Our Chapter has partnered with the Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC) to host a day at the SC Legislature on Tuesday April 13, 2010. The meeting will provide us with an opportunity to speak with our elected officials to promote green building and high performance building standards in our state.

Speaking directly with your legislator about how they plan to vote is the most effective way to influence decision-makers. Elected leaders notice when constituents take the time to speak with them about an issue.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 13
11:00 am  - 3:00 pm (or as long as you can stay)
WHERE: Meet at the Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main Street on the south side of the State Capitol, Columbia (Map)

Volunteers are NOT expected to be experts on all the issues. CVSC Staff and professional lobbyists will be on-hand to answer your questions and help you craft your message.

A major initiative of the Chapter Advocacy Team this year is to encourage all members of the House and Senate to join Senator Leventis’ Green Schools Caucus to promote the design, construction, operation and maintenance of high performance, green education facilities in South Carolina. In addition, please be sure to thank Senator Leventis and his staff for establishing the Green Schools Caucus.

Speak directly with your representative about your position on green building and its impact on our state and our planet.

Learn more about the Conservation Voters Lobby Day program, and please reply to Michael Criss if you plan to attend.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation in this great opportunity to have our mission and collective voices heard!

Mayors Alliance for Green Schools

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced on October 1 the formation of the Mayors Alliance for Green Schools, a coalition of mayors seeking to strategically harness the leadership and creativity of mayors across the country to promote the benefits of green schools in their communities. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, the Alliance will to work to accelerate implementation of programs supporting the 2007 U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) resolution calling for green schools for all children within a generation.

“As first responders to the needs of their communities, mayors are the vanguard of sustainable development in our country,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC, “and USGBC wants to do all we can to support them, especially in this critically important initiative. We have Green School Advocacy Committees in 80 local USGBC chapters throughout the country, and we are putting them at the mayors’ disposal to advance opportunities, programs and initiatives that champion green school causes and help them publicly celebrate their successes.”

Together with Mayor Diaz and Mayor Nickels, Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, Cal; Mayor Will Wynn, Austin, Texas; Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines, Iowa; and Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids, Mich.; have put forth a call to mayors around the country to join this important effort to support green schools for all children.

Mayors across the country are leading efforts to deliver the benefits of green schools to their communities. For example, in Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago, EcoMedia is working with mayors to leverage innovative public‐private partnerships that create new opportunities for green school projects.

Other Alliance initiatives will work to:

• Develop and create public‐private partnerships with a local business to allow schools to plant a green roof, install a solar garden or start a recycling program.
• Help school districts green their existing facilities through the Clinton Climate Initiative’s K‐12 Retrofit Program.
• Encourage state legislatures to create policies and incentives for green school improvements.
• Engage in a national dialogue about green schools, green jobs and green infrastructure.

Click here for more info on Green Schools