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Does Bloomberg Feel the Heat?
January 22nd, 2007

The weather has finally turned seasonal but after the weird weather of December and much of this month “the cultural recognition of global warming has reached a decisive point,” Chris Smith writes in New York magazine.

But that does not mean politicians have acted. George Bush, who has done less than nothing on the issue in years past, may address it in tomorrow’s State of the Union address but, according to Reuters, “probably will not advocate limits on the emission of greenhouse gases… which contribute to global warming.”

In light of the federal inaction, efforts have been moving to the local level, but Smith says, New York City is lagging behind.” He writes, “When environmental advocates list the most climate-conscious cities, they put New York behind London, Chicago, and even Portland, Oregon. L.A. has boosted the use of solar power by giving subsidies to customers who install photovoltaic systems. Portland is requiring that computers use new energy-efficient power packs. However, London has made the biggest splash, cutting vehicle emissions by 20 percent through the use of congestion pricing.”

In contrast, Smith writes, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s record on such matters is “decidedly mixed.” He made a speech on sustainability last month that was “almost completely free of specifics.” He has resisted calls for congestion pricing and watered down Councilmember David Yassky’s proposal for cleaner taxicabs.

Smith wants Bloomberg to do more. “Smoking and trans fats hardly make a legacy,” he writes. “But snow in the winter? That might be something to brag about.”

By Gail Robinson on January 22, 2007, 5:29 pm
In category: Environment, Gotham City, Health, Transportation | 1 Comment »

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One Response to “Does Bloomberg Feel the Heat?”

  1. G. E. Moll Says:
    January 24th, 2007 at 1:44 pm

    What bush is missing is that we have to get away from carbon fuels to help global warming.
    Better gas mileage will be of little significance. How about research and development grants combined with real tax credits for r & d firms to encourage the complete development of alternative fules like hydrogen? I am convinced that the money already spent in Iraq could have resolved this problem and taken all oil issues out of the middle east. At least it would have been a good start.

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