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Posted on Wed, Jan. 03, 2007
By KAREN DILLON
The Kansas City Star

KC SET to Act Locally by Going Green

Mayor's committee is looking at ways to cut the city's output of greenhouse gases

The chief executive officer of Kansas City Power & Light Co. and a stay-at-home mom.

A renewable energy attorney and the president of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

A public school administrator and a representative of Ford Motor Co.

This eclectic group and about 80 others are helping to come up with a plan that could put Kansas City on the cutting edge of the battle against global warming.

That plan could have far-reaching implications for generations to come on daily activities ranging from something as mundane as turning on the lights to the vehicles people drive, the homes where they live and the places they work.

"This isn't a destination but a journey," said Bill Downey, the CEO of KCP&L.

The journey won't be easy.

Ultimately, this group of people will have to make recommendations on how to reduce greenhouse gases - and how much the reduction will be in Kansas City.

That reduction, many local businessmen fear, could have great financial effect on their companies.

But more than 50 cities around the country have come up with a plan to reduce the pollutants, and 150 more are in various stages of planning.

This fall, Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes appointed a climate change steering committee, of which Downey is a member, and asked Dennis Murphey, the city's chief environmental officer, to oversee it. Murphey, in turn, appointed four work groups:

"The Energy Work Group will focus on how to reduce energy consumption in buildings. Half of the greenhouse gases produced in the United States comes from buildings, Murphey said. In addition, this group will determine how to transition to sources that don't produce greenhouse gases, such as solar and wind energy.

"The Transportation Work Group will focus on how to reduce the consumption of fuel in transportation and how to transition to the use of alternative fuels that generate less greenhouse gases. In addition, this group will determine how to promote alternative forms of transportation, such as mass transit or pedestrian opportunities.

"The Policy & Outreach Work Group will focus on how to do more public outreach and education campaigns to teach individuals how to reduce greenhouse gases. It also will look at different aspects of goals the city wants to achieve, including a more aggressive energy and construction code and building permits that would include incentives for private builders to build green. In addition, this group will look at ways to integrate federal and state policies as well as the need for new ordinances and state laws to achieve the city's goals.

"The Carbon Offsets and Waste Management Work Group will focus on how to capture greenhouse gases and ways to reduce waste in three areas - residential, commercial, and construction and demolition.

At the first meeting of the steering committee, Murphey explained how critical the global warming situation is. Murphey said that the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, have been dramatically higher in the last two centuries than they have been in the last 400,000 years. The amounts of greenhouse gases are reaching a tipping point.

"Left unchecked, the effects of global warming are going to be catastrophic for the 6-plus billion people that live on the earth," Murphey said. "What we have done is significantly disrupted normal carbon cycle in the environment."

Over the last two centuries, humankind has taken huge deposits of coal, oil and natural gas containing carbon dioxide, brought it to the surface and burned it as fuel to drive the economy, Murphey said.

The burning fuels released huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Many of the effects of climate change are seen in more severe storms, such as hurricanes, droughts, dramatic reductions in snowpacks that provide drinking water, and shrinking polar caps that are raising sea levels, scientists say.

Indeed, last week the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it is proposing that the polar bear be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because where it makes its home, the ice caps, is melting.

Even Missouri and Kansas are experiencing changes, including warmer winters and more severe summer storms. Birds that used to migrate south for the winter are now staying here year round because of the milder winters. Plants that used to only grow in the South are surviving the area’s winters.

Researchers also are blaming global warming for the drought in the north that has reduced the levels of water in the Missouri River.

That has resulted in record low river levels here in Kansas City and raised concerns about our drinking water and power plant operations.

While no deep public discussions have taken place about how much to reduce greenhouse gases, the number being bandied about in committee meetings is to roll back levels of pollutants to the year 2000 by the year 2020.

That compares to the city of Portland’s plan for a 10 percent reduction below 1990 emissions by the year 2010. The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement has recommended a 7 percent cut from 1990 levels by 2012.

By April, Murphey hopes to have a Phase I report to the City Council that would show some ways to jumpstart the program.

