Mother Nature Network (MNN) has named Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin among the nation’s top “eco-mayors” for her work making Atlanta among the country’s leaders in environmental and sustainability practices.
The green network cited Mayor Franklin, along with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Houston Mayor Bill White and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickel.
They “represent leaders who have significantly shifted the sustainability landscapes in their cities,” said the MNN announcement.
Mayor Franklin was recognized, said MNN, in part because of her support of the BeltLine, a comprehensive alternative transportation initiative that will add 22 miles of light-rail transit and more than 1,200 acres of new green space in Atlanta, while preserving homes, neighborhoods, and historic structures around the city.
Mayor Franklin’s vision for the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of Atlanta began in 2006 when she identified environmental sustainability as a critical factor in making Atlanta a “best in class” city. In early 2007, she charged her administration to create and foster a community dedicated to sustainability through best in class leadership and to implement solutions and practices as they are identified. To answer that charge, a team of city officials and expert consultants assessed Atlanta’s current sustainable practices and set forth on a course of action to implement new high impact programs and policies via two organizations, Sustainable Atlanta and the City of Atlanta Office of Sustainability.
Funded by the Kendeda Foundation, Sustainable Atlanta is aimed at making our city more sustainable by improving our “green” programs and policies such as water and energy conservation, reducing our solid waste, reducing emissions, and improving the rates of recycling. With part of the funding, the City has created an Office of Sustainability to implement the recommendations of Sustainable Atlanta related to city government operations.
“Working together, we are making great progress in greening the City of Atlanta.” said Mayor Franklin. “However, we must not take our eyes off of the important work that is ahead of us.”
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About Mother Nature Network (MNN) is the new earth-first website was founded by Chuck Leavell, the environmental activist who for 25 years has anchored the legendary Rolling Stones on keyboards.
In an online world cluttered with environmental sites designed for experts and scientists, the mission of MNN is to be the one-stop resource and an everyman's eco-guide to environmental news, featuring breaking stories, original programs, articles, blogs, and video reports from around the country in a voice the average person can understand.