Mary Clare Higgins - Mayor of City of Northampton

Name: In Office: Address: Telephone: Website:

Mary Clare Higgins 2000 - Present 210 Main Street Northampton, MA 413-587-1249 www.northamptonma.gov

Making change is not always hard; is not always painful; it is often rewarding, and increasingly imperative.  Since I first became Mayor in 2000, Northampton has been a Cities for Climate Change participant and member of ICLEI.  We have converted many of our DPW vehicles to biodiesel and we continue to explore expanding the numbers of city vehicles we can run on biodiesel. We have expanded bike paths and bike lanes and increased the number of bike racks downtown, and our Transportation & Parking Commission has launched an anti-idling campaign.  Last year, this community came together and through small private donations and public funds we purchased and preserved an unprecedented 150+ acres of conservation land.  I am also very proud of the fact that Northampton has consistently achieved the top score among communities in Massachusetts in measures of sustainable development and smart growth through the Governor’s Commonwealth Capital program.

Snapshot of Climate Achievements

• 2007: City hires Pedal People to haul trash from downtown district. Pedal People work exclusively on bicycles to haul trash and recycling to the landfill.
• 2007: Construction completed on a new Senior Citizens Center, built to
  exacting green building standards.
• 2007: Hired city wide Energy Officer to coordinate and provide leadership on energy efficiency.
• 2006-2007: City wide development of Sustainable Northampton Development plan,  the first comprehensive plan in 30 years, with a strong focus on sustainability.
• 2006: Installed Solar Panels on the roof of the Middle School, funded with Clean Energy Choice funds.
• 2005: Entered into a contract to trap methane gas at our landfill to produce energy.

A Cool Quote

"When we educate ourselves about global climate change and the lifestyle changes we can make, we contribute to the solution.  Seeing our cities as communities in an interconnected global village gives us the chance to see the world in a new way.  This is essential to change.  Rachel Carson wrote, “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?'”  Using this lens, we can see not only what is there, but what could be, if we are brave enough to make changes where we can."