A final plan that would have to be approved by the City Council would come within a year. But that plan would always be a working document, he said.

"This is never going to be a static document because things are changing because of state and federal laws," Murphey said. "There also is a lot of interest at the federal level that wasn't there (before the elections in November)."

Murphey said the first step was to get a baseline inventory of toxic releases from Kansas City businesses finished in order to give the groups data about the amount of pollution released into the atmosphere each year.

In addition, his staff is gathering plans that other cities have implemented so they don't have to "reinvent the wheel."

John Ware, an architect who is on one of the work groups and on the city's environmental management commission, said the effect of their work will be felt for decades.

"This effort will define our time," he said.

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COMING UP

Here's a look at what's ahead for:

Work Group meetings

Jan. 16 and Feb. 6: Working on recommendations.

March 3: Working on presentations of recommendations.

Steering Committee meetings

Jan. 19: Presentation of baseline inventory of toxic releases and discussion of greenhouse gas reduction goals.

March 15: Work groups will make presentations of recommendations.

March 23: Final work on Phase I report, which is scheduled to be presented to the mayor and city council in early April.

For more information about the meetings, call the city's office of environmental management at (816) 513-3459.

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The teams and the players: A look at who is helping with KC's efforts against global warming

Kansas City Climate Protection Plan Steering Committee



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The teams and the players

Here's a look at who is helping with Kansas City's efforts against global warming.

Kansas City Climate Protection Plan Steering Committee

Chair: Joanne Collins, former Kansas City council member, past chair of Mid-America Regional Council's Air Quality Forum, and former member of Missouri Air Conservation Commission.

Members:

"J.C. Alonzo, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission -Bob Berkebile, Kansas City American Institute of Architects, U.S. Green Building Council -Scott Burnett, 1st District Member of the Jackson County Legislature -Bill Downey, president and chief executive officer of Kansas City Power & Light -Dee Evans, president of Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association -Pete Levi, president of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce -Bob Mann, founding director of Bridging the Gap -Frank Pogge, director of Kansas City Water Services Department -David Warm, executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council -Bridgette Williams, executive director of Heart of America Labor Council, Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO

Kansas City Climate Protection Plan Work Groups

Transportation: Phelps Murdock, chair, and Kate Barsotti, facilitator

Members:

-Sam Swearngin, co-chair of Clean Cities Coalition -Mark Huffer, KCATA General Manager -Brent Hugh, executive director of Missouri Bike Federation -Deb Ridgway, Bridging the Gap, clean commute program coordinator -Tony Reinhart, Ford Motor Co., Regional Director of Government Relations -Greg Lever, Regional Transit Alliance, Executive Director -Ron McLinden, Sierra Club -Mell Henderson, MARC Director of Transportation •James Glavin IV, President, Energy Awareness Group, University of Missouri-Kansas City -Marge Gasnick, MARC RideShare Manager -Stephen Hopkins, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission -Patty Hilderbrand, Kansas City Public Works Department, Program Management and Development -Tom Swenson, TranSystems Corp., principal -John McClernon, Jackson County Public Works Department -Lou Steele, chair of an earlier Kansas City Energy Task Force -Dave Brown, Honeywell -Amy Bhesania, U.S. EPA Region 7

Energy: Bob Jackson, chair, and Lynn Hinkle, facilitator

Members:

-Roger Starnes, Midwest Research Institute, group vice president of strategic and emerging program development -Sue Nathan, Kansas City Power & Light, manager, marketing and product management, energy solutions -Bob Housh, Metropolitan Energy Center, executive director -Vic Edwards, Johnson Controls Inc. -Jenny Bloomfield, J.E. Dunn Construction -James Joerke, MARC, Air Quality Manager -Rick Robson, Hallmark

-Brian Ball, Kansas City Chapter AIA and Gastinger Walker Harden Architects -Ryan Evans, US Green Building Council -Michael Fuhrman, Schutte Lumber Co., vice president -John Ware, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission -Jenny Harriman/Charles Harris, Kansas City's Capital Improvement Management Office -Robert Rives, Kansas City Facilities Management -Susan Brown, proponent of renewable energy -Bruce Palmer, Jackson County, Director of Facilities Management Department -Mark Lawlor, renewable energy attorney -Michelle Eis, U.S. EPA Region 7 Energy Coordinator -Craig Bernstein, U.S. EPA Region 7, ENERGY STAR program manager •Robert Painter, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Discovery Center, energy specialist

