On Friday, January 13, TTF’s Steph Clymer, along with fellow VISTAs Dan Brown and Andy Murray from Earth Force, attended a program at The Academy of Natural Sciences entitled A Conversation on Urban Sustainability for All Communities. Key speakers included Mayor Michael Nutter, Dr. Judith Rodin (President of the Rockefeller Foundation), Lisa Jackson (Administrator of the EPA), and Izabella Teixeira (Brizilian Minister of the Environment).
The speakers emphasized the importance of urban sustainability, as for the first time in recorded history, over 50% of the world’s population now resides in urban environments. That number is expected to reach 75-85% worldwide by the year 2030. This news has made Brazil a model of sustainability for other countries and cities, as Brazil already has 85% of its population living in urban environments.
Mayor Nutter talked about the launch of his Greenworks Philadelphia plan to bring more green jobs to the residents of Philadelphia by way of weatherizing programs, solar panel installation, and refitting city equipment to be energy saving. According to the mayor, Philadelphia has already seen a $1 million savings from refitting traffic signals with LED lights.
A quote from Minister Teixeira: “When you think ‘green jobs,’ ‘green economy,’ it’s not just green. You can have light green and dark green. It is inclusive.” By this, Teixeria means that this type of work can be found in all types of fields and at different levels.
These eco-leaders serve in different levels of government in different countries, but they all recognize the need for both “top-down” and “bottom-up” solutions to environmental problems.
All in all, it was encouraging to see international collaboration on sustainability issues.
