Mexico City Launches "Green Plan"
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 09. 4.07
In yet another bold gesture demonstrating that he wants to emulate green mayors like Bogota's Enrique Peñalosa and London's Ken Livingstone, Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard recently unveiled a "Green Plan" for the metropolis.
"Today concludes the first stage in a long path that we should take to build the sustainable city that we want," said Ebrard on Friday.
The "Plan Verde" is divided into seven thematic actions: land conservation, public space, water, mobility, air, waste and climate change and energy.
One of the most controversial elements of the plan is an extension to the "Hoy No Circula" (Today Don't Drive) plan, a program where drivers are prohibited from using their vehicles one weekday a week based on their license plate numbers to reduce pollution. Beginning in 2008, Hoy No Circula will be extended to Saturday. One fifth of the city's 2.5 million registered vehicles will be restricted from circulating between 10 am to 6 pm. Plan Verde also includes rules on the provision of water to those who don't pay for the service, as well as the substitution of 100% of the city's official vehicle fleet for cleaner models.
Among the various environmental big wigs on the plan's advisory council is Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner, Mario Molina. ::Via La Jornada (Spanish link)
Plan Verde is just a political platform to become popular. Marcelo Ebrard and his Party - The democratic Revolution Party - PRD are against taxing fuel. Arguing that expensive fuels will increase the price of other products.
We all know that the ones who pollutes are the ones who burn gas even for a few blocks joyride not the ones that do not use bikes due to the very long distances travelled, between 15 to 35 km. in mexico city.
Tax Fuel/Gas and let the Electric, fuel economic, diesel, car pooling and Hybrid cars enter the market and receive tax benefits. Of course Ebrard does not bealive in consuming and capitalism, he is a old school comunist.
By the way, "hoy no circula" has helped the industry to sell more and more cars. What happened with ebrards public transport modernization? that was going so well.
Saludos.
Yair.
That "hoy no circula" was applied in our city some years ago, not for fighting pollution but for "easing" the very big problem of the traffic hams.
What happened was: every family, not only the rich people, bought another car with a different license plate number.
The results: worst traffic hams, and worst air pollution