Since he was elected in 1983, City Councilor Charles Yancey, of Dorchester, has been working to make Boston more eco-friendly.
Twenty-eight years later, not much has changed. Yancey, who helped establish a waste-disposal and recycling program as chair of the Waste Management Committee in 1988, is now working with other city councilors and members of the Boston community to make Boston the greenest city in the world.
“Boston prides itself on cutting-edge technology and innovation, so becoming a greener city is very consistent with our DNA,” Yancey said in an interview with The Daily Free Press.
To become greener, Yancey said the city needs to encourage residents to reduce, reuse and recycle.
In the past, Boston has implemented a new recycling program, reusable shopping bags, a ban on smoking in public parks and other green initiatives.
More recently, Hubway, Boston’s new public bike program, has built on the execution of Zipcar to promote less carbon emissions, Yancey said, and he expects the program to expand.
“It is such an innovative program that helps get the general public involved,” Yancey said. “We are really encouraging people to rent them and I’m pleased to see the interest the city has already taken in it.”
At schools such as Boston University, similar initiatives have been implemented.
BU professor of science and global ecology Douglas Zook said that School of Education’s Sustainability Resource Center has helped mold BU into a greener college.
Although he believes that small changes need to be made, Zook said Mayor Thomas Menino and the City Council have a positive mindset toward becoming more environmentally efficient.
“As of now, too many things are going into the landfill, so it’s an obvious thing that needs to be taken care of,” Zook said. “But things like the Hub bikes are wonderful for the city and we need more efforts like this in the future.”
“BU campus has revitalized their green image along Commonwealth Avenue by planting more greenery,” Zook said.
As Boston and its college community strive for a green society, he said the two can collaborate as a cohesive unit to work together toward a more environmentally-friendly city.
“Boston is definitely moving in the right direction with solar panels, Hubway bikes and more greenery,” Zook said. “Down the road, I would love to see a University Campus Committee where student representatives from different schools can meet in the city and work together to help each other in their efforts.”
The next endeavor of the city council is to ensure that all buildings are lead-certified to guarantee safety. Yancey said most new buildings are energy-efficient and are trying to greater reduce the energy consumption of Boston.
“I also see City Hall Plaza getting rid of all the bricks and getting more greenery in the long term,” Yancey said. “We are lightyears ahead of where we used to be and we need to maintain the mindset of becoming a greener city.”
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