Moving Asheville Into a Green Paradigm

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by Gordon Smith
on Thursday, April 23, 2009

On this Earth Day, I'm going to highlight some of the aspects of my City Council campaign that speak directly to addressing global climate change here in Asheville. We can't wait for someone else to solve the problems in our community. We must work together and move our city into a green paradigm that elevates our economy, respects our environment, and lifts up our neighborhoods.

From my campaign website:

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

• Raise the bar on energy efficiency in new developments and offer breaks to developers who retrofit existing buildings.
• Partner with private entities to provide low-interest loans to residents to retrofit their homes with energy efficiency measures.
• Conserve energy by recommitting City government to building only LEED certified municipal buildings.
• Preserve open spaces through the use of density bonuses in housing development.
• Enforce Development Ordinances comprehensively.
• Support and expand alternative transportation to reduce traffic and reduce parking needs.
• Design a regional water plan in concert with surrounding governmental entities to ensure that our water resources remain clean and plentiful.
• Make repeal of the Sullivan Acts our top legislative priority.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

It's time for Asheville to live up to its environmental aspirations by raising the bar on what it means to be energy efficient. New development can be much more energy efficient, and the City can incentivize this behavior. Older buildings and older homes can be retrofitted with the latest energy efficiency technology. Reducing our energy use will decrease our need for new energy production facilities, saving the taxpayer millions in the long run.

PRESERVE OPEN SPACES

Encouraging density along existing development corridors reduces sprawl and preserves green space. Further, protecting our future greenway corridors is a paramount priority. We can complete the Beaucatcher Overlook Park. We can enforce existing development ordinances to create more predictability and discourage developers from taking more trees than necessary or polluting our streams and lakes.

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

We can reduce air pollution, traffic, and the need for parking structures by committing to our alternative transportation options. Public transit is an important alternative for many who cannot afford vehicles but also to those who choose to save money or live greener. Bike lanes, sidewalks, and greenways create long-term environmental benefits that will green our city for generations to come.

WATER RESOURCES

Keeping our water resources clean and abundant is a top priority. The unfair Sullivan Acts restrict our city's ability to create a sustainable water plan. Therefore, our top legislative priority must be to repeal the Sullivan Acts.

By partnering with Buncombe County and other surrounding governmental bodies, we can create a long-term strategy for managing this most precious resource.

Moving into a green paradigm means jobs in construction and manufacturing. It means more affordable housing. It means cleaner air, cleaner water, and healthier lives for ourselves and our children. It means doing our part to mitigate the impact of excess carbon emissions into our atmosphere.

Happy Earth Day, Asheville. To get involved in my campaign to move Asheville further and faster towards sustainability, you can click here to volunteer, here to donate, and here to learn more about where I stand on the important issues facing Asheville today.

Content Source: scrutinyhooligans.us/2009/04/22/moving-asheville-into-a-green-paradigm/

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About the Author - Gordon Smith

Contact Gordon Smith:
Looking Glass Center for Counseling and Psychiatry
gordonsmithasheville@yahoo.com
www.gordonforasheville.com

Learn more about Gordon.