President's Perspective

I am a bit troubled by the growing interest in climate change adaptation and resiliency. Are you? To me, it signals that we have given up on climate change mitigation. The subliminal message is that it is too hard and too late to stop global warming. That, in fact, the best we can do is “ drop, duck and cover” (that’s California earthquake speak!). This sentiment may be bit exaggerated, but it does force a reality check for us climate change warriors. Clearly, the scale of the problem does not equal the extant resource commitments. Change is underway, but we are not just fighting climate change, we are up against an organized lobby of climate change deniers, legacy industries fighting viciously for its last gasp, a still nascent and vastly underdeveloped alternative energy sector, Joe/Jane public who believe in climate change but only nominally contribute – for a variety of reasons -- to the solution, and a national policy environment that is paralyzed by the politics of it all. So, in the face of these ground battles, I worry that the shift to issues of adaptation and resilience will pull already limited attention, resources, people and time away from prevention. The inevitability of climate change and adaptation then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But, there is more to my mental madness. In reality, I do feel that it is a smart move to figure out how to manage the impacts to life, lifestyle and habitat that climate change brings. As NY Governor Cuomo reminded us after Hurricane Sandy, we are experiencing the 100-year flood every 2 years. What concerns me, however, are the Equity Dimensions of Adaptation. The language and science of Adaptation grows out of Darwin’s study of natural selection and accentuates a “survival of the fittest’ ethos, which many Americans already embrace as our cultural norm. Now that is scary stuff. Once again this may be hyperbole, but it should also give Adaptation advocates pause. The reality here is that too many communities already go without adequate food, water, shelter, health care and other basic needs. Adaptation strategies must address a century of underinvestment in the physical infrastructure and the civic capacity found in resilient communities. Are we prepared to make the kind of investments needed to build a resilient society? Are we prepared to channel the political and moral authority and the economic resources needed to protect America’s most vulnerable? These are some of the questions that some of us will be exploring at the Inaugural National Adaptation Forum in Denver in April.

No matter what path we chose -- mitigation or adaptation -- the lift is heavy. It requires the political, moral, economic and social capacity that is yet evident to address the many dimensions of climate change. This is particularly challenging since we don’t have the luxury to choose one over another; we need to do both!! My hope is that this national “shift” to an Adaptation frame includes “mitigation or prevention” as the centerpiece to Adaptation. And most importantly, that perhaps America will fully confront climate change justice issues to ensure that all populations and communities, especially the most economically vulnerable, have the resources and capacities to be resilient now and in a climate disaster. Now that is a hopeful and promising thought!

January always presents a new beginning. It magically opens up space for new resolve, perspectives, and energy (pun intended) to be better and do more. The good news for 2013 on the national front is the reboot of a progressive mandate. Witness the Administration’s new resolve to tackle the three E’s - the economy, the environment, and equality (Inaugural Address, 2013):

For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship... We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations... The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.  But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it... We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths –- that all of us are created equal –- is the star that guides us still.

Aahhhh, makes the heart and spirit soar. But of course, we're all aware of the high rate of broken resolve and failed good intentions. That's because change is not easy. It means fighting the status quo, complacency, and challenges. Recognizing that there are clear and present dangers to the Inaugural vision for a new and better America, let me leave you with these final words:

That is our generation’s task -- to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American.... You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course.

We can chart the path if we continue to work together. Happy New Year and thanks for being a part of the Emerald Cities family.

Community Colleges have always been at the forefront of economic development.  It has only been recently, however, that they have been recognized, rewarded and supported for their critical roles.  These two-year institutions provide universal access for anyone seeking first and second chance educational and economic opportunities.  Education and training programs and a full array of supportive services are offered to help students transfer to 4-year colleges, meet the workforce needs of industry, or improve critically needed basic skills.

