ENERGY CONSERVATION

10. In the Southeast over 50% of the electricity generated is produced from coal-burning power plants, a significant source of air and water pollution in our State. The Southeast suffers disproportionately from the impacts of coal-burning power plants because this region uses almost 30% more energy per capita than the entire country. Many mayors have signed on to the US Mayor’s Climate protection Agreement with targets for energy conservation. What is your position on this agreement and what do you think the City can do in support of this agreement to help curb climate change and conserve energy?

I support the agreement. The City just needs to expand the efforts it has made, such as replacing the parking deck lights with LEDs and adding natural gas vehicles to the city fleet. If I am elected, I will vote to increase the City's actions. For example, the new nature parks would be a perfect place to use solar lights where appropriate (ie: without having to cut down trees to get enough sunlight to the photovoltaic cells). There may even be grants available for just such a purpose. We could increase the use of the hybrid shuttles downtown so people will park their cars and leave them instead of driving from Moore Square to Glenwood South. There are dozens of other opportunities and lots of examples from other Cool Cities to choose from.

11. Space conditioning (heating, cooling, and hot water) demands more energy than industry and even more than transportation. The bulk of global energy consumption is from commercial and residential buildings (38%). Would you support changing the code of ordinances to include green building and energy conservation incentives for property owners and new building construction?

Yes. I would also recommend that City-sponsored construction, such as affordable housing and redevelopment of areas near downtown, at least follow energy conservation measures like double-paned windows and Energy-Star appliances.

12. The economic and energy conservation potential of alternative work schedules (flextime, part-time permanent, and compressed workweek) and telecommuting is significant. What measures would you take to encourage business to adopt alternative work schedules?

First, I would find out if any City regulations or rules discourage those options and work to change the rules if they do. We can include a special recognition in the Smart Commute program for businesses that use those options. I don't know of any other ways the City can encourage those options, but am open to suggestions.

WATER

13. The Falls Lake watershed is the main drinking water source for over 350,000 people. However, the lake and many of its tributaries are showing the effects of excessive nutrient pollution, resulting from runoff and from upstream sewage treatment plants. What local measures, if any, would you support to protect the Falls Lake watershed and future water sources?

14. Drought and increased water use due to population growth are outpacing water supplies, even in years of normal rainfall. What options would you propose to conserve water and meet Raleigh’s water supply demands to prevent building a new dam and reservoir on the Little River?

15. Wake County Watershed Management Task Force concluded that sediment is the biggest reason for lake and stream degradation in Wake County. Further evidence of this is the recent designation of the Neuse River as one of the Top Ten Most Endangered Rivers in the Nation according to American Rivers. Do you think existing erosion control programs are effectively protecting water quality? What would you do to regulate land disturbing activities for new development to prevent erosion and sedimentation that pollute our waterways?

I would look for guidance on water quantity protection and improvement from the many experts we have in this area: Jean Spooner, Jeri Gray, Vic D'Amato, Sherry Johnson, to name a few. I am looking forward to learning more about it, but know enough to know I'm not qualified to answer these questions yet. I do know that water is our most limiting resource, but we have not done enough to protect that resource.