|
Mayor Brush Honored For Environmentally-Friendly Efforts
By Jo Ann La Russo
 | | --Photo Courtesy of the League of Women Voters Ocean County League of Women Voters President, Blanche Krubner, of Jackson, presents Sierra club, 'Cool Cities' Award to Toms River Mayor Paul C. Brush at Tuesday night's council meeting, for signing onto the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. |
|
The Ocean County League of Women Voters this week honored Toms River Township Mayor Paul C. Brush for his participation in the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, an effort which commits municipalities to help lessen the effects of global warming in their communities.
Ocean County League President Blanch R. Krubner, along with Lois Jacobson and Sheila McVeigh, co-chairs of the League's Climate Protection Initiative, presented Brush with Sierra Club's ''Cool Cities: Solving Global Warming One City at a Time'' certificate of appreciation for signing the Climate Stewardship Act in support of the effort.
The presentation took place on Tuesday in town hall prior to the regular council meeting.
"I am honored that the League of Women Voters, a respected organization, would recognize me for my efforts in signing on with this nation wide commitment," said Brush. "As a seashore town ,we have always been very protective of our environment."
Krubner said that signing the Climate Protection Agreement, "represents local autonomy in action."
Krubner called the mayor's action, "a wise, forward-looking step which assures the livability of the community into the future."
Brush said that he has asked the council to fund a study of town hall and eventually all municipal buildings to make them energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The mayor also suggested that the town begin using energy efficient hybrid vehicles as well.
"The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will sponsor a Clean Energy Conference, September 27 and 28, which we will attend," Brush said. "We need to invest in renewable energy solutions, such as solar panels, and we need to change to energy efficient lighting. This is an important project for our town that I want to get underway for the next administration."
The Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement supports New Jersey's Global Warming Response Act, signed by Governor Jon Corzine in July, which mandates a reduction of emissions by 20 percent by 2020, and by 80 percent by 2050.
The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement is a nationwide movement originated and under the leadership of Seattle, Washington Mayor Greg Nickels to enlist U.S. mayors to commit to limiting greenhouse emissions in their communities and help lessen the effects of global warming in our country.
Currently, 74 New Jersey municipalities have signed the agreement, said McVeigh, seven in Ocean County. Toms River joins Brick, Point Pleasant Borough, Berkeley Township, Ocean Gate, Long Beach Township and Pine Beach.
"Toms River, along with six other towns in Ocean County, joins the many communities in our state who have become leaders in stopping the growth of the effects of global warming in their towns, making New Jersey second only to California in environmental leadership and innovation," said McVeigh. "As a county seat, Toms River can take a central role in this effort."
McVeigh said that as chairperson of the League's Climate Protection Initiative, that she will continue to meet with mayors, town councils and environmental commissions of the remaining 26 Ocean County municipalities to unite all our communities toward lessening the impact of global warming.
As part of the Sierra Club's, Cool Cities Campaign, a Cool Cities Workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, September 8 at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library to educate the public on ways to implement programs for reducing greenhouse emissions in their community. The program, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Mancini Hall.
Following the training workshop, Sierra Club will organize members from various community groups to further the goals set by each municipality, said McVeigh.
| 
)