INITIATIVES

The Center for the Environment’s Campaign for Clean Air, launched in the fall of 2009,is designed to educate citizens in our community and region and empower them to take action to address the air quality issues we face.

The American Lung Association recently ranked Rowan County as the 13th worst county in the United States for ground-level ozone pollution. Metro Charlotte was ranked as the eighth worst metropolitan area in the nation. Six contiguous counties – Rowan, Cabarrus,Mecklenburg, Lincoln, Gaston, Union and part of Iredell -- persistently exceed EPA air quality standards. Consequently, they have been designated as non-attainment areas. We know this could mean a loss of significant federal funding for the maintenance and construction of our highways. It could also impact our ability to attract new industry.

The Campaign for Clean Air focuses on health issues related to poor air quality, alternative fuels and modes of transportation, planned growth and development, bike paths, greenways, sidewalks, preservation of green space and energy conservation.

The Youth Environmental Summit, to be held in the summer of 2010, is designed as a transformative experience for high school students that centers on environmental issues.It will seek out students that have a strong interest in or commitment to environmental leadership. Opportunities will be available for students to express their interest in the environment through a variety of areas, including literature and writing, science, mathematics, theater and music. The students will return to their respective high schools with knowledge and skills that will help them become change agents in their environmental classes or clubs and in their schools.

The second Faith, Spirituality & Environmental Stewardship Conference, scheduled for 2010, will focus on using green space for community gardens. More than 300 people attended the first conference, which featured nationally known thought leaders who addressed environmental issues from a spiritual perspective. Workshops promoted dialogue about what the faith community can do about global and regional environmental challenges. The workshops also offered examples of what people of faith and places of worship can do to be good stewards of the environment.

The Center addresses Sustainability issues in a number of ways. It currently provides Sustainable Communities Leadership Workshops for a variety of area organizations. In the past, it helped to create the Salisbury Greenway; promoted conservation education by hosting statewide and regional conferences on topics like watershed conservation, farmland preservation and the Central Park Concept; and provided forums on everything from preservation of tree canopy and energy efficiency to sustainable business practices and sustainable neighborhoods. The Center continues to offer education that encourages communities to move toward sustainability.