Mayor's Message

Mayor Pamela M. Brightbill
Middletown Green Initiative Gaining Momentum
Summer/Fall 2009

Middletown Green Initiative Gaining Momentum
The Middletown Green Initiative began in 2007 with a list of energy and environmentally-friendly proposals designed to save money, preserve the environment and decrease foreign oil dependency. Since then efforts to become a greener community have gained serious momentum. Here are some highlights of what Middletown is doing to live greener.

Buy Middletown is a new awareness campaign that encourages residents to shop local. The environmental benefits of shopping locally include less gasoline consumption, traffic congestion and auto emissions. Visit www.middletownnj.org/buy for a local business directory.

The Biofuel Pilot Program seeks to reduce costs and fossil fuel consumption. Used vegetable oil donated by local businesses is mixed with diesel fuel. The mixture fuels two trucks used to move leaves and brush in the Public Works yard. The innovative program, one of the first of its kind in the state, has reduced petroleum usage in test equipment by 50 percent and is projected to save $5,500 per vehicle annually. The township hopes to expand the program to include more equipment in the future.

Energy Efficient Light Bulbs are replacing their standard counterparts in township buildings as they burn out. We’re replacing standard fluorescent lighting with higher efficiency models and incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. It’s a seemingly small step with mounting rewards. The familiar fluorescent lights seen in office buildings have always been a less expensive lighting option, but the newest models offer more light and energy savings of up to 50 percent compared to their predecessor. The compact versions save as much as $30 per bulb over their lifetime, pay for themselves in about 6 months, use 75 percent less energy, last about 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and save 2,000 times their own weight in greenhouse gases. In addition, Energy Star equipment and appliances are purchased to replace older equipment as needed.

Dock and Roll is a free shuttle service with scheduled connections between trains, ferries, buses and local schools, shopping and employment centers. Every person who uses the shuttle instead of their personal vehicle helps reduce traffic congestion and auto emissions. Visit www.dockandrollshuttle.com for details.

More conservation programs and activities are on the drawing board thanks to a $610,000 Energy Efficient and Conservation Block Grant funded by the federal American Recovery and Investment Act. The township is considering energy audits, incentives for energy efficiency improvements, and transportation programs that promote energy conservation.

The township is also seeking certification from Sustainable New Jersey, a program for municipalities that want to go green, control costs, and take long term steps to sustain their quality of life. Among the program’s benefits are access to grants and new funding opportunities to help municipalities make progress toward creating a sustainable community.

Middletown, a designated Sierra Club Cool City, periodically hosts events to promote awareness about environmental topics such as climate control. This year the township will work with the local Sierra Club to promote 350’s Global Day of Climate Action. Visit www.350.org/oct24 for details.

Each of us can contribute to making Middletown greener. It only takes a few small things to make a difference. Refill your water bottle instead of buying a new one. Unplug the phone charger. Turn off unnecessary lights. What are you doing to cut costs and live greener? Contact me at "Office of the Mayor" via our website Contact form. We’ll publish some of your tips in an upcoming issue.

This article appeared in the Summer/Fall 2009 edition of Middletown Matters, the township newsletter