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Sustainability Index
An Action Plan
to Achieve Sustainability on Cape Cod,
by Glenn Ritt
Sustainability
Reference Desk
Articles
on Sustainability
Articles
on Sustainability Indicators
The
Cape Cod
Sustainability Scorecard
Massachusetts
Government Sustainability Programs
U.S.
Government Sustainability Programs
To
download the Cape Cod Sustainability Indicators Report 2003, click here.
SustainCapeCod.Org
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Massachusetts
Government Sustainability Programs
Many of the nongovernment programs
based in Massachusetts related to sustainability practices and concerns
are listed elsewhere; see especially Sustainability Reference
Desk, BarnRaisers, and the
Newsstand References
section.
The Massachusetts
State Sustainability
Program:
On July 23, 2002, Executive
Order 438 (pdf) established the Massachusetts State
Sustainability Program. This new Program will work to ensure that state
government remains in compliance with all environmental laws and
regulations, while serving as a model by promoting sustainable practices
that reduce the state's environmental impact and save taxpayer dollars
With tens of thousands of
employees, hundreds of facilities, thousands of buildings and vehicles,
and a multi-billion dollar budget, state government can achieve
significant savings in energy, water, and materials use through greater
efficiency and effective long-range planning. Not only are these
reductions good for the environment, but they can also save thousands of
dollars through lower energy costs, smaller trash fees, and reduced
expenditures on purchases
Executive Order 438 establishes a
Coordinating Council, made up of 16 agencies and offices, to direct,
govern and manage the program. The Council is co-chaired by the Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs and Executive Office for Administration
and Finance. The Order also calls for the establishment of an Advisory
Committee, made up of non-state governmental entities, to provide input
and feedback to the Council.
The Council and all state agencies will
focus on a variety of environmental priorities, ranging from reducing
state emissions of greenhouse gases, increasing waste prevention and
recycling rates at state facilities, and eliminating, wherever possible,
the purchase of products and generation of waste containing mercury.
Agencies will also be asked to focus on other activities, including,
sustainable design and construction, purchase of environmentally
preferable products, energy efficiency and water conservation, and use of
integrated pest management techniques, just to name a few.
The Council will be responsible for
producing a Sustainability Implementation Guide and issuing annual reports
on the Program's progress.
This web
site provides information on the State Sustainability Program, details
on existing sustainability activities at state facilities, resources for
state agencies, links to useful sites, and contact information for a
number of related state programs.---Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs
* * *
Elsewhere
on the state's Web site:
Massachusetts Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs, Low-Impact
Development
Massachusetts Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs State Sustainability Program, Recycling
Home Page
Massachusetts
State Sustainability Design Initiative
Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative, the state’s development agency for renewable energy
page last updated October 05, 2005
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