Sustainable Long Island is proud to announce that the interactive workshops for the Ninth Annual Sustainability Conference have been set for Friday, April 17! These breakout sessions are led by local leaders and experts discussing a range of topics. Speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. This year's topics include:

Recent natural disasters, including Superstorm Sandy, have highlighted the need for communities and societies to be resilient in the face of unexpected and constantly changing environmental challenges. Many will agree that one of the biggest environmental challenges facing Long Island, both now and in times of disaster, is the region's water quality. Whether it's identifying strategies to avoid flooding and protect our shoreline; implementing projects such as rain gardens and bioswales to mitigate runoff; or employing more sewers and newer septic technology to protect our estuaries, solutions are needed to improve water quality across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. 

 

 

It's hard to believe that today - in the year 2015 - many communities are still struggling to bring healthier food options to their neighborhoods. Although much progress has been made, there is still a great need to pinpoint solutions to improve access to healthy, affordable food across Long Island.  Examining a range of issues from hunger relief to obesity and considering different approaches such as the practice of urban farming and the exploration of how to empower people to make healthier food choices can give us insight into possible solutions. Multiple factors working together will ultimately help make the healthy choice the easy choice moving forward.

Long Island's business climate is ever-changing - embracing a more socially responsible approach. Specifically many companies have begun promoting and integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their investments. This process has shifted the financial landscape as businesses have found investments in sustainability operations can not only benefit the community, but cut expenses, streamline goals, and generate revenue. With countless success stories to back the idea, the time has finally come where "doing the right thing" can go hand-in-hand with increasing profitability.

Bernadette Castro will be the keynote speaker for the Ninth Annual Sustainability Conference.

Many of us were first introduced to Bernadette Castro several decades ago when she demonstrated on television just how easy it was to open a Castro Convertible sofa! In fact, that iconic television commercial ran over 40,000 times, earning Bernadette the title of "most televised child in America." Fast forward from those days to the 1980s when she was a senior executive in the very business her parents founded.

In 1993, after selling the furniture division of Castro Convertibles, but retaining ownership of the real estate, Governor George Pataki appointed Bernadette to his Cabinet as the Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, a post she would hold for 12 years. The Governor was convinced that she could parlay her business acumen and experience into public service for the State of New York, and he was right.

 

Very early in Bernadette's new career, as she charted new territory in the pursuit of public-private partnerships, "Newsday," in a front page article, called her many innovative programs "the most dramatic changes to hit the parks system since Robert Moses created the empire in the 1920s." Her outreach to, and support of, friends groups at both parks and historic sites across the state leveraged even more fiscal support by both the private and public sectors.

 

Read more here...

Almost every living species has an impact on our environment, economy, and social surroundings. Every action we take - and don't take - affects each and every one of us now and in the years to come.

 

Sustainable Long Island's Ninth Annual Sustainability Conference will focus on Long Islanders' commitment to sustainable lifestyles, strategies, and responsibilities. This event will touch on how individuals, organizations, and businesses can advance methods of measuring our impact and make informed choices for the future.

 

Additional details are forthcoming, including:

• Panelists and moderators for all workshops
• Participating restaurants for our "Sustainable Samplings Luncheon" and vendors for our "Hall of Exhibitors."
• Recipients of our 5th Annual Getting It Done Awards.

Why wait? Register before this Friday, March 20, and take advantage of early discount pricing!