Cities in South Florida, and elsewhere, are growing at a rapid pace. Making cities green is a necessary step in preparing for a healthier, more sustainable future. The Earth Day Network is using today, April 22, 2020, Earth Day as a platform to educate residents of Planet Earth.

These endeavors focus on advancing science and advocating action and volunteerism on behalf of the global environment. Environmental education is key to continued growth and success. Some of the “green” initiatives to be considered are listed below. 

• Banning or taxing any or all the ten most common single-use plastics.
• Creating a Zero Waste or Circular Economy plan.
• Developing a biodiversity protection strategy and establishing green corridors for wildlife in your city.
• Committing to plant hundreds of thousands of trees.
• Expanding or creating significant stretches of new green spaces, especially in marginalized and low-income areas.
• Mandating green roofs for all buildings.
• Developing and implementing a plan for all public transportation to run on renewable energy.
• Significantly expanding or creating pedestrian and bicycle-only zones in the city.
• Launching a Clean Energy or Zero Carbon plan.
• Establishing a carbon pricing or taxing scheme.
• Launching a major clean energy or green infrastructure project, taking climate justice into account.
• Passing stricter clean water and clean air ordinances.
• Revitalizing waterfronts.
• Setting high building efficiency standards for development projects and building upgrades.