CARBON NEUTRAL WOODSTOCK NATION?

Will they be trendsetters again?

Zeroing out carbon emission in Woodstock
Michael Hill, April 9, 2007 (AP via Yahoo News)

WHO
Residents of Woodstock, New York, now. Residents of Woodstock Nation, sooner or too late.

WHAT
Woodstock, New York, plans to turn the 6200 president community carbon neutral, reducing its net carbon dioxide emissions to zero with solar installations and geothermal hook-ups. Also: green building, bike paths, tree planting, biodiesel municipal fleets, reduced driving commitments and compact fluorescent light bulb installation.

WHEN
The goal is to be carbon neutral in 10 years. The “non-binding resolution” was passed last month.

WHERE
Woodstock is the upstate New York community famous for artists’ studios, celebrity hideaways and its summer music festival.

WHY
With a growing awareness of climate change, communities across the country are instituting changes. Austin, Texas, has a "Climate Protection Plan" to run city facilities on renewable energy by 2012. Portland, Oregon’s Office of Sustainable Development oversees green building, biofuels use and so on.

QUOTES
- "So why not declare that within 10 years we're going to set a visionary goal?" asked Randolph Horner, a renewable energy project developer who is a driving force behind the initiative.
- " ‘Net’ means residents can keep their cars as long as they produce enough clean power to offset their emissions.”
- Resident Norm Wennet: "Climate change is serious. We can't stick our heads in the ground…"
- Resident Robin Kramer: "What's not to like? How could anybody be against it?…I'm just skeptical that it will work."
- Resident Alan Carey: "I don't know if we can do it…but we're going to try."