Apr 29, 2009 4:00 pm US/Eastern
Philly Unveils Plan To Be Greenest City In U.S.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
The city of Philadelphia will unveil Greenworks Philadelphia Wednesday, an ambitious plan to become the greenest city in the country by 2015.
The plan lists 15 targets, covering everything from trash to transit to trees, including lowering city government's energy consumption by 30 percent, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, and reducing vehicle miles traveled by 10 percent.
Other goals: Planting at least 300,000 trees, adding 500 acres of public land, and launching a carbon offset initiative.
Greenworks Philadelphia calls for using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to better insulate old housing stock for the winter, cool roofs in the summer, and create thousands of green jobs.
"Greenworks Philadelphia is a vision for how Philadelphia can and should seize this moment, building on the assets of the city left to us by the past and creating a better future for ourselves, our children and generations to come," said Mayor Michael Nutter in a press release.
The plan is the culmination of months of planning in Mayor Michael Nutter's new Office of Sustainability. A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Franklin Institute.
A list of Greenworks Philadelphia targets released in advance of the news conference:
1. Lower city government energy consumption by 30 percent.
2. Reduce energy consumption in buildings citywide by 10 percent.
3. Retrofit 15 percent of housing stock with insulation, air sealing, cool roofs.
4. Purchase and generate 20 percent of electricity used in Philadelphia from alternative energy sources.
5. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.
6. Improve air quality toward attainment of federal standards.
7. Divert 70 percent of solid waste from landfill.
8. Manage storm water to meet federal standards.
9. Provide park and recreation resources within 10 minutes of 75 percent of residents.
10. Offer local food within 10 minutes of 75 percent of residents.
11. Boost tree coverage toward 30 percent in all neighborhoods in 2025.
12. Reduce vehicle miles traveled by 10 percent.
13. Increase the "state of good repair" of city infrastructure.
14. Double the number of low- and high-skill green jobs.
15. Philadelphia is the greenest city in America.
RELATED LINK:
www.greenworksphila.org
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