Statement of John Pitkin, Candidate for Cambridge City Council for

September 23 Environmental Forum:

 

We have a moral responsibility to protect the environment on which the

quality and ultimately the possibility of life depends, for ourselves, for

our children, and for generations to come.  With population growth and

development, the pressures on the environment are increasing.  All of our

city's policies and actions need to be environmentally sound.

 

If I am elected to the City Council, my environmental priorities will be to

ensure that the city efficiently and promptly meets

....1) its legal obligations to improve air and water quality (CSOs), and

....2) its voluntary goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Appropriate control and regulation and development is essential to meeting

these goals.

 

I am a regular pedestrian, frequent rider on public transportation, and a

fair-weather bicyclist.  I am therefore acutely aware of the need to

reverse our population's increasing dependence on the private automobile

for transportation within Cambridge.

 

More parks, less pollution of all kinds -- air, river, noise, and light --

and protection of natural areas are essential to the quality of life in our

city.

 

My most recent environmental efforts have been as first signer and advocate

for the so-called Pitkin petition, in 1997, to rezone much of the city,

which let to greater protection for existing public and private open space

and a successful campaign (2000-2001) to save a specimen tulip tree near

Inman Square.

 

I am pleased to have been endorsed by the Sierra Club, the nation's oldest

and largest grassroots environmental organization.

 

John Pitkin, Candidate for Cambridge City Council 2003

18 Fayette Street

Cambridge, MA 02139

 

campaign phone: 617 864 3030

www.johnpitkin.org

 

John Pitkin short answers

 

1. Yes

2 No

3. Yes

4.

5. Yes+ 50 years

6. Yes, but need fuller job description

7. yes

8. Yes with exceptions for recreation

9. Yes

10. Yes; yes

11. No. Just enforce it

12. Yes, No,

13. Yes

14. Yes, Yes with phase in

15. No, No.

16. No, but would support if enough people would use it

17. NO, but support more general exemption with safeguard

18. No

19. Y

 

return to www.cambridgegreen.org/greenforum

return to Forum in www.cambridgegreen.org