Steve Cohen found his passion for the environment in Evanston, refined it through his work in Portland, Ore., and brought his knowledge back to Evanston Sunday.
Education and individual involvement are key to creating a more “sustainable,” or environmentally-friendly, community, said Cohen, a coordinator for the Office of Sustainable Development in Portland. The Network for Evanston’s Future, an activist group supporting sustainability in Evanston, invited Cohen to speak Sunday as a part of its Earth Month events in April.
More than 120 people attended the presentation, including Alds. Cheryl Wollin (1st), Delores Holmes (5th), Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th) and Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston). Several other organizations co-coordinated the event with Network for Evanston’s Future.
City Manager Julia Carroll attributed the recent focus on environmental sustainability to goals in the City Council’s Strategic Plan adopted on March 27.
“I think some people think these are words and we’re not going to act on them, and that’s not true,” Carroll said at the event.
Cohen, a School of Communication graduate, said his office worked on the incorporation of sustainable city principles, adopted by Portland in 1994. These principles focus on helping the local economy while minimizing human impacts on the environment.
The city stressed the importance of public transportation, supporting regional food products and recycling programs. These programs save the city $2.3 million per year, Cohen said.
“Over 90 percent of residents recycle,” Cohen said. “We hold master recycler classes three times a year, and they always fill up. Government can’t do everything.”
Creating environmental sustainability isn’t a new idea in Evanston. NU implemented policies in November 2004 to increase energy efficiency through temperature controls and light and water conservation.
NU also committed to meeting minimum efficiency requirements from the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center was the first NU project to meet the LEED certification. The City Council will also build the new civic center according to LEED requirements. The new fire station will be Evanston’s first LEED-certified city building.
Small group discussions following Cohen’s speech on Portland’s projects focused on how to create a sustainable Evanston in areas such as climate change, energy, green buildings, transportation and water conservation. Evanston residents said they wanted more focus on improving walkability, increasing environmental education and working community leadership on the subject.
Residents raised concerns that the energy savings would not pay for the price of developing new energy policies. Residents in Portland pay a tax to help fund the energy efficiency resources, Cohen said. But he said residents can look into tax deductions on the state and national levels for increasing efficiency in their homes.
“We need to realize what kind of footprint we leave on the planet,” Cohen said. “It’s not a matter of deprivation.”
Catherine Buntin, a co-founder of the Evanston Food Policy Council, said she was excited to be a part of such a knowledgeable group.
“Evanston prides itself on being a progressive city, but it’s not – it’s regressive,” Buntin said. “We need the leadership working on this everyday.”
Cohen reminded the audience to contact to other residents and government officials.
“One of the best suggestions was sending those letters to your aldermen,” Cohen said. “This is where it all starts.”
Reach Laura Olson at [email protected].
