August
2008 | by Sam Borgese

Portland
, Oregon , obtains half
its power requirements
from renewable sources;
a quarter of the workforce
commutes by bike, carpool
or public transportation,
and it has 35 buildings
certified by the U.S.
Green Building Council.
It was the first U.S.
city to enact a comprehensive
plan to reduce CO 2
emissions.
San
Jose , California ,
has laid out a “green
vision” economic
development and environmental
plan to spur clean-tech
innovation and reduce
the city's carbon footprint
by half in the next
15 years.
Boulder
, Colorado , residents
walk the talk by utilizing
a solid infrastructure
of bicycle paths and
lanes and a transportation
system second to none
in the country and over
300 miles of bike and
walking paths.
Reykjavik
, Iceland , has hydrogen
buses, renewable sources
for electricity and
heat and has a plan
to be fossil-fuel-free
by 2050.
These
cities and hundreds
of other progressive
cities in the United
States and around the
world are rapidly adopting
policies and plans to
create environmentally
sustainable communities.
They understand the
imperative of environmental
sustainability scaled
to the activities within
their communities, and
they understand their
responsibility to create
that sustainable environment
within the constructs
of its natural resources
and its social and economic
demands.
So
where is Del Mar in
this list of cities
with a green vision?
Historically
Del Mar's reputation
in San Diego County
has been a leader on
environmental issues
such as the protection
and acquisition of open
space and in the forefront
of efforts on regional
projects such as the
revitalization of the
San Dieguito Lagoon.
Given this reputation
it is natural for Del
Mar to develop its own
green vision and to
step up once again to
lead and become an example
of how communities,
especially smaller communities,
can participate in areas
of environmental sustainability.
We
may be challenged by
our size to produce
large sources of renewable
energy such as Reykjavik
or creating 300 miles
of bike and walking
trails like Boulder
; however, we can make
a pledge to reach definable
goals that we define
and speak to controlling
our immediate environment.
And by making this pledge,
we will continue to
lead by example.
And
in true Del Mar tradition,
this all starts with
resident input. What
do you think should
be included in a green
vision for Del Mar?
How do we utilize
our creativity and
knowledge to walk
the talk on environmental
issues that, although
local, have a global
impact?
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