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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 344-06
October 1, 2006

MAYOR BLOOMBERG DISCUSSES LONG-TERM PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY DURING WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS

The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg's weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, October 1, 2006

"Good Morning. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

"New York is one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally conscious cities in the world. Our heavily used mass transit system, our extensive municipal parks and open spaces, and our trailblazing measures in areas ranging from water conservation to curbside recycling have taken New York a long way toward achieving what's called 'sustainability.' That's a big word that simply means recognizing that our economic growth and development today also has to allow our children and grandchildren to meet their needs in the future.

"But good as our record is, we have to do even more. Within a few decades, our city's population may well climb as high as nine million people. Along with other factors - including the effects of our daily discharge of 'greenhouse gases' into the atmosphere - that's going to put increasing pressures on our environment. So pursuing sustainability even more aggressively makes good sense, economically as well as environmentally. That's why, in recent days, I've taken a number of steps designed to make New York a truly sustainable city in the future.

"This effort will be led by a newly created Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. Its mission is weaving sustainable practices and targets into a comprehensive plan for the city's future-a goal I first outlined in the State of the City in January. It will also work to make City government itself into a 'green' organization. In line with that, we will soon finish a 'greenhouse gas inventory' of more than 50 City agencies - a complete picture of the emissions City government produces from the fuel we consume and electricity we use. But that's just the beginning; we've also begun a greenhouse gas inventory of the entire five boroughs. It's the largest study of its kind ever undertaken by an American state or city - and when it's completed some six months from now, it will show us how much fossil fuel waste is created by everyone who lives, works, or visits here.

"Achieving sustainability is going to take good ideas, hard work, and cooperation among people from the public and private sectors, from organized labor and community and non-profit organizations, and from those with direct experience in meeting our major environmental challenges. That's why I'm pleased that 17 notable New Yorkers have agreed to serve on a new City Sustainability Advisory Board. It had its first meeting on Wednesday. Our work will also be advised - at no cost - by scientists from Columbia University's renowned Earth Institute. And we've named Douglas Foy, who has a long and distinguished record of public service on environmental issues, as our Administration's special advisor on sustainability.

"No one state or city - not even New York - can become fully sustainable by acting alone. There's simply no substitute for national leadership in working toward energy conservation and energy independence. But just as clearly, there's every reason for us to do what we can, here and now, to face one of the most urgent tests of our time. New York has a long and proud history of environmental protection. Now, building on that tradition, we're putting New York on course to become a national leader in making sustainability a reality.

"This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening."







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