Continuing with our theme of Environmental Issues:
David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment sent in this report.
Monday August 6
Michael Nutter continues to stump for support leading up to November's general election, today making a stop at the Center City office of PennEnvironment, a statewide citizen-based non-partisan environmental advocacy group. The presumed mayor-elect dropped by to talk about environmental challenges facing Philadelphia and his plan for tackling some of these issues.
PennEnvironment represents thousands of citizen members and environmental activists across Philadelphia, and thousands more across the Commonwealth.
The environmental and public health challenges facing Philadelphians aren't new to Mr. Nutter or PennEnvironment's staff--air pollution from cars, trucks and diesel vehicles continues to trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments for city residents; outdated recycling programs mean more litter on Philadelphia's streets and more trash being dumped in the state's landfills and burned at nearby incinerators; global warming is expected to lead to hotter summers and more heat-related deaths in Philadelphia; and the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers continue to struggle with excessive pollution from run-off and sewage overflow problems.
Mr. Nutter laid out some of his plans for tackling these problems, including methods for cleaning up diesel vehicles in the city and improving Philadelphia's recycling programs. He also talked about policies that will promote energy conservation in the city, which will not only help reduce air pollution and global warming pollution, but will also save Philadelphians money and promote energy independence.
The mayoral front-runner also took time to talk with PennEnvironment's door-to-door canvassers about the importance of their work to invigorate the democratic process, build awareness and action on pressing environmental issues and renew the public's faith in the political process. Nutter acknowledged that their work was not the traditional summer job compared to waiting tables or working at the local coffee shop and he explained how knocking on doors and having a face-to-face interaction with the public has helped his own political career, attributing his first successful for run for Philadelphia City Council to knocking on nearly 20,000 doors. He also offered advice about how getting involved in these one on one conversations with every day people can only help to build momentum for the environmental issues on which PennEnvironment works.
To learn more about PennEnvironment or to become an e-activist and stay caught up on local environmental issues, you can visit their website at www.PennEnvironment.org.
And here's a reminder that you can check out our latest episode of Issues Forums to see what some other environmental policy experts had to say about what the next mayor can do to help clean the land, air and water in our region.
Comments (1)
Hello, just reviewed some content on the Philedelphia mayors race and comments made on Philedelphia's current Environmental state...well, I dont know a whole lot about air stuff, nor watter conservation, and recycling, well recycling is only as good as the value of the turned in product....example ...cardboard...when puplp prices are high...cardboard is valueable and recyclers want as much as they can get...when pulp prices drop...recyclers careless about requesting or marketing to get cardboard....
But enough of that, my specialty is Litter, thats why I legally became the Litter King, actually my name in full is Canada Litter King...just Google my name if you want help in slowing litter....my advise is free and I am the Litter King....I have gathered more McLitter then anyone in history....Litter King...anyhow....just experimenting with this blog stuff....canadalitterking@hotmail.com
Posted by Canada Litter King | August 8, 2007 5:50 PM