Technologies and Policies

When the Cold War ended 20 years ago, the anticipated “peace dividend” failed to materialize. Instead the U.S. government consolidated its overwhelming military superiority and invested billions of dollars in modernizing its nuclear weapons facilities. Today, as American cities face the greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression, the United States is spending as much on its military as the rest of the world’s countries combined. What can local communities do to change national security doctrines based on militarism in order to redirect resources to meet human needs and protect the environment? One such initiative is being led by Mayors for Peace, a rapidly growing international network of cities founded in 1982 to promote local-government solidarity against war and the nuclear threat.

What are cities, towns, villages, counties, and other local governments actually doing to invest in and to create renewable energy generation? What should they be doing? This workshop features one of Wisconsin's top experts in renewable energy policy, as well as two leading businesspeople who come out of the green movement, and who work with local governments to promote solar and wind energy.

Local businesses have a positive role to play in the movements for sustainability, peace, social justice, and local democracy. These movements need entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks and initiate cleaner, fairer, and more locally responsible business practices before it is easy to do so. In turn, genuinely green businesses need the support of their communities. What are some of the challenges that green businesses face? What can be done to promote new ways of doing business? And what do all of us stand to gain from the growth of the green business sector?

What are some of the best practices in community-based transportation? What could your community be doing to promote bike, ped, and mass transit, and to get off of the fossil fuel addiction? Discuss here.

Three workshop leaders. Three approaches to closing the loop on food justice. Learn about, and discuss, approaches to bringing good, healthy, sustainable foods from local farmers into the schools, cities, and communities of color. And discover how children and local residents are, in turn, doing their part to support sustainable family farming.

This is one of the major panels of Future Cities 2009. This panel reminds us of the many solutions just waiting for implementation.