Connolly Announces Aggressive Green Agenda for 2009 Session

Calls for Environmental Science Academy as Key to Greening Boston

First term Boston City Councillor John R. Connolly unveiled an aggressive green agenda at today’s City Council meeting. Connolly is the Chair of the Council’s Environment and Health Committee and he has made one of his top priorities the expansion and development of sustainability initiatives in the City.

The centerpiece of Connolly’s green agenda is the call for an environmental science academy within the Boston Public Schools. With looming budget difficulties, Connolly stressed a big vision and noted an environmental science academy would take a few years to get to fruition and would not impact this year’s school budget. “Getting this from idea to reality won’t impact this year’s school budget. We need a big vision for our children’s future and to get out of the recession. A school like this could be a key to the City’s future. Let’s start exploring our options.” Connolly’s vision is to establish an innovative public school open to all Boston students and that has a rigorous math, science, and trades curriculum that will prepare students to compete in the green economy.

“The green job market is rapidly growing and the clean and green economy is key to Boston and the nation emerging from the recession,” Connolly said. “Now is the time to train Boston’s youth to be competitive in this growing job market and to create a more responsible citizen who is environmentally literate and practices sustainability in their daily lives and in their communities. Boston must lead the way in the green economy.”

A report issued last fall by Boston-based economic research firm, Global Insight, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors revealed that in 2006 there were about 750,000 green jobs and that millions more will be created in the U.S. over the next few decades.

In addition to an environment-focused interdisciplinary curriculum, Connolly envisions a Platinum-level LEED certified building that would set the standard for green building and development. “Let’s have a school powered by alternative energy with wind turbines on the site that the students can learn to operate. The school could set a standard nationwide.”

Connolly’s green agenda also includes promoting local and individual strategies to combat global climate change through small summits in Boston neighborhoods that would 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 stressed. “For instance, if you only run your dishwasher when it’s full, you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by up to 100lbs a year and also save your household money. There are lots of simple things like this that we can all do to make a difference.”

Connolly also called for the creation of a carbon neutral neighborhood pilot program in the city. Being carbon neutral refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of released carbon with an equivalent amount that is sequestered or offset. “Creation of a carbon neutral neighborhood pilot program will help Bostonians take responsibility for their environmental impact and encourage others to make positive changes in their homes and habits,” Connolly said. “The goal is to get individuals and businesses working together to pledge to reduce their impact on the environment with incentives and help from the city.”

The final aspect of Connolly’s green agenda is continued work on a shared bike program for Boston. “Shared bike programs operate successfully in various cities around the world, and I’d like to see the benefits of those programs happen here in Boston,” Connolly said.

The City of Boston issued a Request For Information (RFI) from qualified vendors and those with expertise in design, construction, and operation of a “third-generation” bicycle sharing program last year. A “third-generation” bike share program incorporates information technology with the shared bikes. The City has not yet released the results of the RFI.

“Through the budget process last year I helped secure a promise from the Administration to triple the number of hybrid vehicles being added to the City’s fleet,” Connolly said. “I hope that with my green agenda for 2009, I can continue to work toward making Boston the greenest and healthiest city in the world.”

In addition to his work as Chair of the Environment and Health Committee, Connolly also serves as Acting Chair of the Education Committee, and was recently appointed Chair of newly established Special Committee on a Livable Boston. Connolly’s efforts on the Education Committee have included work on innovative programs to reduce truancy and hold parents of truant students accountable. Connolly is a former teacher.

As Chair of the Special Committee on a Livable Boston, Connolly intends to conduct meetings in neighborhoods across the City to explore the impact of the recession on Bostonians, and to explore Boston’s ability to attract and retain people from all walks of life who want to make Boston home for a lifetime.