June 24, 2013
Clean Cities Helps the National Mall Cut Petroleum Use With Propane Mowers (Text Version)
This is a text version of the video segment Clean Cities Helps the National Mall Cut Petroleum Use With Propane Mowers, which aired on June 24, 2013.
VOICE OFF CAMERA: Ready, set, go!
BOB VOGEL: Good morning and welcome to your National Mall and Memorial Parks.
DENNIS SMITH: Today, they're looking at not only installing electric chargers on the mall but also these fantastic propane mowers. People are amazed at how much mowing and grooming the national monuments and national memorials need, and these new propane-powered mowers are really going to be fantastic, clean, green machines to do that with.
ROY WILLIS: The Propane Council is donating six mowers to the National Mall. These mowers will replace diesel engines, significantly reduce air pollutants, and increase energy efficiency here in the parks for maintaining the grounds.
TOM FORSYTH: Us having the new technology to help take care of it will make it a little bit easier to do--and greening the green in a greener way.
ROY WILLIS: In addition to that, the National Park Service is receiving two electric vehicles: a Chevy Volt and a Ford CMAX.
BOB VOGEL: We're always looking for ways to integrate sustainable practices into every part of our operations as well as looking for partnerships with other federal agencies like DOE, and organizations like the Propane Education & Research Council and the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities coalition.
DENNIS SMITH: The mission of Clean Cities is really to work with local communities who want to implement these alternative fuels to get off of petroleum-based fuels as far as what they are dependent on in their fleets and in their daily lives for transportation services.
ROY WILLIS: There are over 100 Clean Cities coalitions, and every one of them is working to reduce the environmental footprint and reduce energy consumption--both in the public and the private sector.
RONALD FLOWERS: To me, it's about energy independence. It's about clean technology. It's about moving this country and this environment such that we can all sustain not only ourselves but the future of our children and grandchildren.
PARKS GUY: We get roughly in the neighborhood of plus-or-minus 25 million visitors per year coming from all over the world.
ROY WILLIS: It's a perfect place for alternative technologies to come to the fore.
DENNIS SMITH: It's a better price. It's lower emissions. It helps to make things cleaner, greener, and more energy independent. So, that's a win-win all around. If we can get the millions of park visitors to understand they can go home and do the same thing, then it's really a homerun.
