Toronto Unveils Blueprint for a Green City
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.24.07
Mayor David Miller says Toronto will be "the leading environmental city in North America" and has rolled out the blueprints. He says the plan represents a "real" commitment to combating global warming. "This framework is very bold. It sets clear targets for action and it sets out an uncompromising commitment by the city of Toronto to lead on environmental issues."
The plan includes meeting Kyoto targest by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; tax rebates for upgrading furnaces, installing green roofs or even replacing leaf blowers with brooms; a new green building code, more bike lanes, conversion of all streetlights to LEDs and lots more.
However all of these measures require funding and the City is broke, so Mayor Miller will have a hard time paying for this. But it sounds like a plan. ::The Star and ::PDF of the Plan UPDATE: Environment writer Peter Gorrie doesn't think it is much of a plan.::The Star
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They should add a road tax for any traffic entering the city and use the money to improve communal communications. Raising the tax on pollution might also give the city some investment money, as well as making pollution more unprofitable.
The city can also set a good example by looking at the environmental impact of any company they buy services or products from.
Kyoto's targets aren't really that difficult to meet. What really is needed is a much more radical attitude shift across the entire board.
Way to set a good example for "World Shutdown Day".
yeah you too "Anonymous"
Hey Andrew Crocker, I didn't create this blog and haven't made a big deal about "Shutdown Day".
David Miller has a great idea, but he needs to tread carefully with these plans. Mayors in the States are not forward thinking. They would be happy to offer corporations guilt free polluting here in the great US of A.
I don't think just noting that "Environment writer Peter Gorrie doesn't think it is much of a plan" does justice. From the article:
That's okay even with critics on the green side – for now. They figure the vague framework is a decent first step for a council that's not even three months into its term of office.
"If this had come out a year from now, we'd be lividly upset," says Franz Hartmann, executive director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance.
But, as a job completed in three months: "We're frankly impressed."