Yesterday, Broward County’s Green Workforce Think Tank revealed the findings of its nearly yearlong study on how to make the community more eco-friendly with an hands-on press conference for 52 at Advanced Green Technologies' facility. Organizers incorporated interactive elements into the announcement in an effort to get media and local dignitaries excited about the results.
"We figured that if we can show the actual application of the technologies by allowing guests to ride in solar cars and sample cuisine cooked in a solar kitchen, it would bring the reality of the study results to life for them,” said Pejay Ryan, media consultant for the Broward College Foundation, which coordinated the event for the county.
Funded by a grant from financial institution Citi, the study sought to find ways the county can grow in various industrial fields to create jobs and make Broward’s economy more environmentally friendly.
Press conference attendees included local dignitaries, mayors from the cities within Broward County, media, and representatives from groups that assisted in the study, such as Advanced Green Technologies, the Broward College Foundation, and the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Economic Development Alliance.
The three-hour event began with a panel discussion among state Rep. Adam Hasner and Citi Municipal Securities representatives Trenton Allen and Robert Szostak about how energy efficiency will create jobs in Broward. Attendees then received a tour of the facility, where they had the chance to test-drive a solar car and golf cart, watch a food demo by Be Organic L.L.C. about cooking in a solar-powered kitchen, and taste the three dishes created.
Following the tour, eight of the Green Workforce representatives revealed the study's findings regarding ways to make the county more eco-friendly, as well as the impact doing so would have on the workforce and local economy.
