December 16, 2013
By Michael Berg, Chapter Organizer
This fall Columbia and University City became the second and third municipalities in Missouri (after Richmond Heights) to adopt up to date residential energy efficiency codes.
The 5-2 vote on Sept. 16 by the Columbia City Council requires new homes to be built to the standard of the 2012 International Residential Code on Energy Efficiency. According to the
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, this should save Columbia residents $233,000 per a year in decreased energy costs. This is energy never used, coal never burned, and pollutants that never enter our air and water.
The Sierra Club was heavily involved in bringing this code change to reality. Club members talked and wrote to council members in support of the change. Over a dozen Sierra Club members came to the city council meeting, several speaking passionately about the issue to the council, including Jan Dye, Carolyn Amparan, Terry Ganey and Linda Green. The Sierra Club Osage Group endorsed and worked hard to elect Karl Skala and Ian Thomas to the city council last April. Both Skala and Thomas voted for the up to date energy codes.
In University City, on October 28, the Council voted unanimously to adopt the new code, after a year and a half Sierra Club effort. Over 35 Sierra Club members came to the Oct. 14 and Oct. 28 council meetings to show their support. Caroline Pufalt, Michael Berg, Rory Ellinger, Brian Ettling, Meg Puterbaugh, Neville Rapp, Maddy Salzman and Caroline Burney all spoke
in favor of the bill.