Environmental leaders gathered at the Capitol Skyline Hotel last night to discuss tackling a global problem with grassroots solutions.
“We can be a part of the answer right here in our own back yard,” Green DMV co-founder Rhon Hayes said. “We’ve made excellent strides in the past five years when it comes to educating the public about green jobs and sustainability, but we still have a long way to go.”
Hayes co-founded Green DMV in 2007 with his friend, Phillip O’Neal. The business partners created a non-profit organization in an effort to generate clean energy and green jobs in low-income communities across the country.
“We founded our organization during a time when people were just really finding out who President Obama was and since then green jobs and environmental issues have become even more vital to our nation, especially here in DC,” Hayes stated. “President Obama has put forth a lot of really progressive legislation for green jobs and sustainability, but lets be honest with the change in the house, it’s going to be a bit tougher to get through.”
Although there will be a change in the congressional house come the new year, Hayes says not all hope is lost for environmental leaders and supporters. “DC residents can help by just being educated so they can make informed decisions on how to adopt sustainability and make it work for them.”
