Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Cambridge Climate Congress - are plans aspirational abstractions or actual? Cambridge, MA

Guest commentary: Defining green in Cambridge - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Cambridge Chronicle:
Here are a few items pulled from the 2002 report that seem to lack follow-through.
Optimize building design and the use of vegetation to shade buildings and reduce the urban heat island effect. Use geographic information systems to map the city’s tree canopy coverage and assess the environmental services provided by the urban forest; maximize the tree canopy cover, particularly over parking lots and air-conditioning units; install roofs with high reflectance or “green” landscaped roofs; incorporate reflectance and shading standards in designs for parking lots and building construction.
I know of no green roofs that have been created in response to this plan, and the city seems not to do a good job or maintaining or replacing its trees.
Promote Transit Improvements. Support extension of the Green Line, acquisition of alternative fuel buses, and plans for the Urban Ring.
To date, I have only seen one Green Line Extension meeting at which our city had official representation.

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