Back in January, Arlington County Board Chair Paul Ferguson unveiled his Fresh AIRE initiative, pledging to cut carbon emissions from 2006 levels 10% by 2012, raising the County's renewable energy usage from 3% to 5%, planting 1,200 trees, and giving away compact fluorescent light bulbs.Arlington County basked in praise from the local media. Ferguson himself was hailed as a trailblazer on environmental issues, garnering a glowing profile in the Washington Post.
But since then, something has happened that's gotten far less notice.
Fairfax County has blown past Arlington on fighting global warming.
Fairfax has committed to cutting carbon emissions 80% from current levels by 2050. It's also expanded its wind power purchase to 10% of the county government's energy needs.
It leads to a difficult question -- does the pragmatism and moderation of Democrats on Arlington County's County Board and in the General Assembly help or hurt on environmental issues?
Hybrid taxis are not a new idea. In fact, Denver's biggest taxi company may convert its entire fleet to hybrids. Ferguson should be ecstatic, right?
But instead, all he gave was a tepid endorsement:
County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson (D) said he supports the concept but said the board also wants to factor in the other cab companies when making its decision."I think there's a good possibility the board would approve it," Ferguson said. "The only real concern is just fairness to the other cab companies. I think it's a good concept and something that I hope will succeed."
The "other cab companies"? Like Red Top Cab, which is only now trying to add five hybrids to its fleet of 300, bringing its hybrid total to under two percent? That's who Arlington's highest-profile environmentalist is looking out for?
It's a story I've heard time and time again. For all the talk of how environmentally-friendly Arlington is, its elected officials are quick to abandon environmental principles in search of compromise.
One of the leading environmental advocates in Richmond told me of how during last year's Dominion re-regulation battle, one Arlington County General Assembly member was leading the fight against allowing Dominion to build new coal-fired power plants. But as soon as a "compromise" plan emerged, one that included new coal-fired power plants, that member of the Arlington delegation voted for the "compromise" bill.
This month, I spoke at the Arlington County Young Democrats meeting on behalf of Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. I asked a member of County Board candidate Mary Hynes' campaign about her stand on environmental issues. He said, "It's not one of her top issues." I could only shake my head in disbelief. The Green Miles comes to your meeting to talk about environmental issues, and that's the best answer you can give? At least finesse her indifference!
Why does this matter for you if you live elsewhere in Virginia? Because another thing I constantly hear is that because Arlington officials won't lead on pushing the environmental envelope, it makes it harder for legislators in other parts of the state who want to be out front, but don't feel like they have the political cover back home to do it. Arlington politicians have the cover, but most don't (or won't) use it.
Moderation sounds swell and the media eats it up. And it's fine if you're from Prince William County. But Arlington should be represented by the Virginia equivalents of Bernie Sanders and Paul Wellstone -- maverick liberals fighting for what they believe in and compromising only when they have to.
What exactly does that mean on the state level?
* Pushing for Virginia to cut carbon emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050 (as Florida and California have committed to do)
* Setting a renewable portfolio standard (last year's Dominion re-regulation bill only suggests voluntary action)
* Focus on getting people out of their cars or carpooling rather than putting down more pavement
That's not to say Arlington isn't doing anything. They are pointed in the right direction, but to actually get substantial short term efforts may be a different story.
Fairfax is beginning to put the right ideas in place so the next few years will speak volumes about how serious they really are. A goal that's set 43 years in the future isn't tangible. It's a good goal, but let's talk about how much we can fix by 2009. So if Fairfax starts making hard choices with immediate impact (positive for the environment), then we'll know they really mean it.
This is where actions become difficult - because the choices made for action to occur today have direct effects on citizens and business, and therefore politicians. It's a lot harder to make a choice that requires a policy, lifestyle, business, or employment change right now than it is to project 40 years into the future.
I would like to see organizations continue to set lofty long term goals, but only those that set (and meet) short term goals are truly serious about their efforts.
Seems to me that there is a question as to how much Arlington's elected officials are hearing from the residents, their voters, about green issues, energy, such ...
Arlington, for a range of issues, should be staking out a leadership position not just in the region, but in the nation re energy & global warming.
Part of that: the residents strongly support this.
Now, sadly, what you write suggests (shows) that the leadership position will be unfilled.
Just wanted to point out that Arlington was the first county in VA (other than Fairfax) to sign on to the Cool Counties Declaration. In fact, Chairman Ferguson was at the press conference today in Richmond. I'm gonna post some video tomorrow of the press conference and signing ceremony.
Here's Ferguson's statement in support of Cool Counties:
?Arlington County adopted Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) on Jan. 1, committing to reduce County government emissions 10 percent by 2012,? said Paul Ferguson, Arlington County Board Chairman. ?The fight against global warming requires the commitment of every city and county across this nation. Arlington is proud to join the first wave of Counties that have agreed to an emissions reduction plan. The significance of this partnership lies in the fact that each of the localities has agreed to take inventory of their total greenhouse gas emissions and has committed to a plan for reducing emissions. It is important that local governments join together and act ? because the federal government has failed to do so. We thank Fairfax County Chairman Gerry Connelly and King County Executive Ron Sims for their leadership on this issue.?
Statements from other local leaders are here.
James Walkinshaw
Campaign Manager
Connolly for Chairman
Now Paul's leaving the board. And his prospective replacement, Mary Hynes, apparently doesn't care about global warming (it's not mentioned at all -- not one word -- on her campaign literature).
So Paul's legacy will be doing 1/8th of what's necessary to curb the worst effects of global warming. Shouldn't we expect more than that?