The Green Dividend

A dinner arranged by philanthropist Eric Avner and hosted by Mayor Mark Mallory in Cincininnati this week was our first chance to stage a local discussion on the Green Dividend.  Cincinnati unveiled its comprehensive climate strategy almost a year ago, and the mayor and his staff are taking stock of their first year achievements.  But, as the Mayor demonstrated Wednesday night, he is continuing to listen to citizens, especially his Young Professionals Council members, for new ideas.

The YP Council is pushing the Mayor to make Cincinnati far more bike friendly.  Moving from a bike friendly city (like Seattle) to a not so bike friendly city (like Cincinnati) is a real QOL negative.  And if New York City has room on its streets for bike lanes as Mayor Bloomberg has so avidly demonstrated in the past two years, no other U.S. has an excuse for not adding them.

Transit and biking are becoming the new necessities for cities that want to attract 25-34 year-olds.   There seems to be a fundamental shift in attitudes by the next generation toward mobility.

It was good on Earth Day to have at least one discussion focused on the real fundamentals of sustainability -- land use and transportation.  The green household chemicals promoted by USA Today are fine.  Buy them.  Changing your lightbulbs is good thing.  Do it.  Making your house more energy efficient is swell.  Get started.

But if we ignore the climate impact of decisions being made every day at City Hall on land use and transportation, we are simply not serious about making a meaningful dent in carbon emissions.

  

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