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Green Gold Exposition
Minutes
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[Purpose]
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What is Sustainability?
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“During the 21st century, human society faces the daunting yet inspiring task of forging a new relationship with the natural world. This natural relationship is captured by “sustainability” a concept that … implies meeting current human needs while preserving the environment and natural resources needed by future generations.”
A statement of the World’s Scientific Academies, May 2000.
Many who study sustainability have concluded that the world's current path of development is not sustainable. But it need not be like this; we should think ahead and create our own sustainable future.
Sustainability is about global, regional and local concerns and needs. It is essential that as we think globally, we act locally. Our region needs to think about, plan, and implement plans to ensure our healthy survival. Sustainability is about our present and our future.
What is "Learning Sustainability – Achieving Environmental, Economic and Social Well-Being: A 2001 Regional Community Forum"? It is the beginning of a long-term discussion. It is our intent to launch a diverse and inclusive dialogue that will link government, business, academia, education, and our overall community with understanding our present course, problem solving, and finding solutions to our current non-sustainable path. This event is about building knowledge, sharing information, creating constituencies, and ultimately creating leadership that will help us find a sustainable path through the 21st century. We believe that this discussion will lead to finding ways to both survive and thrive in the decades that lie ahead.
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Purposes of a Regional Community Forum
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The primary focus of the Forum:
To bring national and internationally known speakers to initiate and develop a discussion on sustainability with a local/regional audience.
The primary objectives of the Forum:
To build working links between academic, governmental, business, health, and community audiences in order to explore a wide range of sustainability issues and opportunities that confront strategic thinkers at the dawn of the 21st century; to provide an umbrella for existing related activities; to build bridges to a successful future; and to encourage leadership that will forge a sustainable future.
The Goals of the forum include:
- To establish and maintain a context for a longer-term discussion promoting sustainability on a national, international and global basis, with WNY as a prime resource for this discussion.
- To promote economic strategies that will encourage existing businesses to be sustainable and clean
- To encourage new businesses that are sustainable and clean to locate in our region.
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Questions That We Hope to Answer
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- What assets does our bi-national region and its many communities have today that can contribute to the sustainability of this place?
- Working together, can we create a common vision and powerful leadership to strive toward it?
- Are we committed to working toward a sustainable future?
- What kinds of actions are needed for our region achieve and maintain environmental, economic and social well-being over the long term?
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Partners
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- University at Buffalo, Environment & Society Institute
- Buffalo’s Green Gold Development Corporation
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