Monday, April 2, 2012

Sustainability award winners are announced

The nonprofit Sustain Charlotte announced 12 winners of its first annual community sustainability awards at a Saturday night event at UNC Charlotte's new uptown building.


The awards recognize local leaders for helping advance the "Charlotte 2030" sustainability plan Sustain Charlotte launched in 2010 with the support of Mayor Anthony Foxx, then-county commissioners' Chair Jennifer Roberts, business and nonprofit officials.

Recently-elected city council members John Autry and Beth Pickering were among more than 200 people who attended the event. Charlotte City Council last week agreed to develop a sustainability plan for the city.

Kacy Cook, a land conservation biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Commission, was the featured speaker. Foxx and other city officials appeared in a video on sustainability's importance.

The winners by category: air quality, June Blotnick, Clean Air Carolina; buildings and homes, Nicole Storey, city of Charlotte; sustainable economy, Amanda Breeden, Michael Scott Mater Foundation; outstanding educator, Helene Hilger, UNCC; energy, Brian Kasher, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; food, Robin Emmons, Sow Much Good; parks and green space, Ann Hayes Browning, Carolina Thread Trail; social equity, Tracy Russ, Crossroads Charlotte; transportation, Martin Zimmerman, Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance; waste reduction, Michael Talbert, Mecklenburg County; water, David Merryman, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation; and overall outstanding leader, Dan Roselli, Packard Place / Red F.

3 comments:

Tom V. said...

Agenda 21 comes to Charlotte. Wonder why all of the politicians mentioned are Dems? Visit their website sustaincharlotte.org for a more in-depth look at their regressive vision for Charlotte - a Charlotte where in 20 years we'll all be living in the woods and biking back and forth with our home grown vegetables taking them to the community market for barter. But at least the "air-quality" in Charlotte will be higher than federal standards...

Brian Kasher said...

Hi Tom V:

Having a transportation infrastructure that generates lower levels of ground level ozone, surface waters safe to play in, a business sector that values sustainable business practices and local jurisdictions that value parks and recreation space is just the kind of forward looking vision more urban areas need to adopt.

Environmental sustainability practices are good for the bottom line of business and government just as they are good for our children and our health. Multi-national corporations are not adopting sustainable business practices out of good heartedness alone; they are adopting sustainability practices because they are good for the bottom line.

If you would like to read the Charlotte 2030: A Sustainable Vision for Our Region, developed by over 100 local leaders and the public you can download the vision here:

http://www.sustaincharlotte.org/home/sustain_charlotte-resources.php

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