But there’s more.  ECC sees community colleges as institutional anchors to high road economies. They have important catalytic as opposed to supportive roles to play. They can create jobs through comprehensive campus sustainability efforts.  They obviously can skill up the workforce for the full range of careers needed for a robust sustainability sector.  They are well positioned to offer community education programs to align the awareness and behaviors of local residents and business to the realities of a conservation economy. They can help incubate green tech businesses by providing business development support services to budding entrepreneurs in their career technical programs.  And just as importantly, community colleges can bring extensive intellectual, political, social and material resources of the faculty, staff, and students to the broader regional sustainable development movement.

What makes this all so very sweet – ala ECC’s sweet spot – is that community colleges are also important centers for advancing ECC’s equity agenda.  Community colleges reach important populations often left behind or completely out of the mainstream economy – low income, communities of color, youth, disadvantaged and working class populations. Community colleges offer the ideal nexus between  ECC’s environmental, economic and equity goals.

 That is why we were excited about launching our national community college initiative last month. At full throttle we expect to really move the needle and institutionalize our efforts in the Bay area and other markets through our new partnerships with Peralta, San Francisco and New Hampshire Community College systems, and, hopefully more.  Currently up to 23 campuses, more than 25,000 students and diverse set of educational resources are arsenals in our efforts to green our cities, build our communities and strengthen our democracy. ECC has organized an exceptional and mutually beneficial public-private partnership to bring the full economic potential of this initiative to scale.  Oh Happy Day!

The countdown to the 2012 election is here.  One week to go and the pulse of the American electorate is not yet clear.  But what’s at stake is.   This election season makes the seemingly incongruent nexus of environment, economy and democracy clearer than ever. 

The three dominant issues looping the airwaves are jobs, energy and human/civil rights. The latter particularly relates to the constitutional issues on the rights of women and the role of government in civil society.  While the candidates‘ policy stances and strategies on these issues differ, there is a national call to action to ‘fix it’.  There is a unified recognition among the American public that our future depends on a solution to these challenges.  Despite unanimity on the issues, our political system is too broken to lead to effective solutions.  We are hopelessly polarized.  We are intransigent in our views.  We are angry; lashing out by demonizing the other side.  The political discourse is poisonous. And this reality defies past and professed efforts to ‘reach across the aisles’. 

But this commentary cannot unpack the role of politics, the legislative process and the media in the making of this new normal. Rather, it suggests Emerald Cities Collaborative as an alternative to a broken system.

Emerald Cities sits at the epicenter of what matters to Americans today.  ECC’s core business focuses on re-examining and investing in America’s energy future. It also links our energy futures to strengthening our local economies.  But perhaps the boldest idea is harnessing the power of the democratic process to find common ground.  In essence, ECC uses an ‘all on the table’ approach and  ‘multi-stakeholder” consensus building process to rebuild America.   At the national level and within our 10 regional markets, ECC is working with business, labor, community organizations, academics and government to figure it out.  We are creating the civic space and civic capacity to deal with the tough issues.  We are addressing our immediate needs, while planning a better, more inclusive future. We are crossing the divides – demographic, geographic and special interests.  We are breaking through real and perceived differences.  We don’t always agree, differing, for example, on energy options, job-sharing policies among other challenges. But, we are working to find the nexus and we do.  It is not always easy.  Some of our conversations are difficult.  It doesn’t always result in full agreement.  But, there is always the nexus – a common place where we can act.

So, perhaps I am biased. But to me, ECC is the best of what America is and should be.  Our future requires a renewed investment in rebuilding America’s civic infrastructure --  where democratic processes and not politics respects and balances the diversity of views, interests and needs to tackle America’s toughest issues. 

September was a very good month for Emerald Cities. I proudly watched three of our local council directors move from transactions to transformation. Leveraging the power of their multi-stakeholder coalitions, they each moved closer to institutionalizing ECC's mission within their local political economy. Let me explain.

I routinely remind everyone (and myself) that the Emerald Cities brand  -- the triple bottom line - is one of the best, but still one of the hardest brands to sell. We want: 1) energy efficient buildings, 2) that create jobs and business opportunities, 3) that are high wage with careers and benefits, and 4) that are shared with disadvantaged populations. There are gigantic hurdles to overcome in realizing any one of these objectives. Yet, each of our local councils have adeptly garnered a pipeline of building retrofit projects - public buildings, community colleges, downtown commercial projects, and multi-family affordable housing projects - that carry the Emerald Cities brand. Believe me, this important work, project development, is hard enough.

