How Can Being Green Make Your Profits Greener?
Councilmember Brown Announces Public Oversight Hearing on Green Economic Development and its Benefits to Small Businesses
Washington, (D.C.) – Today, At-Large DC Councilmember Kwame R. Brown announced a Public Oversight Hearing scheduled for October 22, 2007 entitled Green Economic Development and its Benefit to Small Businesses in the District of Columbia.
Last year, the DC Council passed the Green Building Act, which Councilmember Brown co-sponsored. The act: · Creates a Green Building Task Force to monitor new developments in the field and update compliance standards as needed;
· Requires green building standards first for government buildings (and buildings in which the government leases space), then buildings that receive subsidy from the government, and finally (2012) private buildings;
· Applies to nonresidential buildings of 50,000 square feet or more; and
· Is the first law in the country to require private buildings to meet green building standards. Experts from across the country will be in attendance at the hearing to discuss initiatives like this and to focus on how being green can benefit small businesses in the District of Columbia. Organizations such as the Center for American Progress, Enterprise Community Partners and GreenHOME will have representatives to testify at the hearing. “We don’t have to play a zero sum game with the economy and the environment. We can make this a win-win situation if we put our minds to it,” said Councilmember Brown. “I believe there are ways to stimulate our local economy, while simultaneously creating a more healthy environment in the future for our children to live in. That’s what this hearing is about; finding creative solutions to tough problems for small businesses in the District.” DC Car Free Day Councilmember Brown will also be participating in the first ever DC Car Free Day on September 18, 2007, which encourages people to leave their cars for a day and take alternative transportation to and from their destinations such as the metro, bus, bicycle, or walking. A worldwide Car Free event will also take place on September 22, 2007. To learn more about Car Free Day visit http://www.carfreedc.info/.
_____________________________________________________________________ Council of the District of Columbia
Committee on Economic Development
Notice of Public Oversight Hearing
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Washington, DC 20004
Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, Chair,
Committee on Economic Development
Announces a Public Oversight Hearing on “Green economic development and its benefit to small business in the District of Columbia” MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2007 AT 11:00AM Room 500 The Council Chamber
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004 Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, Chair of the Committee on Economic Development, announces a Public Oversight Hearing on “Green economic development and its benefit to small business in the District of Columbia”. There are enormous opportunities for innovation, productivity growth, eco-entrepreneurship, and job creation in the new green economy. The landmark “Green Building Act of 2006” offers an excellent foundation upon which to advance a broader “green” economic growth agenda for the District of Columbia, including jobs and opportunities for small businesses. The purpose of the Hearing is to discuss how environmentally friendly green building technology is good for economic development, and how small and local businesses can take advantage of the future growth of green technology to grow their businesses. The Hearing will be held on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 11:00am in the Council Chamber, Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC. Those who wish to testify should contact John Adams at the Committee on Economic Development by email at Jadams@DCCouncil.us or by telephone (202) 727-6683 by 5pm on Friday, October 19, 2007. E-mail contacts should include the full name, title, and affiliation – if applicable – of the person(s) wishing to testify. Witnesses should bring 10 copies of their written testimony to the Hearing. Representatives of organizations will be allowed a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral presentation and individuals will be allowed a maximum of three (3) minutes for oral presentation. If you are unable to attend the Hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Economic Development, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 119, Washington, DC 20004 no later than 5:00pm Friday October 26, 2007.
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