Billion-dollar battle

The Big Apple pledged last week to take a big bite out of its greenhouse-gas emissions, an effort with a price tag of $2.3 billion.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the intention to cut emissions of municipal buildings and operations by 30 percent within 30 years, reported Reuters.

A majority of the reductions (57 percent) will result from simple measures, such as improving the city’s air-conditioning and heating systems. Fixing methane leaks at water plants and using the noxious gas to run equipment reportedly will reduce emissions by 17 percent.

With the estimated savings in energy, Bloomberg expects the investment to pay for itself within five years.