The Sierra Club was in Omaha on Thursday, March 9 to officially welcome Omaha, Bellevue, and Lincoln into the Cool Cities Initiative.  This program seeks to heighten sensitivity to environmental issues in city halls across the country by encouraging officials to sign climate protection covenants. Mayor Mike Fahey of Omaha recently signed one such agreement on behalf of the City of Omaha, as did Mayors Colleen Seng and Jerry Ryan of Lincoln and Bellevue, respectively.

Lisa Renstrom, Sierra Club president and Omaha native, presided over a brief ceremony on Omaha’s Gene Leahy Mall inaugurating the program.  In her address, Renstrom observed that Nebraska is ranked 5th in the nation for wind power use, 9th in biomass, and 6th for overall use of renewable energy.  “The potential for further gains in this area is great,” Renstrom said.

The Cool Cities Initiative lays out a 5-point program that member cities follow.  The first step, currently underway in Omaha, calls for an inventory of emissions and pollution in city operations and in the community.  Proceeding from the data gathered, city officials formulate an action plan that should include emission reduction targets, building code improvements, zoning modifications, and measures encouraging city employees to conserve energy.  The program also recommends that cities maintain healthy urban forests and promote alternative transportation options such as bicycle trails, public transit, and carpooling.

Omaha by Design director Connie Spellman hailed Omaha’s accession to Cool Cities as a major step toward realizing a more vibrant, distinctive, and connected city. “Many of the actions called for by Cool Cities complement the goals of Omaha by Design, including the preservation of the existing green spaces, promotion of trail linkages, and the greening of the city’s streets,” Spellman said.

Mayor Fahey was also very enthusiastic about Omaha’s participation in Cool Cities.  “The City of Omaha will continue to work hard in promoting environmental consciousness and allocate additional resources to see that this program is a success,” Fahey said.