Sustainability Goals
Sustainability Goal #1:
Greenhouse Gas
Reduce GHG emissions from municipal operations at least 2 % in order to achieve a reduction of 20% below 2005 levels by 2020; ultimately to achieve carbon neutrality for the municipal organization. This represents a yearly reduction of 1,223 tons CO2e.
Sustainability Goal #1:
Greenhouse Gas Tips
Facts
- Within one year, using a CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light bulb) 5 hours a day will save 1171lbs of Co2.
- It is estimated that each American creates 90lbs of Co2 per day.
- Installing a solar water heater can reduce carbon emissions by 9,000lbs a year; the equivalent of driving 11,500 miles.
Tips
- Change a light bulb to a CFL and each bulb replaced will save 150lbs of Co2 per year.
- Walk, bike, carpool, or use public transportation because you'll save one 1lb of Co2 for every mile you don't drive.
- If your water heater is at least seven years old, consider replacing it with a more efficient one.
- Try to use hot water in off- peak hours to reduce your utilities need for peak power.
Sustainability Goal #2:
Electricity & Natural Gas Tips
- Reduce city energy consumption by 20% of the 2005 baseline by 2020
- Reduce demand peak use by 15% by 2020
Sustainability Goal #2:
Electricity & Natural Gas
Facts
- Over 50% of U.S. electricity is from coal; the most carbon intensive of the major energy sources.
- Electronics consume 26% of electricity in offices.
- The biggest energy consumption in households is heating, ventilation, air conditioning and the water heater appliance.
- According to the El Paso Energy Association, a home made of 18 inch straw bales (equivalent to insulation rated R-48) could reduce heating and cooling by as much as 75%.
Tips
- Join the energy star program for your work and your household at www.energystar.gov.
- Buy triple- paned low-E insulated frame windows at www.efficientwindows.org. (They can save 33% of heating costs.
- Turn down your themostat by two degrees and reduce your carbon footprint by one ton.
- Turndown the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees.
Sustainability Goal #3:
Fuel
- Reduce traditional fuel use by the City's vehicle fleet by 20% by 2020
- Reach a 1.5 AVR by 2020 for city employees
Sustainability Goal #3:
Fuel Tips
Fact
- Each gallon of gasoline produces 20lbs. of Co2.2. If each commuter car carried one more passenger every day, an estimate 600,000 gallons of gas would be saved and 12 million pounds of CO2e.
Tips
- Check your tires. Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. (Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20lbs. of Co2 out of the atmosphere.
- Drive 2,000 miles less a year and reduce your carbon footprint by one ton.
- Use biodiesel – Blue Sun - goblueSun.com (866-Bio-Fuel)
Sustainability Goal #4:
Solid Waste Reduction
- Reduce solid waste generated by 50% of overall waste stream by 2010 and 80% by 2020
- Interim goals will be set to reduce overall waste volume
Sustainability Goal #4:
Solid Waste Reduction Tips
Facts
- According to the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), NiCd rechargeable batteries were estimated to represent approximately 75% of cadmium found in municipal solid waste. Cadmium is a known carcinogen, reproductive and developmental toxin released into the environmental due to this type of waste.
- Paper products constitute 40% of recyclable material.2. By recycling 1 ton of paper, 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water can be saved.
Tips
- Buy rechargeable batteries and a charger. They are NiMH batteries that come in the same convenient sizes AA, AAA, etc. (Use of one of these batteries can replace 1000 single-use alkaline batteries over its lifetime.)
- Have a small trash bin and utilize a large recycling bin as much as possible.
- Purchase recycled office paper with a minimum of 30% recycled content.
Sustainability Goal #5:
Education & Outreach
Information about the municipal sustainability program will be available to all levels of the community
- Students in grades K-20 and university
- The general public
- As well as internal customers
Sustainability Goal #5:
Education & Outreach Tips
Facts
- If you shop at a locally owned store $68 stays within the community and national chains only $43 stay within the community.
