Mayor Benjamin Holds Climate Change Summit

COLUMBIA, SC – Calling it one of the most pressing issues of our time, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin today brought advocates, experts and stakeholders from across the Midlands together for a frank and honest discussion about climate change, its effect on the region and how local leaders working together can develop new strategies for the challenges that lie ahead as part of the city’s first Famously Hot Climate Action Summit.

“Our climate is changing, there’s no doubt about that,” Mayor Benjamin said. “Whether we’re talking about the effect of rising temperatures on respiratory illnesses like asthma, the growing danger of heat related morbidity and stroke or the increased risk of flooding as water levels rise and changing weather patterns send more frequent and more powerful storms our way, the danger is real.”

“We have a moral obligation to protect our children and future generations from these dangerous effects of climate change by addressing its causes and impacts and this summit is a first critical step towards meeting that challenge together.”

With participants from a variety of fields including government, business, environmental preservation, healthcare and energy, tomorrow’s summit follows a new EPA released earlier this month that, as part of President Barack Obama’s Climate Change Action Plan, will set the first-ever national carbon pollution standards limits for America’s existing power plants which which account for 40% of the carbon pollution in the United States.

“Our President has taken the lead and now it’s our turn to act,” said Mayor Benjamin. “This challenge wasn’t created overnight and we can’t fix it overnight either. But we have to start somewhere and we have to do it together.”

Speakers in today’s summit included:

• Mayor Steve Benjamin
• Andrew Epting, SC Clean Energy Business Alliance
• Dr. Stuart Hamilton, Select Health/Eau Claire Cooperative Heath Center
• John Farley, WIS TV
• Bill Stangler, Congaree Riverkeeper
• Bob Schneider, The Comet

Confirmed attendees included:

• Robert Anderson, City of Columbia
• Colonel Dan Beatty, Fort Jackson
• Mark Bostic, HBA Green Council
• Jacqueline Buck, Keep the Midlands Beautiful
• Ike Byrd, AT&T SC
• Susan Carson Lambert, Retired
• Tom Clements, Friends of the Earth
• Susan Corbett, S.C. Sierra Club
• Kirstin Dow, USC – Geography
• Michelle Drayton, Family Connection SC
• Bob Guild, Robert Guild, Attorney at Law
• Krista Hampton, City of Columbia Planning and Development Services
• Jane Hiller, Sonoco Recycling
• Joe James, Agri-Tech Ohio, LLC
• Guy Jones, River Runner Outdoor Center
• Hance Jones, Carolinas Retail Partners
• Larry Knightner, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
• David Knoche, City of Columbia
• Kirsten Lackstrom, Carolinas Integrated Sciences & Assessments (CISA)
• Anna Lange, Richland County
• Michael Mayo, Palmetto Outdoors
• Susan McPherson, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
• Ryan Nevius, Sustainable Midlands
• Autumn Perkins, Sustainable Carolina
• Derek Riley, OLH Inc.
• Jennifer Satterthwaite, SC Energy Office
• Gerald Smalls, Benedict College
• Mullen Taylor, McAngus Goudelock & Courie
• Rick Wade, The Wade Group
• Gilbert Walker, Columbia Housing Authority
• Tameria Warren, Fort Jackson
• Bin Wilcenski, Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia

For additional event information, contact Michael Wukela at [email protected] or 803-413-5052.