Question from Anonymous

In managing the use of city building codes, what priority should be given to conservation of water and electricty efficiency?

Ian Ward answered:

Thank you for your question. There are a few simple steps we can take immediately that would both reduce our expense and greatly improve efficiency in city hall. First, I propose a ban on incandescent light bulbs in all city buildings. Congress has approved this action on the federal level so that these lights will be obsolete by 2014. At the same time compact fluorescent bulbs are less expensive and much longer lived so that only makes sense to shift our community now giving us 6 additional years of improved efficiency. Secondly, I propose a ban on water bottles in city buildings. Americans consume 70 million bottles of water per day accounting for nearly 10 million tons of plastic waste each year. At the same time, recycling one bottle conserves enough energy to light a 60W bulb for nearly 6 hours. A number of U.S. cities including Charlottesville, New York, Chicago and San Francisco have enacted such policies within the last 2 years. In addition to the cost it would save tax payers, we would be taking quite a step in conservation of energy and reducing our community’s waste.

www.ianward.org