- There are many benefits to converting your lawn into a garden. The rising cost of fuel increases the cost of food that is shipped.
- A vegetable garden uses less water than a lawn. By producing your own organic foods you can significantly reduce your intake of herbicides and save water.
Tips
- Visit www.livingeconomies.org, it ensures that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life as well as long-term economic viability. pesticides.
- Plant a garden and increase your health:
- Cauliflower:
- Protects against Prostate Cancer;
- Combats Breast Cancer;
- Strengthens bones;
- Cauliflower:
Sustainability Goal #6:
Funding
- In addition to reporting on annual GHG inventory, cost savings that directly result from energy and waste conservation will be tracked, and possibly deposited into a Sustainability account to invest in appropriate projects
Sustainability Goal #7:
Parks & Natural Areas
- Achieve a 30% forest canopy density in suitable areas of City Parks by 2020
- Achieve a specific percentage of native and non-native vegetative cover in Natural Areas
Sustainability Goal #8:
Water
- Reduce municipal operations water irrigation use and increase efficiency per acre
- Reduce building water use (normalized to account for weather conditions), by 20% by 2020
Sustainability Goal #8:
Water Tips
Facts
- The production of carpet uses 10 gallons of water per sq. yd.
- Water turbidity (the cloudiness or haziness found in liquids from consumer products and their production contents) harms and sometimes destroys the surrounding aquatic ecosystems.
- Chlorine-free paper production uses 20 to 25 times less water.
- Paper and pulp producers are the largest users of water of all U.S. industry sectors according to EPA. These producers are responsible for 102.3 million metric tons of Co2 per year.
Tips
- Install water-efficient showerheads and faucets. It really helps! 1.8 gallon per minute showerheads can reduce your hot water consumption by as much as 10%.
Sustainability Goal #9:
General Purchasing
- Implement environmentally preferable purchasing practices throughout the City organization
- Establish means to verify departments' compliance with purchasing policy
Sustainability Goal #9:
General Purchasing Tips
Facts
- Conventional printing inks contain volatile solvents known as VOC's or Volatile organic compounds. These compounds are absorbed into the atmosphere, which causes smog and ground-level ozone (a pollutant which collectively now contaminates vegetation).
- The average piece of food on an American plate travels 1,200 miles before it reaches its American Market.
- Each year, the average American throws away about 100 polystyrene foam cups, each expected to last more than 500 year
- Polystyrene is produced from styrene, a known human neurotoxin and animal carcinogen. Factory workers who work with styrene have been documented to have suffered from a variety of neurological and hematological disorders. Not only is there styrene left over from its' manufacturing, but styrene has been shown to leech out from EPS packaging under a variety of circumstances. Most notably when in contact with an acidic solution (such as adding lemon to your tea) or when food containing vitamin A, which breaks down EPS, is microwaved. For the past thirty years, scientists have become increasingly aware of the widespread presence of styrene in our bodies; it has been detected in our fat, in our blood, even in breast milk.
Tips
- Shop at the Farmers Market
- Buy directly from local farms during the fall.
- Choose alternatives to Styrofoam.
- Avoid products with a lot of packaging.
Sustainability Goal #10:
Employee Safety & Health
- Incorporate a City Wise program fostering a culture of health and safety
- Increase the number of employees that participate in the Wellness Program from 45% to 75% by 2020
- Increase the number of employees that earn their first Well Day from 414 to 500
Sustainability Goal #10:
Employee Safety & Health Tips
Facts
- Average indoor VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) levels (caused by many indoor solids and liquids such as cleaning supplies, paint, adhesives, building materials or furnishings) can be up to 15X higher indoors, causing asthma, headaches, fatigue, lower productivity or increased absenteeism.
- Outdoor VOC's cause ground level ozone and smog.
Tips
- Buy low or no VOC paints.
- Check the indoor air quality in your home or office.