Aside from having one of the cleaner electrical plants (but that's not saying a lot) in the state, Austin's public transportation, its green-conscious citizens and one of the more effective municipal recycling programs around, the city is now installing photovoltaic cells (i.e., solar panels) on certain schools and offering cash incentives to green building.
In a rundown of the council meeting Thursday night, the Austin American-Statesman listed the resolutions passed.
The top 2:
The city council "agreed to give a $51,216 rebate to the Long Center for the Performing Arts for installing high-efficiency lighting, chillers and cooling towers."
And it "agreed to use $100,000 in state grants to buy and install solar photovoltaic systems in six Austin schools."
This is wonderful and groovy and should be applauded. However, though it may be a start, is it enough?
How about more money for all the schools? Why not turn every section of available rooftops at the University of Texas into solar collectors? Initial cost aside, in the long run it would reduce dependence on the power plants and cut down on the emissions that accompany the production of electricity the "old-fashioned" way.
Lastly, how about fining developers that don't make their new buildings energy efficient. It's more expensive to do so in some cases, and those that do should be rewarded. But the condos built as cheaply and as quickly as possible should have to pay for not respecting the land around the spot they just dug up.
The Austonian condos going up downtown have doggie toilets for chrissake. How about some solar panels and maybe a couple wind generators?
No comments:
Post a Comment