Associated Press -- Mayor Richard M. Daley announced a plan Thursday to dramatically slash emissions of heat-trapping gases -- to three-fourths of 1990 levels by 2020 and to one-fifth of 1990 levels by 2050 -- as part of an effort to become one of the greenest cities in the nation.
The plan calls for making buildings more energy efficient, finding clean and renewable energy sources, improving transportation and reducing industrial pollution. Daley was one of 800 mayors who agreed to cut emissions in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol in late 2006.
"When I became mayor, 'climate change' wasn't on the radar for most
cities, states and nations around the world -- or even for most
people," Daley said in a written introduction to the plan. "But I
believed then and believe even more deeply today that when you do such
things as planting trees and creating open space, when you invest
resources to remove pollution from the air and encourage the
construction of buildings that are smart for the environment, then you
enhance quality of life for all the residents of the city." Read More.