Salem to Conduct Important Citywide Energy Audit
Press Release for December 9, 2002

On December 9, at 11:30 am, Salem State College's Dr. John Hayes and intern Ben Walsh, together with members of Salem Alliance for the Environment (SAFE), will be meeting with Mayor Stanley Usovicz to officially launch the Cities for Climate Protection Project (CCP). Beginning January 2003, Walsh, a Salem resident and a senior in the Salem State Geography Department will, at no cost to the city, conduct an audit of greenhouse gas emissions for the city as the first step of the CCP project.

Working under Administrative Aide to the Mayor Tom Philbin, Walsh will be supervised by Geography Professor John Hayes, a global climate expert. Dr. Hayes expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting that "climate change could be having an impact on our environment, leading to the melting and retreat of glaciers, more severe storms that result in extensive flooding, and increased beach erosion along coastal areas from rising sea levels." Hayes went on to say, "I'm excited to see Salem take the lead in addressing such an important environmental issue."

On November 9, Walsh, Hayes, and other SAFE members attended a Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) conference at Tufts University. "At the all day MCAN workshop," said Walsh, " I met other interns and city employees who had done these audits and were working on plans to reduce emissions in their cities. Many, like Kim Lundgren, Medford's environmental agent, offered helpful advice on how to collect data and to develop Salem's plan for reducing emissions."

Through Lundgren's work, Medford has already undertaken various efforts to reduce greenhouse gases such as installing solar panels on their stadium, converting their traffic signals to highly efficient LEDs, and initiating various lighting, heating and cooling retrofits in their municipal buildings. She contends, "These are "win-win" solutions because they improve the environment and save the city money."

The audit can help Salem attract outside funding through rebates and grants projects that improve energy efficiency. "With baseline data and coordinated planning more readily available than in other communities, Salem will be in a good position to get a bigger piece of the 'green' pie," says SAFE's CCP Coordinator Karen Kahn.

On September 12, the City Council unanimously passed the Mayor's resolution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. The audit is an outgrowth of that resolution. Like the 17 other CCP communities in Massachusetts and 500+ cities around the world, Salem will determine a baseline of emissions by compiling and analyzing gas and electric bills from municipal buildings and estimating fuel used for transportation, within specific time periods. With that information, the city will set targets for emission reductions and create a plan to improve energy efficiency in city operations.

In support of the resolution, SAFE has already been working with the city to improve conservation and energy efficiency. Together with Rich Bencal, the city's recycling director, its "Salem Recycles Campaign" in September encouraged 70 small businesses to begin or increase curbside recycling of paper, plastic, glass, and metal. Salem realtor Donna Caramello, who organized the campaign, says, "Not only does recycling reduce greenhouse gas emissions released from trash incinerators, it reduces harmful air pollutants and reduces the cost of trash removal for the city."

SAFE members also helped to bring $500,000 to the city for "greening" of the Carleton School. The Carleton School will be the first city school using renewable energy resources such as solar and wind power. It also incorporates environmentally friendly features such as special glazing for windows to keep the building warmer in winter. SAFE is continuing to work with the school building committee to incorporate similar features into the design of the high school and the new Horace Mann School.