Karin Dryhurst

A Green Corridor Stops Short of Miami

The Berkeley FIRST model continues to spread. From The Miami Herald:

Going green could extend to consumers' wallets if Cutler Bay Mayor Paul Vrooman's plan passes muster with the governor.

The program Vrooman has championed, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), enables property owners to borrow money to buy solar panels, wind generators, insulation or shutters for their homes with little upfront expense.

The program would establish a municipal ``green corridor,'' consisting of Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami and Coral Gables. The five cities would lend money for a homeowner to install a proven energy-saving device -- say, $30,000 in solar panels or $3,000 for solar plumbing.

Governor Charlie Crist has until June 1 to take action on the bill recently passed by the Florida legislature that would allow municipalities to band together to provide financing for energy improvements—a concept pioneered by Berkeley, California.

I applaud Mayor Vrooman for pushing for the bill’s passage and working to form a coalition with the four other cities that extend along the coast of Miami-Dade County. But the coverage of the bill focuses on these five cities, which appear unrepresentative of the Miami area.

Pinecrest and Coral Gables are each majority white with median family incomes above $100,000. Cutler Bay and South Miami, while more diverse and middle income, are still majority white and have median household incomes above $50,000.

On the other hand, the City of Miami—which sits right above Coral Gables—has a median family income of around $27,000 and Latinos and African Americans comprise close to 90 percent of its population.

The green corridor consists of area 28 through 32. The city of Miami is represented by area 24.

Rather than cheerlead the efforts of wealthy towns to go green, the Miami Herald should be looking at why this "green corridor" doesn’t include the more diverse areas of Miami-Dade or how municipal financing could help reduce energy bills for those who need the help. Or how spurring investment in clean energy could create jobs for those put out of work by the housing crisis.

It’s no wonder that many people perceive environmental concerns as the concerns of the rich when they are portrayed as such.

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Posted at 5:03 PM, May 19, 2010 in
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