As the Chair of the City Council’s Environment & Health Committee, I have had one over-riding goal: to make Boston the greenest, most environmentally friendly city in the world. Greening Boston is a test of our City’s responsibility and courage – Will we, as individuals and as a City, do everything we can to create a sustainable environment for future generations, or will we pass the buck to our children and hope that they can forgive us for it? Will we invest in Boston’s economic future by taking bold steps to secure a leading position in a clean and green economy, an economy that holds the potential to carry Boston out of the recession, or will we let this economic opportunity pass us by?

As the City Council’s leading voice on environmental issues, I will consider all environmental strategies, big and small, but I am already working on the following programs as part of my Green Agenda for the City Council’s 2009 session:

Boston as the Engine of the Green Economy: I am committed to making Boston the greenest city in the world, and part of that vision is an investment in our future through the creation of a K-12, public Environmental Science Academy. An Environmental Science Academy can set a national standard for how best to prepare our children to compete in the green economy and to live a sustainable and environmentally responsible lifestyle. This school should be open to all of Boston’s children and offer a rigorous math and science curriculum and also paths of study for students interested in building or utility trades. The school building itself will also be a model of energy efficiency and sustainable building practices that should be a LEED platinum certified, zero net energy campus powered by on-site alternative energy sources such as wind turbines that can also serve as a learning opportunity for students.

Local Strategies to Combat Global Climate Change: City Hall must do everything it can to empower individuals, businesses and communities to work together to combat the greatest threat to the future of our planet – global climate change. We can take a big step towards this type of cooperative effort by encouraging the creation of Carbon Neutral Neighborhoods. In January of 2009, I was proud to propose a cutting-edge Carbon Neutral Neighborhood pilot program for Boston where a neighborhood that pledges to reduce its carbon footprint towards carbon neutrality will receive help from the City in tracking its energy consumption, finding clean energy products at reduced cost, and promoting the neighborhood’s business district to the general public. I am also hosting roundtable discussions within the City’s neighborhoods so that neighbors and local environmental leaders can discuss some simple steps that families and neighborhoods can take to combat climate change every day.

Expanding Sustainable Public Transportation: The people of Boston should be able to choose environmentally friendly modes of public transportation if they want to. I am proud to be working with Mayor Menino to bring a shared bike program to Boston, and we must work hard to make sure that the City’s infrastructure can support increased bike use. In 2008, I also secured a commitment for the City to triple the number of hybrid vehicles being added to its fleet, and we must continue to advocate for cleaner, more efficient public transportation.

Creating an Energy Efficient City Government: You should expect your City government to lead by example, especially when your tax dollars are at stake. Drafty schools and crumbling public buildings are not just eyesores, they represent sky-rocketing costs in each year’s city budget. Each city building should undergo ongoing energy audits, followed by regular installation of energy-efficiency features wherever possible. This is a no-brainer – wherever we can save the environment, while also saving money, we need to do it.

Pushing Forward with Old Ideas and New Ideas: We can, and must, increase our efforts on some old ideas, like expanding recycling services across the city and protecting and promoting green and open spaces, but we must also always be on the lookout for new cutting-edge ideas to make our homes, our buildings and our entire city more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. I pledge to you that I will tirelessly seek the advice of experts, colleagues and neighbors to ensure that we do everything we can to make Boston the greenest city in the world.