Highlights from our Innovation Summit

Thanks to everyone who came to the conference yesterday and participated via our live stream and online chat. We'll have more highlights in the coming days. Our first highlight is a Chat with Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

View the story "Mayor Battle Discusses Sustainability with World Wildlife Fund" on StorifyMayor Battle Discusses Sustainability with World Wildlife FundThis one on one is a part of the GW Moving Conference presented by Planet Forward and GWU Office of Sustainability www.planetforward.orgStorified by susanna murley · Tue, Apr 17 2012 17:46:36Q1 Mayor @Tommybattle, why should U.S. cities be more #sustainable? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA1 @World_Wildlife It’s basically a dollar and cents issue... #gwmovingTommy BattleA1... If I can get more energy for less dollars, sustainability makes sense. #gwmovingTommy BattleQ2 @Tommybattle What has Huntsville done to reduce CO2 and promote renewable energy? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA2 @World_Wildlife We’ve got a solar project going, which will feed into the grid and provide electricity... #gwmovingTommy BattleA2...Also improving our traffic to spend less time at red lights and on the road... #gwmovingTommy BattleA2...Those are just some of the initial items we’ve looked at. #gwmovingTommy BattleQ3 @Tommybattle #Climate change is making weather more extreme. Have you noticed a shift in Huntsville over the years? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA3 @World_Wildlife The window I look at is way too short to notice but we do know... #gwmovingTommy BattleA3...that from 4/27/11, weather can put your community out of energy for weeks... #gwmovingTommy BattleA3...We have learned how to co-generate and provide for a new normal. #gwmovingTommy BattleQ4 @Tommybattle What types of #weather disasters are the most costly & dangerous in Huntsville, & how does it affect yr community? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA4 @World_Wildlife The immediate effect has been tornadoes in our area... #gwmovingTommy BattleA4...on 4/27/11 we had 92 tornadoes come through AL in 24 hours... #gwmovingTommy BattleA4...Those tornadoes took out power grids, homes, lives... they are very costly... #gwmovingTommy BattleA4...Droughts also have affected our community, but tornadoes are the number 1 concern. #gwmovingTommy BattleQ5 @Tommybattle What can Huntsville do to be better prepared for extreme #weather and other impacts of #climate change? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA5 @World_Wildlife 1. Pre-warning alerts 2. Having emergency supplies on hand... #gwmovingTommy BattleA5...3. Work toward sustainability, being less dependent on the grid to feed our community power... #gwmovingTommy BattleA5...Huntsville is working on a waste energy program that can provide electricity when the grid goes down... #gwmovingTommy BattleA5...These activities enable our community to be more self-sustained. #gwmovingTommy BattleQ6 @Tommybattle Who should protect Americans and their neighborhoods from the impacts of #climate change? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA6 @World_Wildlife We all have a responsibility. It’s not just gov, people need to do what's required to be sustainable... #gwmovingTommy BattleA6...Climate change is always a phrase that brings + and -. It’s a rabbit hole... #gwmovingTommy BattleA6...There’s no one out there that’s not for conserving energy, getting more for every energy dollar, reducing carbon footprint #gwmovingTommy BattleQ7 @Tommybattle Should cities engage & educate their residents about the local threats & solutions to prep for #climate change? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA7 @World_Wildlife Cities have a responsibility to educate citizens on sustainability... #gwmovingTommy BattleA7...We’ve been doing it for 14 yrs, working in HS so we have a whole generation thinking differently... #gwmovingTommy BattleA7...Education brings public buy-in, brings calls for action. You can’t do it without education... #gwmovingTommy BattleQ8 @Tommybattle Our City Challenge recognizes US cities that R preparing for #climate chg. Will Huntsville consider participating? #gwmovingWorld Wildlife FundA8 @World_Wildlife Sure, we’ll consider it. We are already working on energy conservation, co-generation and education... #gwmovingTommy BattleA8...Our Green Team is educating not only the schools, but the community to educate them on how to be greener, more sustainable... #gwmovingTommy BattleA8...Anything that dovetails with those types of activities is something that benefits our community. #gwmovingTommy Battle@Tommybattle Thank you for your commitment to help protect Huntsville, AL from #climate change Mayor Battle! #gwmovingWorld Wildlife Fund.@world_wildlife: Thanks for a great conversation! #gwmovingTommy Battle

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