As part of a month-long celebration of the Ameircan Planning Association's National Community Planning Month and the theme “Green Streets, Green Neighborhoods”, the Hillsborough County Planning Commission held a free “brown bag lunch” workshop on climate change and how urban planning and design can play a role in a sustainable and “green” future.  Guest speaker Roberta Fernandez presented an eye-opening program that showed the impact climate change will have on our planet and how we can take steps now to slow or halt its effects.

Fernandez, founder and president of Environmental Advocacy, is considered one of the top 50 environmental advocates in the U.S. today by Al Gore’s Climate Change Project.  Her company advises businesses and local governments on how to become more efficient environmental stewards. She is currently working with the Village of Key Biscayne and the City of Tampa to help them implement the terms of the Mayor’s Climate Agreement signed recently. She is also developing and gathering support for a model known as Planet Partnership to present to the State of Florida, local governments, and corporations that focuses on education and action for residents of Florida.  Fernandez has traveled the state and U.S. educating citizens on the importance of making small changes in their lives which can lead to a sustainable future for everyone.

A central theme to the presentation was the importance of making changes to counter climate change.  Nearly all science, 99.8%, agrees that climate change is a reality and we must take action immediately.  Atmospheric carbon levels have skyrocketed in the past 100 years and continue to do so.  Along with increased carbon levels comes global warming caused not only by emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation but also from the Arctic and Antarctic ice and tundra as it melts and releases methane into the atmoshpere.  Already we can see changes in our environment and a rising sea levels.  Glaciers are melting at a rate previously unseen or imagined.  Arctic tundra is thawing and plant and animal species are now migrating to new habitats further north.  Droughts tend to be more severe, hurricanes are stronger than ever, and costal areas at or below sea level are vanishing, and sea coral is disappearing at alarming rates. 

Fernandez stated, whether you believe climate change is a reality or not, you can make positive changes that can save money and help the environment.  “If a barrage of medical opinions stated that you had a 10% chance of survival without treatment, would you really sit back and take a chance that you might be in the 10% category?”  The state of our climate is the same.  Why take chances?  We must all take steps to reduce energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

Planners, homebuilders and architects can play a large role in creating communities which incorporate green building principals into homes and neighborhoods, designing communities which encourage alternative forms of transportation, creating policy which encourages mixed use development, and changing public perception and tastes for housing.  Real change will start right here.  Only at the local level will the biggest impacts be felt.  We must all work together to combat climate change and ensure our grandchildren have the same or better living environment we have.

What are some things you can do to reduce energy consumption and save money? 

Read more in Roberta Fernandez booklett "Convenient Things You Can Do." 

Click here to download the booklett!