These days, it can be easy to let the environment slip downward on our list of priorities.  After all, when people are out of work, struggling to make mortgage payments or to buy groceries, awareness and appreciation of Connecticut's natural resources simply might not rank.  It's understandable, but it's also unfortunate and even a little ironic.  On this Earth Day, I want to remind Connecticut residents that focusing on our environment in the years ahead isn't just the right thing to do, it's also a very smart economic strategy.

During my time as Mayor of Stamford, we made environmental improvement a fundamental goal of the way we did business. We established an energy engineer position in Stamford - one of the few cities across the country with an engineer solely responsible for improving energy efficiency.  Our Engineering Bureau worked to implement energy conservation measures throughout Stamford's public school system, saving taxpayers' dollars.  During my 14 years as Mayor, we reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 180,000,000 pounds and triggered more than $2 million in incentives and grants.  We also undammed a river that had been dammed for more than 30 years, invigorating a once run-down section of Stamford’s downtown.  Because of these actions, Stamford has been able to protect the environment, become more livable, and reduce costs… all at the same time.

These are just a few examples of how being smart environmentally can equate to real savings and real progress.  On the statewide level we can do all this and more.  We can grow jobs by supporting innovative start-up business in the areas of technology and research.  Connecticut can be a success story in the Green Economy by continuing to support home-grown alternative energy and new technologies that help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.  We can direct resources toward technologies where Connecticut has a competitive advantage and greater potential for growing and keeping high-skilled jobs.

All of this is possible.  All we've been lacking is leadership with the courage and conviction to build consensus around these ideas, and make them a reality.