Making climate change a priority

摘要

While the U.S. does not have a consolidated federal response to climate change, many businesses, cities and states do. The Solid Waste Association of North America (Silver Spring, Maryland) always has had the mission to "advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste," but the association is currently focusing more intently on the impact of the solid waste industry on the environment. So much so, in fact, that WASTECON 2008 has been dedicated almost entirely to this subject. From the keynote speaker to the Lawrence Lecturer and technical sessions, the WASTECON 2008 program was designed with this one topic in mind: The energy, climate and solid waste connection. The movement began last year, with the Energy-Climate-Waste Challenge, which invited members and event participants throughout the year to pledge to make a difference in reducing climate-harming emissions. SWANA then rose to its own challenge and made a commitment to offset its carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO_2e) emissions for all of its meetings and conferences throughout the year, including staff travel and utility use for conference and meeting facilities. For WASTECON 2008, SWANA took the commitment even further, arranging to assist all attendees in making their travel and lodging carbon neutral as well.