Cool Cities

One of the core solutions of the Global Warming Solutions Group is to encourage the mayors of local cities to join the Cool Cities initiative of the Sierra Club.  By doing so, they pledge to take action against global warming by signing the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement.  They then create a plan to reduce emissions below 1990 levels by looking at such things as energy efficiency of buildings, hybrid cars, and renewable energy sources.  As of this writing, more than 900 cities across the country have signed on to the agreement.

Find out more at the official web site for Cool Cities at:

http://coolcities.us/

Local Cool Cities

There are many cities in Illinois who have joined the Cool Cities program including the central Illinois communities of Urbana, Springfield, Normal, and East Peoria.

Mayor Dave Mingus of East Peoria signed the agreement  in April of  2008.  Some of the initiatives that the cities has been working on are listed below:

• There is a city-wide Green Team that meets every other week to plan and implement strategies.  They include members representing the police, fire, waste, facilities, Illinois Central College, and residents.
• The city has increased curbside recycling by offering a free recycling program as well as increasing recycling at city parks and the East Side facility.
• Energy usage city-wide has decreased through the installation of LED traffic lights and energy efficient fluorescent ligthing in municipal buildings.
• They have decreased fuel consumption through the purchase of hybrids and smaller cars.
• They are decreasing idling time for police cars by testing solar panels on police cars and battery storage to run internal machines such as laptops and radios while the vehicle is off.
• They are implementing an education program in schools.
• They are using methane to power approximately 100 residential homes.
• A wind turbine has been proposed for both East Side and Illinois Central College.
• A city ordinance has been created to allow wind turbine installation for both residential and commercial buildings.
• For the move of the city hall and the library to the old CAT building – Project 2010 – they are using energy efficient building codes for the project.

Click here to see other communities in Illinois that have signed on to the agreement.