No, Raleigh isn't being invaded by hipsters, but it is the 23rd municipality in North Carolina to be named a "Cool City" by the Sierra Club.
To qualify for the designation, local governments must pass the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement; the Raleigh City Council did so in early August. Under that agreement, Raleigh commits to several initiatives:
Work toward a 7 percent reduction from 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels over the next five years. These reductions could come from public transit and carpooling; more than three-fourths of drivers in the Raleigh-Durham area travel alone.
Implement green policies including those regarding land use and open spacea thorny issue for Raleigh and its sprawling suburbs.
Urge Congress to pass greenhouse gas reduction legislation.
Other Cool Cities in the Triangle include Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, Wake Forest and Orange County.
