New Albany grows its sustainability initiatives Painting the Fences Green

Being green today is most associated with environmental sustainability, but this wasn’t always the case. Not so long ago, being green had negative connotations.

For example, if someone was green with envy, they were apparently so envious they were making themselves sick. Or if someone was green at a job, they were a novice at best and probably a beginner in performing a particular task. I don’t know why, but I always associated this phrase with green bananas – edible, but not ripe enough to enjoy.

Even from a plant perspective, things have changed. When I was growing up, if one had a green thumb, one could grow anything. Of course, back then, they may also have been using any number of products that were bad for Mother Earth, making them less green than we initially thought.

So times have changed. Are today’s green thumbs being good for the environment while producing beautiful plants and vegetables? As a society, we want manicured lawns, but are we using environmentally conscious products that aren’t harmful to our environment? Are we energy-conscious? Are we wasting water? Do we support locally grown foods? Do we recycle? Is it actually OK to go on vacations on planes or boats or even in gas-consuming vehicles? If you think this last one I mentioned is a little over the top, you haven’t been following some of the ongoing debates in national publications, including my monthly Runner’s World (which I promise I’m recycling).

Collectively, we can all take pride in New Albany’s efforts to implement policies and programs that have led to a more environmentally sustainable community. Thanks to your efforts, SWACO (Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) designated New Albany as a “Smart Community” for resident recycling and yard waste efforts. With a waste diversion rate of better than 30 percent, we are collectively reducing our community waste stream that goes into landfills.

New Albany leaders continue to implement green programs and policies. For starters, New Albany is a master-planned community with more than 500 acres of parkland and green space within our borders. We’ve also partnered with other local governmental entities to create a new metro park in Plain Township and we’ve installed more than 27 miles of leisure trails throughout our town to connect our neighborhoods to gathering places like our Village Center and our 3,000-acre New Albany Business Park.

Through our business park, we’ve shown that green policies and development actually can go hand in hand. Our green building incentive program reduces building permit fees for buildings that integrate environmentally-friendly design and construction. We’ve integrated a greywater system at our Personal Care and Beauty Campus within the business park for irrigation and fire suppression uses. We’ve also made sure that our Village Center Strategy mitigation efforts preserve our Rose Run Stream Corridor and improve the quality of our stormwater run-off.

Aside from these big picture initiatives, city crews:

• routinely monitor street sweeping routes to keep pollutants out of our stormwater;

• re-use old asphalt as berm on roadways;

• continue to convert traffic lights to LED bulbs;

• use bio-diesel fuels in city trucks to reduce air pollution;

• donate used motor oil so it can be recycled into heating oil; and

• plant and maintain street trees – so many that New Albany was recognized in 2011 as a Tree City USA community.

Together, we are making a difference. Thanks to everyone who is helping in their own way to take care of our planet.

Scott McAfee is the New Albany Public Information Officer and a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at editor@ healthynewalbany.org