At the recommendation of the Green Team, Barrett established the Office of Sustainability the following year.,”In 2005, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett commissioned a group of 80 members of Milwaukee government, businesses and universities to examine the city and provide recommendations for creating an environmentally sustainable city. He called the group "The Green Team."

At the recommendation of the Green Team, Barrett established the Office of Sustainability the following year. He appointed Anne Beier executive director and she took on the job of promoting sustainable practices in Milwaukee.

"(Creating the office) was not a question of the environment or the economy, but the best of both protecting the environment and creating jobs," Beier said.

Beier said she entered with the goal of implementing a sustainability agenda focusing on management of storm water and runoff, energy efficiency, climate change and usage of public interest and green products to stimulate Milwaukee's economy.

With the founding of the Office of Sustainability, Beier said community members have done a lot to improve the environment and overall health of Milwaukee.

"That doesn't mean we don't have challenges," she said. "But there is certainly a will to address some of these issues."

Green Team member Susan Buchanan said Milwaukee community members are very committed to preserving the environment.

Buchanan is also the executive director of WasteCap Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization dedicated to recycling construction site debris to divert it from landfills.

"Milwaukee is a very green city," Buchanan said. "It's just that the word has to get out about it."

Storm water & runoff

Barrett directed city facilities to reduce storm water runoff by 15 percent by 2012, Beier said.

One way to meet this goal is by installing "green roofs," she said. Green roofs are rooftop gardens planted on a waterproof membrane. Green roofs, like the one atop the downtown Department of City Development building at 809 N. Broadway St., retain runoff from sewer system overloads and prevent it from flowing into lakes and streams, Beier said.

The insulating layer also keeps buildings cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, she said.

Energy

Barrett also directed city facilities to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent by 2012, Beier said.

Milwaukee has audited the city hall complex buildings and investments made in 2006 reduced energy usage by 9 percent and energy costs by $35,000, Beier said.

Such rapid progress initiated the audits of six additional buildings to employ similar energy reductions, she said.

Beier said some buildings are taking on renewable energy systems. The Washington Park Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd., operates a geothermal heating system where heat is exchanged with the ground to heat the air inside the building, she said.

Beier said Milwaukee is moving toward more efficient lighting by installing fluorescent lights in city buildings and using light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, in traffic lights.

Bob Bryson, Milwaukee's chief traffic and street lighting engineer, said replacing incandescent lamps with LEDs creates "tremendous electrical energy savings."

LEDs use considerably less wattage and last longer than old light bulbs, Bryson said.

With walk signals and bulbs of red, yellow and green, each intersection has a minimum of 52 individual lamps, Bryson said. Intersections with turn arrows have even more, he said.

Bryson said he hopes the city will be "re-lamped" before the end of next year.

Air Quality

Beier said the city is trying to meet emissions reductions goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The main sources of harmful emissions are buildings, electricity and transportation, she said. Beier said she is especially concerned with reducing pollution associated with the transportation sector.

To help improve air quality, Beier said Milwaukee converted its city vehicle fleet from regular diesel to biodiesel using a soy-based product in 2006.

A Green Economy

Beier said Milwaukee is moving towards a more sustainable model of a green economy.

"We are working towards businesses and jobs that are truly sustainable and will stay in Milwaukee," she said.

Beier said Milwaukee is looking to find the "biggest bang for our buck" in terms of expenditures to improve energy efficiency, demonstrate technology and lead by example.

"What makes working in Milwaukee really exciting and beneficial is there are such strong partnerships among universities, city government, nonprofits and corporations," she said. "There's lots of interest, technical expertise and goodwill that goes a long way."

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