Council Calls For Reduction Of Greenhouse Gases

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments called for reductions in greenhouse emissions across the region in a report released last week.

On Nov. 11, the COG approved its 2008 Climate Change Report, which proposed a 10-percent reduction on forecast regional greenhouse emissions by 2012, a 20-percent reduction by 2020 and an 80-percent reduction by 2050.

Stuart Freudberg, COG’s director of the Department of Environmental Programs, said that while large-scale changes in technology will be necessary to achieve this goal, he believes it is possible.

“[We will need to change] how we generate electricity [and] the kind of vehicles we drive [in order to achieve this goal, but] I think it’s going to be achievable," Freudberg said.

According to the COG’s press release, they anticipate that the Metro region will gain 1.2 million people and 1.6 million jobs by 2030. This growth is expected to result in a total rise in greenhouse gas emissions of 33 percent by 2030 and 43 percent by 2050.

The report calls for local governments, businesses and residents to take sustained, aggressive action to increase energy efficiency and conservation. To accomplish this, it recommends that communities adopt recycling systems, conserve energy and water, and suggests that governments expand public transit systems and create financial incentives to encourage commuters to carpool or use public transportation.

The report also describes technologies for energy conservation, including energy-efficient appliances, more fuel-efficient transportation, and adding new technology to outdated systems in building and residences.

In order to successfully decrease greenhouse emissions, members of the public must take the initiative. Nancy Floreen, at-large member of the Montgomery County Council and COG Chair of the Climate Change Steering Committee, said she hopes the report will inspire locals to think to themselves: “I’m going to drive less, I’m going to turn off the lights.”

Because COG is an independent, nonprofit organization, it can advise governments to adopt its recommendations, but cannot enforce regulations.

“It’s not a regulatory body, so it has no legislative authority.” Floreen said. “It can only encourage people to do things.”

Freudberg said he hopes that Washington’s residents will ultimately see that saving energy will not only create a healthier environment, but will also save them money.

Georgetown has already begun to do its part to create a cleaner, more energy-efficient campus.

“There is a lot that Georgetown is doing related to sustainability issues” said university spokesperson Julie Bataille.

“We are in the process of developing our own campus carbon footprint so that we will have a benchmark to measure progress moving forward,” she said.

Georgetown currently has nine full-time employees who deal with sustainability, including Anne Eisele, director of sustainability initiatives and a manager of solid waste and recycling.

According to the Web site of the office of the Senior Vice President, the solar panel array on top of the Bunn Intercultural Center is also an energy-saver at Georgetown, providing 10 percent of the ICC’s total energy.

Bataille said that Georgetown formed the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee in the spring of 2007 to address environmental and climate issues. According to the Web site of the office of the Senior Vice President, the committee is comprised of senior administrators, faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and advises Spiros Dimolitsas, Georgetown’s senior vice president, in developing a plan to reduce Georgetown’s carbon footprint.