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Blacksburg, VA
Mayor: Ron Rordam
Date of Adoption:
2006-11-27
Primary Contact:
L. David Roper
Why My City is Cool
An organization called Sustainable Blacksburg, a partnership of over thirty organizations in Blacksburg, was started in 2006. In August 2006 and in October 2007 it held week-long conferences on what Blacksburg has been doing to create a sustainable community. It was formed after Blacksburg received an EPA grant to address toxic chemical risk reduction strategies that include electronic recycling in partnership with the YMCA at Virginia Tech. The Town of Blacksburg has been doing other things to reduce Global-Warming gas emissions, such as replacing the traffic lights with LEDs and doing an energy audit of Town buildings and making needed changes to reduce energy use in them.
On 28 November 2006 the Blacksburg Town Council voted to join Cool Cities by having Mayor Ron Rordam sign the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, which he did a few days later. Mayor Ron Rordam then formed a Mayor's Task Force on Climate Change and Sustainability.
In April 2008 Prof. John Randolph and his Virginia Tech students presented a comprehensive greenhouse-gases inventory for Blacksburg and Virginia Tech to the Mayor's Task Force on Climate Change and Sustainability, which became the basis for future efforts by the Town of Blacksburg to increase sustainability.
Many actions have been initiated by the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. Public Works recently bought 5 hybrid Ford Escape vehicles. Most Town and many Virginia Tech diesel vehicles run on B20 (20% biodiesel). Most traffic lights are LEDs. The Town is considering installing some LED street lights and establishing a vermicomposting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicomposting) facility. The Town collects leaves from residential neighborhoods and makes them available to gardeners after partially composting them. Efforts are underway to increase recycling at the many apartment buildings and for businesses in Blacksburg. An old motor-company building beside the Town Hall has been purchased and will be remodeled as the first LEED-certified building in Blacksburg. Blacksburg has many walking/biking paths and has a comprehensive plan for many more.
The YMCA at Virginia Tech is working on plans for a public gardens facility, including a solar greenhouse (http://www.roperld.com/science/ymcasolargreenhouse.htm) for growing food in the winter time. The solar greenhouse is scheduled for planting food for the winter of 2008/9.
For updated list of Blacksburg CC activities, see: http://www.blacksburg.gov/Index.aspx?page=394
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Milestones Completed (about)
Milestone 1: Establish Campaign COMPLETE
- Convene a Cool Cities campaign team of 3-7 activist volunteers
- Write a city profile on the Cool Cities website
Milestone 2: Engage The Community COMPLETE
- Create a Campaign Plan
- Generate at least 50 citizen letters, Op-Ed and three letters-to-the editor
- Give a Cool Cities presentation to at least three local community groups
- Send a formal letter to Mayor, co-signed by 2+ partner community groups requesting the mayor to sign
Milestone 3: City Signs Agreement COMPLETE
- Meet with mayor along with 1 to 3 community groups to discuss becoming a Cool City
- Municipality makes formal commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (US: Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement or Cool Counties Agreement. Canada: Canadian Partners for Climate Protection)
Milestone 4: Initial Solution Steps COMPLETE
- City establishes committee to create local climate action plan
- Hold a media event applauding your mayor's commitment
- City initiates early implementation actions (e.g. energy efficient light bulbs at city offices)
- City performs an audit of city operations
- City establishes action plan for city operations
Milestone 5: Advanced Smart Energy Solutions IN PROGRESS
- City performs community-wide "global warming audit"
- City adopts energy efficiency policies (e.g. energy efficient street lights, green building standards)
- City adopts green vehicles policy (e.g. purchases hybrid vehicles for city fleet)
- City adopts other global warming reduction policies (e.g. no-idling, Energy Star appliance purchasing)
- City adopts renewable energy policies (e.g. buys "green" power, installs solar panels or wind turbines)
- City adopts transit and land-use improvements
- City supports state action to reduce greenhouse gasses (e.g. net metering)
- Mayor champions action on global warming at state and national levels
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