Cities see benefits of going green-Boise mayor among those at statewide conference on environmentally sensitive construction.
One building at a time, one city at a time, one state at a time that's the way to increase energy efficiency, reduce fossil-fuel dependency and raise environmental awareness nationwide, according to leaders and experts attending a statewide green building conference in Garden City this week.
In Boise, leaders are hoping to make it easier for people and businesses to go green at home or in the office.
The city has convened committees of construction, transportation and urban forestry experts to craft recommendations to increase energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.The construction-focused committee submitted its first round of recommendations, including:
Requiring all new homes to meet Energy Star requirements or better.
Providing financial assistance for residential and commercial retrofits that reduce energy use and water consumption.
Requiring new commercial buildings to exceed energy conservation code by 20 percent.
Amending city code to allow solar panels, outdoor clotheslines, waterwise landscaping and permeable paving.
The recommendations are causing quite a buzz, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter said.
"We've had some lively discussions" with builders and contractors, Bieter said. "We've got our work cut out for us, but we are going to push it forward aggressively."
As of this week, 691 cities have signed onto the Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, which calls for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In August 2006, Bieter was the first Idaho mayor and the 280th mayor in the nation to sign the agreement. Six additional Idaho cities have signed on since — Bellevue, Hailey, Moscow, Pocatello, Sandpoint and Sun Valley.
The agreement is just one of many tools being used by cities, counties and states to increase energy efficiency and not just for the planet's sake, but also for the pocketbook's.
Being green not only makes environmental sense, it also makes fiscal sense, Pocatello Mayor Roger Chase said at a the Idaho Energy and Green Building Conference held this week in Garden City.
Some studies show green buildings can cut energy bills 30 percent and increase employee productivity 10 to 15 percent by creating a healthier work environment.
"That's big money for a company," or a city, Chase said. "It's the right and profitable thing to do. Wanting clean air and clean water — that's not being green, it's being smart."
Nampa Mayor Tom Dale has no plans to sign the Mayors' Agreement, which was reached after the U.S. decided not to participate in the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 international treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Choosing not to sign the mayors' agreement doesn't mean his city doesn't want clean air, clean water or increased energy efficiency, Dale said.
"We can have the same goals without addressing the political hot potato" of whether humans or nature or both are responsible for recent rapid climate change, Dale said.
"We don't need to go there to accomplish our goals," he said.
"It doesn't matter how we get there, just that we get there," Chase agreed.
Cynthia Sewell: 377-6428