[Update: Here's the latest media coverage (fairly light so far): NY Daily News, NY Post, NY Newsday, NY1 and of course StreetsBlog has the most extensive coverage.]

Last week, in California, Mayor Bloomberg made a first step in creating a much more proactive environmental policy for the city. The highlights of the announcement are:

• The creation of the Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability.
• The undertaking of a major greenhouse gas inventory for City government and the City overall.
• The appointment of a Sustainability Advisory Board to advise the City on environmentally sound policies and practices.
• The creation of a new partnership with the Earth Institute of Columbia University to provide the City with scientific research and advice on environmental and climate change-related issues.

I applaud this annoucement and I look forward to hearing more tangible steps to make the city more environmentally sustainable. Sustainability is great word. Here's how the mayor defined it:

"Sustainability is all about ensuring that economic growth and development today is compatible with the ability of our children and grandchildren to meet their needs in the future," said Mayor Bloomberg.

I hope this will be the start of some really great new environmental initiatives to address our generation's twin challenges of extreme climate change from carbon emissions and the economic impact of "peak oil".