Carbon Offsets and Waste Management

-Jamie Frazier, chair, and David Dods, facilitator

Members:

Patti Banks, Patti Banks, Associates, landscape architect -Helene Miller, urban forester, Missouri Department of Conservation, Discovery Center -Suzy Latare, Heartland Tree Alliance, Bridging The Gap -Lisa Danbury, MARC, solid waste management district planner -Rich Enfield, Kansas City Parks and Recreation -Michael Shaw, Kansas City Public Works, solid waste manager -Larry Falkin, Jackson County Parks Department, deputy director -Joan Steurer, MARC air quality planner -Ann Simpson, garden designer -Marty Kraft, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission -Paul Ling, KCP&L, environmental manager -Katie Grotegut, former Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality intern -John Almeida, Turner Construction -Meagan Stach, Batliner Paperstock -Kate Corwin, founder/president of a small manufacturing company and former contractor for nonprofit program -David Flora, U.S. EPA Region 7, Solid Waste Program Manager

Policy and Outreach

-Tom Jacobs, chair, and Janet Baker, facilitator

Members:

-Donovan Mouton, One Economy Corp., program director, Kansas City region -Jim Sheppard, UMKC faculty member -Mark Trosen, Jackson County Public Works Department -Laura Klover, Bridging The Gap, director of programs -Dave Mecklenburg, Kiwanis -John Fish Kurmann -Margaret May, Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association -Carol Adams, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission -Kristi Wyatt, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, vice president -Scott Cahail, Kansas City Water Services -Deb Smith, Kansas City Planning and Development Department, principal urban designer -Tom Neff, Kansas City Planning amd Development Department, HUD project environmental review staff -Kelvin Simmons, former chair of Missouri Public Service Commission, former City Council member -Dustin Jensen, UMKC student, Metropolitan Energy Center staff -Teresa Edens, Hickman Mills School Board, vice president -Terry Wiggins, Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition -Chet McLaughlin, U.S. EPA Region 7, environmental engineer

Note: U.S. EPA Region 7 staff will serve as non-voting members of the work groups, assisting as technical resources to the work groups.

To reach individuals, call the city's office of environmental management at (816) 513-3459.

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Who's Helping

Kansas City Climate Protection Plan Work Groups

Transportation: Phelps Murdock, chair, and Kate Barsotti, facilitator.

Members: Sam Swearngin, co-chair of Clean Cities Coalition; Mark Huffer, KCATA general manager; Brent Hugh, executive director of Missouri Bike Federation; Deb Ridgway, Bridging the Gap, clean commute program coordinator; Tony Reinhart, Ford Motor Co., regional director of government relations; Greg Lever, Regional Transit Alliance, executive director; Ron McLinden, Sierra Club; Mell Henderson, MARC director of transportation; James Glavin IV, president, Energy Awareness Group, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Marge Gasnick, MARC RideShare manager; Stephen Hopkins , Kansas City Environmental Management Commission; Patty Hilderbrand, Kansas City Public Works Department, Program Management and Development; Tom Swenson, TranSystems Corp., principal; John McClernon, Jackson County Public Works Department; Lou Steele, chair of an earlier Kansas City Energy Task Force; Dave Brown, Honeywell, and Amy Bhesania, U.S. EPA Region 7.

Energy: Bob Jackson, chair, and Lynn Hinkle, facilitator.