Yet, our local councils are moving beyond deal flow into broad-based community engagement. This month, Cleveland and Portland, following on the coattails of San Francisco's pilot community workforce agreement (CWA), turned populists, elevating ECC's mission into the public forum. Coalition members organized and convened hundreds of labor and community residents to advocate for high road economic development policies with their city officials. These city-wide campaigns and public dialogues are the stuff of real transformation. They are clearing the underbrush, talking about the hard issues, and changing hearts and changing minds. They are advancing policies and changing business practices. They are making subsequent high road deals easier to do. In fact, they are creating a "new normal" such that their success in creating high road jobs may actually put them out of work. Definitely something to ponder.  

We mourn the end of summer with a celebration of Labor Day. The recognition and appreciation that we shower on the workers of America this weekend are more important today than have been for a long time. This 2012 election season is brewing a storm to divide America over jobs and the economy, hinting that one's race, class, and gender distinguish him or her as a worthy or unworthy American. The messages are as crystal clear as the battle lines: public employees vs. private sector workers; stay-at-home moms vs. working moms; white collar workers vs. blue collar workers; immigrant and black workers vs. all others. Does any one find this crazy? My recent visit to Mount Vernon and the slave memorial on the estate of George Washington brought Labor Day into real focus for me. It reminded me about what we should be remembering and celebrating: 1) that America was built on the backs, blood, sweat, and tears of immigrants of every race, gender, class and place of origin; 2) each of us, no matter our status in life, bring amazing talents, skill and capacities to the ingenuity that we call America; 3) that all work has dignity and value whether paid or unpaid; 4) that all work should be paid and paid well; and 5) that rugged individualism is not limited to a certain race or class because survival skills are inherent to all of us. Perhaps most of all, Labor Day makes me appreciate that we are all in this together. Let's commit this Labor Day to continue to fight for an inclusive society, a stronger (and better) democracy and a more perfect union. Happy Labor Day!

The recent passing of one of America's labor icons, Joyce D. Miller, gave me a chance to reflect on the role of women in the labor movement and the importance of the labor movement for women. Ms. Miller was co-founder and 17-year President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the first woman elected to the AFL-CIO Executive Council, and the executive director of the Glass Ceiling Project under Clinton, among many other groundbreaking roles. She joins the ranks of women labor leaders as far back as Sarah Bagley, Mother Jones, Triangle Shirt Waist Leaders, Mary McCloud Bethune, as well as our contemporary heroines Dolores Huerta, Maria Elena Durazo, and Arlene Holt Baker. These women, other leaders, and ordinary working women all struggled against exclusion and oppression inside and outside the labor movement. Actually, women have always found it easier to actualize ECC's vision of an immutable bond between labor and community. They fight not only for the right to decent wages and working conditions, but also a better quality of life for all workers. Joyce Miller wrote (1991), "as women increasingly join the ranks of the labor movement and as they enter positions of leadership in it, they are renewing and redefining unionism... With their increased participation in unions, women are pressing for a more comprehensive agenda which will benefit not just union women but all union members and their families...". I welcome the role of women in ECC's struggle for rebuilding America's future the high road way.

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ECC Co-founder and Board Chair Gerry Hudson closed the 2012 SEIU National Convention on May 30th with a call for "A New Together." Rallying a boisterous crowd of more than 3,000 labor, church, and community leaders from across the country, Gerry elevated the founding vision of ECC. He called upon SEIU delegates to move beyond singular concerns about memberships, jobs, wages and benefits, and join the larger movement for human rights, including education, green and healthy communities, immigrant rights, affordable housing, and more. As SEIU pledges a new partnership with the 99% movement and local movements across the country, we at ECC, as leaders in making "A New Together" a reality, should recommit to our own vision that goes beyond green jobs. We also are working to rebuild the labor movement, re-engineer our local economies to be more sustainable, and mainstream marginalized communities.