October 4, 2007 Contact: Sue Baker
For Immediate Release 738-2000
Avedisian, students, DEM discuss ways to combat global warming
Avedisian also invites residents to join the Change a Light national campaign
WARWICK – This afternoon, Mayor Scott Avedisian and Terri Bisson, programming services officer with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, joined fifth- through eighth-graders who are members of the Oakland Beach Boys & Girls Club for a discussion about global warming and what residents can do to help combat this environmental concern.
Each student received an Energy Efficiency activity and experiment book, an “Energy and Your Environment” discovery guide, and an “Energy Efficiency World: What Powers You?” workbook, all courtesy of National Grid.
The event was part of today’s National Conversation on Climate Action, which is designed to highlight and catalyze local efforts to address global warming, build local awareness and facilitate community engagement. The National Conversation is sponsored by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and the Association of Science-Technology Centers.
“This discussion is a natural extension of several things we, as a city, are doing to reduce pollutants and preserve and restore the environment,” Avedisian said. “Our students have continually demonstrated a willingness to protect our natural resources through recycling, shoreline cleanups and other measures, so it made perfect sense to have this conversation with students who live in such close proximity to our shoreline.”
Earlier this year, the city signed on to the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, pledging to reduce carbon dioxide pollutants to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012. In April, the city was awarded a “Cool Cities” designation for the environmentally-friendly programs and policies it has implemented during Avedisian’s tenure as Mayor. These include a no-idling policy, installation of LED lights in municipal buildings, expansion of the annual tree planting program, legislation pending before the City Council, and, most recently, installation of LED lights in traffic signals.
According to its organizers, “The National Conversation is designed to highlight and catalyze local efforts to address global warming, build local awareness and facilitate community engagement. The event comes at a time when federal leadership is stalled and local governments are increasingly adopting tangible solutions to curb greenhouse gas emissions, putting them in a unique position to significantly reduce global warming pollution. Local government leaders have been spearheading the effort to implement innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving energy and money and fostering healthier, more livable communities.”
Michelle Wyman, executive director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, said, “The importance of local governments and community action as we strive to address global warming cannot be overstated.”
In a related action, this week Avedisian joined on to the Energy Star Change a Light Campaign, which is a national challenge to encourage citizens to help the environment one energy-saving step at a time. This year’s goal is to get 100 residents to pledge to replace at least one light in their homes with one that has earned the Energy Star rating. Residents may sign on to the challenge via the city’s website, www.warwickri.gov, and clicking on the link.
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