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Painting the City Green
Chattanooga sets sights on sustainability
Chattanooga Green Releases Interim Report, Shares Visioning Ideas
Chattanooga Green, a 12-member committee assigned by Mayor Ron Littlefield to research and recommend practices and initiatives to lower Chattanooga’s carbon footprint, released an interim report July 11 that outlines the beginning objectives and potential actions that can be used to help Chattanooga transition into a more sustainable and environmentally conscious city.
The committee was formed as a result of Mr. Littlefield signing the U.S Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement, which asks that participating cities lower their carbon emissions and lessen their individual impact on global climate change.
“We are off to a great start and we have much work left to complete,” says Chattanooga Green Committee Chair Gene Hyde “I want to compliment the work of both committee and staff members for their time and willingness to contribute to this important effort. We are crafting a product that this community will be proud of.”
The recent public visioning provided the Chattanooga Green Committee with invaluable suggestions regarding how to reduce the city’s CO2 emissions and become more sustainable.
Almost 500 people attended the event, randomly sitting at 50 round tables that filled the ballroom. A trained facilitator was at each table and helped guide their group through the visioning process. People took turns around the table answering the question the Chattanooga Green Committee had posed to them: What specific steps should we take to make Chattanooga a more green community?
“It is heartening that so many people answered the call to participate, generating in one visioning session a thousand ideas on the environment,” says said Jim Frierson, Chattanooga Green Committee vice chair. “It is equally encouraging that in every chapter our 12 members have come to a consensus view. Our report anticipates the definitive action steps that will be recommended in December.”
The participants were instructed to think boldly, and they did! Each idea was written on a large sheet of paper by the facilitator. After several rounds, the participants were given five dot stickers and were instructed to place their stickers next to the ideas they liked the best. Some people chose to place all of their stickers next to the same idea, others chose to spread the stickers out among many ideas.
Learn ways you can get involved, download the Chattanooga Green Interim Report and check out the public visioning “Top Three” ideas and view all 1,023 green comments that were received at the event visit the city’s Green Committee Web page at www. chattanooga.gov/chattanoogagreen.
LOCAL BUSINESSES RECEIVE GREEN AWARDS
Mayors Ron Littlefield and Claude Ramsey presented the 5th annual Business and Industry Appreciation Breakfast at the Chattanoogan Hotel. The purpose of the event is to give recognition to business and industry leaders for their contribution to the region. This year three Green Awards were presented to local leaders for their contribution in supporting sustainable business practices and products in Chattanooga.
Winners were chosen in three categories; Green Building, Green Industry and Renewable Energy.
2008 Green Building Award
The 2008 Green Building award went to River Street Architecture for its leadership in Green Building as exemplified in the Two NorthShore development and River Street Architecture’s new office at 714 Cherry St.
Both projects are expected to receive LEED certification. River Street is a full-service architectural firm providing expertise in a variety of areas, including green building.
2008 Green Industry Award
Th e winner of the 2008 Green Industry Award is Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation.
In 2007, Pilgrim’s Pride installed a natural gas fired boiler with Number 2 fuel oil as a backup fuel at its feed mill in Chattanooga. This new boiler employs low NOx burners and gas recirculation. The boiler stack is equipped with an economizer for heat recovery. The new system will result in the avoidance of the annual emissions of 6,800 pounds of nitrous oxide. NOx is one of the main components of smog. The use of the economizer will also result in less fuel use.
This translates into a smaller carbon footprint, less energy consumption and less air pollution.
2008 Renewable Energy Award
The winner of the 2008 Renewable Energy Award is Big Frog Mountain Corporation. Big Frog Mountain has long been a leader in the installation of solar panels, not only in the United States, but also internationally. Big Frog Mountain has installed solar panels in commercial and residential settings that have generated 2.5 million watts of electricity and, in the process, has off set 4 million pounds of greenhouse gas.
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This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Publishing Company, Inc.
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