Published: 1 years 137 days ago
Sacramento Bee: On January 20, at the annual State of the City address hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will announce his plan to transform the Sacramento region into the Emerald Valley, the greenest region in the country.
When the mayor first announced his goal of creating an Emerald Valley last May, he said he wanted to have a bold vision, to think big. And he did. He organized eight well-attended community meetings, bringing nationally prominent speakers such as Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Tom Friedman, Robert Kennedy Jr., San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, and Van Jones to Sacramento. He assembled a local all-star cast of team leaders for his five environmental task forces, including John DiStasio of SMUD, Mike McKeever of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and UC Davis Graduate School of Management Dean Steven Currall. The mayor hoped that the ideas generated by these task forces and community meetings would form the foundation of a Greenwise plan for our region.
Greenwise Sacramento has accomplished a lot. It has brought a diverse group of Sacramentans together to focus on environmental issues. The impressive group of speakers helped us understand how our local issues fit into the broader global environmental picture. And the mayor has provided a vision of what the Sacramento region could become: Emerald Valley, the greenest region in the country. This vision imagines not only a healthier place to live, but also green jobs for many, from high-school graduates to doctorate holders.
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1899722
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