Environment
In a good example of both thoughtful leadership and why elected officials should use blogs, County Commissioner Mike Nelson recently posted his response to the local Democratic Party's resolution in support of the Rogers Road neighborhood and against siting a waste transfer station on Eubanks.
Here's an excerpt:
While the actual transfer station itself is not a dump, it does attract the stigma of a dump and has the unmistakable stench of environmental racism. The responsible course of action is to seek an alternative solution.
Additionally, it must be acknowledged that the manner in which the search was handled was flawed. By not conducting a thorough and transparent search, the BoCC reinforced the community's fears. This was a mistake; we can, and should, do better here in Orange County.
- Leading from the Left: Waste Transfer Station
This article in today's N&O explains why UNC has continued to dump untold mega-gallons of water on the synthetic "grass" of its field hockey field (adjacent to the law school, where I work) as our drought has deepened and our reservoirs are drying up. (Have you driven by University Lake recently?)
It makes the playing surface safer for the athletes during games and practices, we're told. Unlike natural turf, synthetic turf is harder to get a grip in when dry.
Why, though, would the better solution not be to shift field hockey to natural-turf fields until the drought is over?
Saw this in an article about the Little Red Bike Cafe in North Portland, OR:
Drive-thru windows at fast-food restaurants and banks are a significant source of air pollution, because as determined by the EPA, drivers use more gas when idling than while in motion. A number of cities in the U.S. and Canada are considering drive-thru window bans. Santa Cruz, California, has already banned the creation of new drive-thru windows since 1979.
This been tried or considered in OC?
Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth (NRG) has again decided against officially endorsing any candidates in this cycle. However, we're very interested in helping citizens to understand the positions of the candidates on issues we care about.
NRG presented all candidates with a short questionnaire, and the candidate responses are posted to our website. We invite all interested citizens to browse the answers at NRG's Chapel Hill Elections 2007 page.
The questions we asked were:
On density and growth
1. In its Comprehensive Plan, Chapel Hill is committed both to denser urban development and to protection of existing neighborhoods. Do you see any conflict between these goals, and what do you feel is the best way to achieve them?
On environmental protection
2. Please describe at least three ways you feel the Town could do a better job protecting creeks and other environmentally sensitive habitats.
On cooperation of local governments
3. What suggestions do you have for better ways for the local governments in the Orange County area to work together?
I just drove across University Lake at Jones Ferry Road. I reckon we have all noticed the grass growing on the bare bottom of the Northe nd of the reservoir, but it looked jsut now like the grass was starting to turn brown . . . Anyway, so the OWASA Board of Directors will be meeting this Thursday at 7:30 PM to consider whether to declare a Stage Two water shortage.
Here's hoping OWASA will proceed to stage two. It looks like we have about 5 and a half months of water left if we keep consuming the way we have been.
Stage Two (2) Water Shortage
. . . Upon OWASA's declaration of a Stage Two Water Shortage, the following actions shall be taken with the goal of reducing overall water demand by fifteen (15) percent:
Water use by individually metered residential customer accounts and by individually metered single-family residential irrigation-only accounts shall be limited to no more than an average of 800 gallons per day during any monthly billing cycle beginning after the declaration of a Water Supply Shortage or Water Supply Emergency and ending while such restrictions are still in effect.
Pages
About Us
OrangePolitics is a not-for-profit website for discussing progressive perspectives on politics, planning, and public policy in Orange County, NC. Opinions are those of their authors. Learn more.
Community Guidelines
By using this site, you agree to our community guidelines. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in moderation or eviction.
Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by
WeebPal.
