07/19/2007

Officials agree to emissions analysis

By Brian Mcgillivary

bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County's Board of Commissioners remains divided on the concept of global warming, but a majority agreed to join Traverse City's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The city commission unanimously agreed Monday and the county board voted 7-2 on Tuesday to spend up to $40,000 to conduct a greenhouse gas emissions analysis and set obtainable emissions reduction targets for both the city and county. The city will contract with SEEDS, a Traverse City nonprofit research and design firm, for the analysis, with the county covering about half the cost.

When the county was asked in March to endorse a U.S. Conference of Mayors climate protection agreement, county commissioners Addison "Sonny” Wheelock, Dick Thomas and Margaret Underwood tied global warming to socialism, suggested sending an e-mail to the sun and pointed out that dinosaurs didn't drive expensive foreign cars.

Thomas and Wheelock, however, on Tuesday voted in favor of doing the study, while Underwood joined Commissioner Larry Fleis in opposing the measure.

"To me this is just a business decision; it has to do with reducing our energy costs,” Wheelock said. "The environmental aspects are a separate discussion and I don't have any comment on global warming — period.”

County Administrator Dennis Aloia said the last energy audit done by the county resulted in significant energy savings and predicted future savings from the more detailed new analysis will "far exceed” its cost.

Thomas said he voted for the analysis to reduce energy consumption. Underwood said she agreed the county needed to analyze its energy consumption, but still isn't sold on global warming.

"I have a hard time with the idea people and the things they do will destroy the earth through the religion of global warming,” she said.

Commissioners Larry Inman and Christine Maxbauer said they believe greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming and want the county to help stop the damage.

"If Grand Traverse County can play a small part in it, I'm all for it,” Inman said.