Kaine orders new green initiatives
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine yesterday issued an executive order implementing a broad range of eco-friendly, energy-efficiency measures in Virginia government designed to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint of state operations.
Executive Order 82 requires that state-owned or leased buildings meet "green" certification standards and mandates increases in the use of recycled office supplies and renewable fuels. It also calls for cutbacks in the costs to heat, cool, light and irrigate state-owned facilities.
"Because the commonwealth's business operation is so large, any action we take to reduce our environmental impact will have a significant effect," Kaine said in a statement issued during a news conference at the Capitol in Richmond.
"I am hopeful that by reducing the environmental impact of government operations, the commonwealth can inspire private businesses and individuals to adopt similar measures."
To that end, Kaine also declared Aug. 3 to be "Statewide Telework Day" -- encouraging the heads of state agencies as well as private employers to allow as many workers as possible to work from home in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and fuel emissions. The state government employs about 100,000 people.
Kaine also said the state no longer will purchase individually packaged bottled water except for emergency or health-related use.
Yesterday's order expands on a previous efficiency declaration Kaine made in April 2007 -- Executive Order 48 -- and is perhaps one of the most ambitious executive actions to date in the governor's effort to make the state more green under the "Renew Virginia" initiative.
Kaine and others have maintained that Virginia's economic future will hinge, in part, on the development of technology promoting energy efficiency and the development of renewable, alternative sources of power. The state has set a goal to reduce consumption 19 percent by 2025.
Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or
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for Ok lets furlough all the state employees 2 days/month. In order save the most funds it will have all offices closed at the same time. Now who will start hollering becasue they have been inconvinced by these closures. Who will forget the offices are closed and complain about how they went to DMV or Social Services or need a crimminal record checked but the offices were closed. Ok now what.
Excellent, dkb123 ... BTW, if you’re still on the payroll with >2500 gone, continued best wishes to you, sir.
Frank - The beauty of working for a fiscally responsible private sector employer is that we’ve already taken measures to avoid a headline detailing the excessive environmental and economic impact of a bloated structure. Six years ago, my company implemented an environmental management system targeting all the points the Governor is just now getting around to. In the past year and as part of a streamlining initiative, the company has closed three facilities and eliminated >2500 positions. But to answer your question directly, yes, I’d accept the furlough if it meant saving my job and keeping the company from tanking.
Jim,
Is there someplace we can go to learn more. This report is a little sketchy.
I am a State employee and would fully support a two day a month mandatory furlough. I have been trying for years to get our agency to abolish unproductive positions with no success.
So ... are you willing to accept a similar furlough from your employment, dkb123? Or is it a good idea only when it applies to others?
Consider this bold initiative for Executive Order 83: Involuntary furloughs of all state employees and closure of all state buildings for 2 days/month. Immediate cost savings based on salaries alone would exceed $400M. Cost savings in the name of “going green” would push this figure well beyond $500M. Efficiency impact based on increased days off would likely go unnoticed. Put the savings back in the taxpayers pockets. That’s an ambitious plan we can support.
‘because the commonwealth’s business operations are so large…‘ You mean the commonwealthy’s GOVERNMENT operations, Gov. Kaine? Are you implying that the sheer size of the state government is having a deleterious effect on the climate? I agree wholeheartedly. Let’s cool things off by getting rid of all the overheated state spending. I think between that and my oft-repeated call for a gas emissions (hot air for the laymen - and women) tax on all government rhetoric we should get a handle on the global political climate crisis.
Notice how he, like Obama, just declares that someone will do something without regard to cost. When did he get the power to change the way agencies do business. Previously didn’t this require GA approval. socialism in its newest form. Our government are totally out of controll when one person can have so much authority with no checks or balances.
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