This is a key question, and one that will be addressed by a variety of speakers at an event in Long Beach next Friday, May 16.  It’s a seminar being produced by FuturePorts, a non-profit organization of which I am a member.  The event is open to one and all, so if you’re interested, I hope you’ll consider attending.  It will run from 8 to 2 at the Coast Hotel, and breakfast and lunch are included.

 

I’ve been closely involved in setting up this event, which I’m pleased to say will be kicked off by Long Beach City Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga, who serves on the South Coast Air Quality Management District board.  People who attend will learn about efforts to control emissions from port operations, as well as how the reductions are tracked and what they mean for the local air we breathe.  Representatives from the AQMD and state agencies will also talk about the recent MATES III study and other efforts to identify and control port-related health risks.

 

In addition to senior port staffers, we’ll also hear from representatives of some of the port tenants who have stepped out ahead of regulations to reduce emissions.  Many have electrified equipment, switched to cleaner fuels, and made other operational changes to reduce emissions, but these efforts are little-known.  This seminar should shed some light.

 

Also on the program will be representatives from the environmental community, including Long Beach resident Joan Greenwood (who is a member of Long Beach’s new Sustainable City Commission).  This panel also features speakers from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Coalition for Clean Air.  (The Cunningham Report reports, by the way, that for the time being the NRDC will not pursue its threat of a lawsuit against the Port of Long Beach.)

 

The event is meant to be informational, and it’s my hope that the wide range of speakers will attract a broad audience:  community and environmental group members as well as business people.  We need opportunities for dialogue about port air quality.  We need the people involved to meet and build relationships with each other.  We need to develop trust, so that we can work together to green the ports and support the economy.  I refuse to believe these are mutually exclusive goals, and I look forward to finding ways to move towards both of them.  Next Friday will be one step in that direction.

 

(Reduced-price registration is available.  If you need the registration fee waived altogether, please e-mail me at [email protected].)