As chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Environment and Health, At-Large City Councilor John Connolly last week unveiled what he called an “Aggressive Green Agenda,” for the 2009 legislative session. Included among the proposals are calls for an Environmental Science Academy (ESA) within the Boston Public School system and programs promoting local strategies to combat global climate change.

Connolly calls the ESA the centerpiece of his green agenda. He envisions establishing an innovative public school that would be open to all Boston students willing to participate in a rigorous math, science and trade curriculum that will prepare them to compete in the green economy.

“Green jobs cover every sector of our economy — from low-skilled to high-skilled jobs,” Connolly said. “It’s everything from someone who works on weatherizing homes …to scientists and engineers who work on developing and designing alternative energy systems for businesses and homes. Green jobs run the gambit though the whole economy.”

According to Connolly’s vision for the ESA, the school building would set the standard for green building and development. He also envisions the building could be powered by alternative energy sources, such as wind power which students could learn to operate.

Connolly, who also chairs the Committee on Education, said he understands the ESA would require funding not currently feasible within the existing school budget. However, he said his plan for the program is a long-term vision which could be funded though stimulus money and could likely take a few years to come to fruition.

“We need a big vision for our children’s future and to get out of the recession,” Connolly said. “A school like this could be a key to the city’s future. Let’s start exploring our options.”

Last year, West Roxbury resident Chuck Donaldson, a retired General Electric engineer with eight patents to his name, met with neighborhood groups and city officials to encourage the study of using Millennium Park as a source of wind power and other renewable energy technologies.

Donaldson also envisioned an educational facility centering on environmental study. He proposed making the nearby West Roxbury Educational Complex into a research and development educational center for the purpose of advancing state-of-the-art energy conversion methodologies.

“I am very pleased to see some movement on this idea by Councilor Connolly. I am impressed with both his knowledge and his attitude,” Donaldson said.

Donaldson said Connolly’s ideas fit well with what he proposed to do at Millennium Park as well.

He said the West Roxbury Education Complex, located at the base of the park, has the infrastructure in place that could accomplish all of Connolly’s Agenda.

“Environmental Science is being taught at present and the stimulus money is available now from commercial and not-for-profit sources,” Donaldson said. “A solar energy trade school could be graduating technicians in the study, implementation, and control of renewable energy projects in the near future.”

Connolly said backing a green agenda is not only necessary due to the global climate change and economic necessity, but is also important for reasons of national security in order to lessen the United States’ reliance on foreign oil.

In addition to the ESA, Connolly’s green agenda also includes promoting local strategies to combat global climate change. He plans on holding small summits in Boston’s neighborhoods in order to bring attention to personal steps that Bostonians can take to reduce their individual impact on the environment.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money or completely change your life to make a difference,” Connolly said. “For instance, if you only run your dishwasher when it’s full, you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by up to 100 pounds a year and also save your household some money.”

Rickey Harvey, president of the local grass-roots organization West Roxbury Saves Energy, applauded Connolly for getting interested in grass-roots efforts to save money and the environment.

“I think it’s terrific that he’s proposing these initiatives,” Harvey said. “It’s up to the federal government and all people and organizations in between to make this a reality.”

Harvey said that by Connolly bringing environmental issues to the forefront in city council, more people will get on board.