Archived News Release from 2007

For Immediate Release

Redwood City Mayor Signs U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

Redwood City, CA - April 30, 2007 - Last week the City Council of Redwood City unanimously authorized Mayor Barbara Pierce to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. This action adds Redwood City to nearly 500 other cities nationwide, representing more than 50 million Americans, whose mayors have signed this historic Agreement, and commits Redwood City to taking deliberate action to combat global warming.

Redwood City has already been taking a number of specific actions over the last few years to reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas “footprint” of the City’s own operation, including retrofitting traffic lights, converting incandescent light fixtures, replacing machinery with more energy-efficient equipment, introducing substantial water conservation programs and a recycled water project, supporting widespread tree-plantings, replacing fleet vehicles with hybrid models, incorporating a “green” philosophy in its Planning function, and more.

With this Agreement, Redwood City will next investigate various levels of activity aimed not only at further reducing its own carbon emissions, but also at helping the community at-large to do their part at the household and neighborhood level. The Sierra Club Cool Cities Campaign is assisting the City in these efforts.

“Our goal is simply to bring to the City and our community viable options for every-day energy solutions that will help to curb global warming, protect our environment, save taxpayer dollars, and create a healthier community,” said Mayor Barbara Pierce. “It has to happen at the local level, and Redwood City is proud to be part of the solution.”

City staff will be presenting options for various levels of climate protection activity to the City Council as part of its budget deliberations in the coming months. These activity levels may range from, at a minimum, the City continuing to do all it can to reduce the carbon footprint of its own operations, to a more widespread community information effort.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business. Take a look at the variety of City webcams at redwoodcity.org/webcam, and subscribe to Redwood City’s email newsletter or other documents by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/egov.

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Contact:
Malcolm Smith
Public Communications Manager
(650) 780-7305