Carl Henn, City Council Candidate

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From campaign website.

Carl Henn is a Hungerford resident and community activist.

From the Rockville Central Interview with Candidates:

Hungerford resident Carl Henn has lived in Rockville for 20 years and has been on many boards and commissions. He currently works on the environment commission and on the bicycle committee. He jokes that he is running for City Council because he is a “glutton for punishment.” But seriously, he says, “Rockville can do a lot better to prepare for the energy and environmental challenges facing it.”

While other candidates for City office (just about all of them, in fact) say that “green development” is important, Carl is alone in making renewable energy, global warming and peak oil the exclusive, almost single-minded focus of his campaign. Just about every other issue, he says, connects to those. “The big issues that face [Rockville],” he says, “are the same ones that face the nation. The sooner we address them, the better off we will be.”

“They say that, if you are in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging,” says Carl. “Rockville is in a hole,” and needs to take serious measures to begin to get out of it. There are things that can be done at the local level to make a difference, he says. “Every transit trip begins and ends on foot,” he points out. So, we can improve pedestrian safety and we will do more walking. The planned interchange at I-270 and Gude would not work, he says, “and would damage the Millenium Trail and take out trees behind the Senior Center.” He also says that when oil eventually runs out, we will need to grow our own food — food production right now is heavily dependent on cheap oil. As a way to get ready, he says, we can begin community gardens such as the one he began in King Farm.

“Preparing for the energy future is not on the list” of things Rockville is thinking about right now, he says. “Ultimately, I would like to see a community planning effort like Imagine Rockville, but this time focused on energy.” Carl goes on to say: “The Council is just not wrapping their minds around” the seriousness of the energy situation that we face. “Everyone knows that oil is finite; it will run out,” he says. “There is a form of denial on the part of the City Council.” When asked if anyone now on the Council really seems to be getting his point, Carl answers, “Sadly, no.”

Carl’s favorite Rockville restaurant is Tamari Cafe (near Wintergreen) and his favorite park is Dawson Farm Park — which his kids call “the rocky park.”

When asked what he will between the time he is elected (if he is) and his first day in office, Carl wins special mention from Rockville Central for being the only candidate who says the first thing he will do is “get my signs back from people’s yards.” (Come on, people!)

(Click here for full audio of the interview — large file, 4MB)

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