Council takes first for municipalities

Chapel Hill is no stranger to making national headlines. When the Town Council passed a resolution against the USA PATRIOT Act in 2003, the town was billed as the leader of the movement against that piece of legislation.

Monday, the council again passed a first for municipal government in the U.S.

Town Council members voted to become the first U.S. municipality to join the Community Carbon Reduction Project, which aims to cut carbon emissions through community partnerships. The project is a collaboration with UNC's Carolina Environmental Program.

"We're partnering with (UNC) so the town of Chapel Hill becomes a huge laboratory for CEP," said council member Dorothy Verkerk.

The goal is to cut carbon emissions by 60 percent before 2050, said Douglas Crawford-Brown, CEP director and professor of environmental sciences and engineering.

Students and faculty will analyze the local scope of the problem for the next six months, then create a specific strategy to alleviate it, he said.

The town already has joined forces with Orange County and Carrboro to develop a countywide greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan. The Orange County Board of Commissioners recently voted to pay for a Canadian consultant's help with the process.

In April, the Town Council adopted the Green Fleets policy to lessen fuel consumption and harmful emissions from town vehicles.

There is reason for concern; the Environmental Protection Agency has named Orange County a "nonattainment zone," warning that air pollution may soon impact daily life.

And the town might lose U.S. Department of Transportation funding if things don't improve, Verkerk said.

The Carbon Reduction Project originated at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.

The affiliation with UNC began in summer 2004, when students went to England to assist the city of Cambridge in joining the project.

"One of the most interesting parts is that it's voluntary," said Jennifer Ritchey, a senior environmental sciences major who spent this summer in Cambridge. "It can apply to all organizations, so it can be individuals, families or cities."

Ritchey said the residents of Cambridge liked the program, but many wanted the government and industry to change rather than fix their own habits or pay a tax.

Possible strategies for Chapel Hill include replacing old boilers with newer, more efficient models, and using biodiesel in town vehicles.

The idea of a carbon-thrifty community likely will receive broad support. Students United for a Responsible Global Environment supported the idea at the meeting.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.