Earth Day Today Presidents Blog
May 3rd, 2020 Posted in Educational Environmentalists, Environmental Reviews, Front Page News, Greenversations, President's Blog, Project Green, Resiliency and Sustainability
BCEQ Earth Day Week 2020
Because the Earth Needs More Than a Day—and We’re Home Anyway
Bronx Council for Environmental Quality did not let COVID-19 defeat it. Our all-volunteer organization held its Annual Conference—and then some. Monday, April 22 was our kickoff event for a weeklong conference that featured Zoom presentations from environmental organizations throughout the Bronx.
Highlights include:
- Our Earth Day 1970 Retrospective—our look back at the pollution scandals and the college activism of the late 1960s that started it all. We compiled a book of the BCEQ Books for Earth Day 50 that lead to Earth Day 1970. Enjoy and add to the list!
- Our Education Forum—an invaluable resource for teachers showing the way
- Presentations by the Parks Department, Urban Watershed Ambassador, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, and Bronx River Alliance—partners and friends in the effort to make a Greener Bronx
- BCEQ Secretary Karen Argenti’s Green Infrastructure presentation: a primer all should adopt [insert link]
- BCEQ Board Member Dart Westphal’s Environmental Sustainability Class Presentations: what the future should become
Our conference ended with a forward- thinking vision: what BCEQ Earth Day 2030 Goals By design, it is a work in progress; at its best, it can inspire others to set goals based on the progress we’ve made so far.
In celebrating 50 years of Earth Day, it became more clear to me than ever how long, and how successfully BCEQ has advocated for a green alternative to conventional urban development. We came into being just two years after the first Earth Day. Our members advocated for all the things we hold embrace today—from CSO mitigation to Greenways to Green Infrastructure–decades before they became conventional wisdom or city policy. Even if they don’t agree with us, people listen.
As an organization, we have kept at it for almost 50 years. So as we near our own anniversary milestone, I want everyone to know that if Earth Day needs a Week, then our city certainly needs BCEQ, for at least a few more decades. New friends, new issues, and new members will make sure we are there.
Make Earth Day the way you live. Look for our Annual Meeting, postponed due to COVID-19 but coming soon.
Robert Fanuzzi,
President, Bronx Council for Environmental Quality
Editor note: this link to view the video or power points from the week.
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