Members: Roger Starnes, Midwest Research Institute, group vice president of strategic and emerging program development; Sue Nathan, Kansas City Power & Light, manager, marketing and product management, energy solutions; Bob Housh, Metropolitan Energy Center, executive director; Vic Edwards, Johnson Controls Inc.; Jenny Bloomfield, J.E. Dunn Construction; James Joerke, MARC, air quality manager; Rick Robson, Hallmark; Brian Ball, Kansas City Chapter AIA and Gastinger Walker Harden Architects; Ryan Evans, US Green Building Council; Michael Fuhrman, Schutte Lumber Co., vice president; John Ware, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission; Jenny Harriman/Charles Harris, Kansas City's Capital Improvement Management Office; Robert Rives, Kansas City Facilities Management; Susan Brown, proponent of renewable energy; Bruce Palmer, Jackson County, director of facilities management department; Mark Lawlor, renewable energy attorney; Michelle Eis, U.S. EPA Region 7 energy coordinator; Craig Bernstein, U.S.EPA Region 7, ENERGY STAR program manager; and Robert Painter, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Discovery Center, energy specialist.

Carbon Offsets and Waste Management: Jamie Frazier, chair, and David Dods, facilitator.

Members: Patti Banks, Patti Banks, Associates, landscape architect; Helene Miller, urban forester, Missouri Department of Conservation, Discovery Center; Suzy Latare, Heartland Tree Alliance, Bridging The Gap; Lisa Danbury, MARC, solid waste management district planner; Rich Enfield, Kansas City Parks and Recreation; Michael Shaw, Kansas City Public Works, solid waste manager; Larry Falkin, Jackson County Parks Department, deputy director; Joan Steurer, MARC air quality planner; Ann Simpson, garden designer; Marty Kraft, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission; Paul Ling, KCP&L, environmental manager; Katie Grotegut, former Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality intern; John Almeida, Turner Construction; Meagan Stach, Batliner Paperstock; Kate Corwin, founder/president of a small manufacturing company and former contractor for non-profit program and David Flora, U.S.EPA Region 7, Solid Waste Program Manager

Policy and Outreach: Tom Jacobs, chair, and Janet Baker, facilitator.

Members: Donovan Mouton, One Economy Corp., program director, Kansas City region; Jim Sheppard, UMKC faculty member; Mark Trosen, Jackson County Public Works Department; Laura Klover, Bridging The Gap, director of programs; Dave Mecklenburg, Kiwanis; John Fish Kurmann; Margaret May, Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association; Carol Adams, Kansas City Environmental Management Commission; Kristi Wyatt, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, vice president; Scott Cahail, Kansas City Water Services; Deb Smith, Kansas City Planning and Development Department, principal urban designer; Tom Neff, Kansas City Planning amd Development Department, HUD project environmental review staff ; Kelvin Simmons, former chair of Missouri Public Service Commission, former City Council member; Dustin Jensen, UMKC student, Metropolitan Energy Center staff, Teresa Edens, Hickman Mills School Board, vice president; Terry Wiggins, Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition; and Chet McLaughlin, U.S. EPA Region 7, environmental engineer.

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Defining the goals

In December, each work group was given the following question: What are the three most important measures we must implement in Kansas City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020?

The groups were then asked to categorize those measures into three categories: easily obtainable, critical but long term or needs more information.

Some of those recommendations included:

-Conserve energy in buildings

-Enforce Kansas City's green building ordinance

-Promote green building practices in private development through city regulatory and tax incentives

-Offer TIF funding only to projects that embody sustainable building/land use standards

-Foster citywide green infrastructure policies, plans and projects

-Implement wind energy

-Expand energy education and awareness program

-Hold monthly neighborhood meetings to inform residents of things they can do

-Require a home performance disclosure when a home is listed for sale

-Develop incentives for energy conservation

-Provide incentives for utilities to sell less energy and help customers reduce energy use

-Lobby for state policies that transform energy utilities into energy service

-Provide tax incentives for purchase of smaller, fuel-efficient cars or hybrid or alternative vehicles

-Expand car pool clubs

-Make parking more expensive

-Pay people not to drive to work

-Tax incentives for living close to work

-Expand current bus service

-Develop regional public transportation system

-Implement a multimodal transportation system that includes light rail, bus rapid transit, bikes, pedestrian and reduced parking

-Help schools develop biking-to-school and walking-to-school programs

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To reach Karen Dillon, call (816) 234-4430 or send e-mail to kdillon@kcstar.com

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