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What does it mean for Guilford County to go green?

That's a topic that will be discussed a lot during the next three months, as the county has before it a draft plan of how it can best incorporate conservation and other environmental practices into county government and the larger community.

At a work session last week, the county commissioners voted to put the plan, drawn up by county staff with input from various sectors of the community, up for public review and comment for 90 days. The county hopes to have the plan, as well as a place for you to comment on it, on its Web site -- www.co.guilford.nc.us -- by today. (If not there now, it should be soon.)

Origin of the plan

Green Guilford grew out of the Green Government Initiative of the National Association of Counties. That initiative's goal is to "assist counties with efforts to protect and improve the environment, especially through emissions reductions, while saving tax money and improving services."

We're glad they included the last two points. Any successful green program in Guilford County must be tied to efficient use of public money.

(The county staff seems to agree. The Guilford plan's executive summary clearly spells out that cost-containment is a priority.)

Another good sign about the national initiative is its diverse group of sponsors. They include the U.S. Green Building Council, The Real Estate Advocacy Group for States, the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, Office Depot, Waste Management and Walmart. In other words, there's no room for saying that this is a project conceived by environmental radicals.

Guilford plan

Robert Bencini, the staff person who spearheaded the Guilford plan, stresses that its overall purpose is to provide a framework for county policy. He also is quick to point out that the report obviously would not supersede the commissioners' authority. They would still hold the county's purse strings.

Guilford's draft plan is divided into two parts. The first takes a look at 10 areas within or affected by county government, including vehicle management, purchasing and county operations, mobility, open space protection and soil and water conservation. Each area has objectives and strategies. Much of this section pulls together work the county already has done.

But the report still has plenty that will stir debate. Here are a few items that will likely draw comment:

* One hundred acres of land should be protected for every 1,000 residents of Guilford County.

* Downtown Greensboro should have a trolley service.

* County government should go to a four-day, 10-hour workweek.

* The county should have a bike-lending program.

* Green building practices should be incorporated into new school construction. (The debate on this item is sure to have many facets: what practices and how many, at what cost and with what projected cost savings?)

The plan's second part looks at how to promote green issues in the larger community. A key recommendation is the establishment of a sustainability advisory board. The plan envisions the board promoting many conservation-education efforts in the community, such as wrapping hot-water tanks, using low-flow shower heads and washing clothes in cold water. (Let's hope there's promotion of clotheslines and water-conserving yard coverings. Maybe some neighborhood associations would stop opposing them.)

The county also hopes to develop a Web site on green issues and to promote recycling at local colleges' athletic events and at other public events.

What's ahead

What happens with the draft plan will depend in large part on the public's response. While it's a given that groups such as TREBIC and the local chapter of the Sierra Club will comment, it would be good if individuals living in the county read and reflected on it. The individual taxpayer's view is one that must be heard.

Overall, the idea of having such a plan is a good one. Rising energy costs are going to make the next decade challenging. Already most of us realize we all will need to do more with less. But the expense also will cause us to have to rethink things beyond conservation and pollution measures. In one area alone, education, the decisions that may need to be made to contain costs could be enormous: They could affect the length of school days, weeks and years; the number and kind of after-school activities and school attendance zones. And that's just for starters. The Green Guilford plan, with its emphasis on holding down costs, should put the county on good footing for tackling such tough issues.