvements in existing homes and buildings when sold.

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Austin, home of total nutjobs. I guess the mayor thinks no fuel is burned to produce electricity for the rechargeable vehicles. I'll post comments by local residents in future replies.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Austin, Texas' own SF!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Austin could probably best help to curb global warming by smoking less dope.

[Arrowhead1952]

Here are some replies by the locals.

Comments
By rich

Feb 8, 2007 7:42 AM | Link to this

Its a start in the right direction, now lets get the counties and state to clean up thier act and revamp Cap metro to get people out of the cars and into public transport.

By Reverend DJ Johnson

Feb 8, 2007 7:25 AM | Link to this

All science? The mayor is reading the liberal dailies only I guess. There's plenty of opposition to the political agenda of the left in this whole global warming arguement. No it's not science. Science demands facts not consensus.

By Tim

Feb 8, 2007 7:24 AM | Link to this

I don't like it!

By Chad

Feb 8, 2007 7:11 AM | Link to this

There are also simple, inexpensive ideas to consider. Placing motion detector lighting in business and hotel hallways so the lights are only on while people are present. And requiring hotels to install room lighting that only works when the room key is inserted in a slot on the wall.

By Christopher S. Johnosn

Feb 8, 2007 1:00 AM | Link to this

People complain about the costs. What about the costs of NOT doing this? Aren't they greater?

And I bet low income citizens get assistance in conversions.

By Bernie

Feb 7, 2007 11:48 PM | Link to this

They can start with the empty Capital Metro rolling smog factories.

We can't have have massive high tech, weirdness out our ears and music from another universe and not have some noxious emissions...or is that nocturnal emissions.

By Cares about our children

Feb 7, 2007 11:15 PM | Link to this

I hope it can be done. Leave Austin to us enviromentally caring families who know what it should be like. Those who don't care or can't afford it can live in Williamson County.

By Marco

Feb 7, 2007 11:15 PM | Link to this

Considering how much we know on the topic, kind of silly. I find us to be ignorant that we have maybe 200+ years of atmospheric data (that is being nice) on the Earth yet we pretend we know what is really going on with it. This is where those archaeologists come into play. History is where we learn from, not blind hysteria.

By Artie

Feb 7, 2007 10:45 PM | Link to this

I wish him the best. About time someone is doing something about the environment.
Every day more trees are being mowed down and the the air - pollution gets worse every year.
I applaude his efforts.

By Felda

Feb 7, 2007 10:42 PM | Link to this

Cutting emissions that drastically is something that needs to be a STATEwide thing, as in California. However, I think the mayor is on the right road. It won't be long before we'll have too many people and not enough air for them to breathe. Or water to drink. It's late, but now is better than never for a start.

[listenhillary]

"polluting carbon dioxide" Change the population to Zero and you can achieve the results.

It's frigging PLANT FOOD, it's not pollution.

[VeniVidiVici]

Carbon Dioxide graph (below) clearly shows the cycle of SUV popularity over the past several hundred thousand years or so:

[BuffaloJack]

So Austin will now switch to a fully socialist government.

[Bean Counter]

If you back up and look at things like this, what is the ultimate goal of "Controlling Climate Change"??

If we accept the premise that Man is capable of inducing global warming, are we not wise to take precautions against an accidental triggering of "Global Cooling" in our zeal to seal the breach in the ozone layer and other such damned foolishness???

At least we know that if another Ice Age decends upon us, all we need do is start open air burning our National Startegeric Reserve of old tires, if we plan ahead right now....

[ohioman]

How long before cars that run on gas are outlawed? As long as liberal human nature is involved, there will be no LOGICIAL end to this.

[listenhillary]

Turn off the AC in the government offices permanently. We wouldn't want to interfere with their nature experience. When man insulates himself from nature, he looses touch with his roots and becomes disconnected from his primal ancestors.

This is going to be fun to watch.

[mikeybaby]

Liberal nutjobs like these are the same type of people that
banned DDT. Result: millions of lives lost due to Malaria.

Banned R-12 refrigerant due to ozone layer, costing industry billions of dollars for the change-over to R-32 (I think it's R-32).
Now they say the effect of R-12 on ozone is not conclusive.
HVAC guys, help me out here.
Conclusion: spend taxpayer money first, prove the benefits (if there are any) later.

[Arrowhead1952]

Austin is just keeping up to their slogan.

[Arrowhead1952]

The replacement for R-12 is R-134. I heard it is doing more damage than R-12.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=r12+replacement&spell=1

[Red6]

We need to bookmark this for the future. I want to be able to laugh at them in 2012.

[Red6]

Could you post the link to this graph if they have more information or post this graph in a larger picture for clarity?

[Ditter]

I'll be in Austin in a few weeks for a wedding. I'll be driving my big 'ole SUV and messing up the air. Ha Ha I'll bet I get more than a few dirty looks.

[Arrowhead1952]

What part of Austin? If you will be in the NW part, you won't be seen as a polluter. If you go downtown or in the west Austin, you may wind up with damage to your EEEEEvil SUV.

[BuffaloJack]

listenhillary,
You are obviously referring to the fact that this will have high entertainment content.
Jack

[VeniVidiVici]

Certainly. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide

[mikeybaby]

Thanks.
I also seem to remember that the "gubmint" forced the automakers to develop catalytic converters independently due to antitrust concerns, costing the Big Three hundreds of millions of dollars.
Fools.