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The momentum behind sustainablility in Santa Fe has been incredible. Last year the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission was given a new, more focused direction to reduce the City’s contribution of greenhouse gas emissions and to prepare our community to be resilient in the face of climate changes that are inevitable at this point. The recently adopted Sustainable Santa Fe Plan takes a comprehensive approach to both goals. The City has allocated several staff positions to coordinate the activities needed to implement that Plan, and has already conducted audits of eleven City buildings. We plan to implement the recommendations, as funding is available. Perhaps one of the most ambitious programs the City has embarked upon to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions has been to develop a draft Green Building Code for residential structures. As of January 2008, all newly permitted single-family residences have had to submit a confirmed Home Energy Rating index score. The objective is to inform builders and architects of what the energy demands of their designs and building techniques are. Because of this, when they have to meet a specific target under the new Green Residential Building Code, they will have some familiarity with how to get to that target.
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The Green Building Code addresses more than the energy used to operate a building; it also looks at how sites are selected to take advantage of existing infrastructure and transit, how sites are designed to take advantage of rainfall to minimize irrigation requirements, the embodied energy in building materials, the quality of the indoor environment, conservation of water both inside and outside the building, and homeowner education to ensure that the sustainable design features are understood by the occupant. It is modeled after the National Association of Home Builders’ program, but has been modified to address local building traditions, climate, and environmental concerns. While buildings are the biggest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions for Santa Fe, transportation-related emissions are not far behind. These emissions result from internal combustion engines used to transport both people and goods in, out, and around Santa Fe and the region. Buying locally grown and made products is one way to reduce that transportation. Using public transit and other alternatives to cars is another. |
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