Electric cars on display outside the symposium.
Florida Atlantic University hosted the "Focus the Nation" symposium this past weekend, which is a nationwide event held in 435 Congressional Districts designed to address pressing environmental concerns. Local politicians, academics, students and business leaders discussed sustainability and reducing our collective ecological footprint during the town hall-style discussion.
FAU President Frank Brogan discussed the future of the green movement and initiatives implemented at the university that have reduced the campus’ collective ecological footprint.
“Simple actions can have profound impact. We got rid of trays in our cafeteria and are saving untold amounts of water, and food waste was also drastically reduced,” he said. Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel talked about city measures and the intersection of thinking green and finance.
“Through our reclaimed water system, we saved 3 billion gallons of water last year, and Boca leads Palm Beach County in residential recycling. In the old days, we didn’t really talk about the connection between cost and going green, but we now know cost effectiveness and the green movement go hand-in-hand,” she said. For more information, visit www.focusthenation.org.