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Mayor Kelly
Fergusson
Menlo Park, CA
April
7-9, 2008 |
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Attendee Profile
Kelly
Fergusson
Mayor of Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, with a population of 32,000, at the center of
Silicon Valley, is a hub of innovation and technology. The computer
revolution was born from technology developed there; and now many Silicon
Valley venture capitalists are investing in green technology as the next
big thing. Menlo Park's mayor, Kelly Fergusson, says it's already
happening in her city, with alternative energy and other green technology
companies setting up shop there.
Mayor Fergusson attended the Green California Summit as a panelist. "It
was a great opportunity to rub shoulders with people across the spectrum
of interest in green tech," she said, "people with a new perspective in
energy and environment. I was just fascinated by the other panelists. The
gentlemen who presented before me talked about consciousness of the
natural environment in building design. It was so moving to hear his
sincerity and his expertise and the level to which he had taken his
concept in his professional life.
"California is leading the world in energy innovation," she says, "and
Silicon Valley is where so much of it is being developed. All these
changes have to start at the local level - the way we design our cities,
our transportation policies. Each community leading by example, that's
what is going to form the basis of lifestyle changes. We have to make it
easy for people to live a greener life. Make it easy for kids to bike to
school; make it easy to walk downtown and leave the vehicle at home."
Menlo Park has just kicked off a
Green Ribbon Citizen's Committee, which
has a broad ranging focus. "The goal is to ultimately bring the climate
under control," says the mayor. "There are a lot of other people working
on it, and we want to be a part of it, to do what we can as a government
agency, but also what we can do as a broader community, syncing up with
other regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The other
important focus is how we can prepare as a community for the impact and
effects of climate change – the reduced water supply, rising sea levels.
We're right there on the Bay, some of our neighborhoods could be at risk."
Menlo park would also like to do its part at the global level to solve the
climate crisis. "We're attracting numerous alternative energy companies to
our industrial areas," she says, "companies that have a research and
development bent. They range from Unidyme, which is researching nanocarbon
technology, to Solazyme and Direct Carbon Technologies. We're the home of
the US Geological Survey, so we have a wealth of scientists and engineers
who grapple with these problems every day. We're the world capital of
venture capital. We have it all here. We can make a big impact."
A private company, Solar City, has arranged for bulk buys of solar panels
for Menlo Park residents, to "offer an incentive for people who are
thinking about going green to take the plunge on their own homes," the
mayor says. Other activities around Menlo Park include a Go Green Summer
event. "It's shaping up to be an exciting summer, an exciting year."
Mayor Fergusson says it's difficult to rate the priority of environmental
issues. "It has to permeate every decision we make and everything we do
and think. The most important step to take is the first step. Her message
for other mayors is to "get one thing, two things on the agenda for the
coming month or two and then make them happen. That will lead the way to
the next steps and a brighter future."
The Green California Summit is a valuable new forum for sharing best
practices, she says. "I will definitely be back next year – the pace of
innovation in both policy and technology has accelerated so much that it's
essential to take advantage of these ‘total immersion' opportunities."
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