By Ashleigh Fields | The Washington Informer | Word In Black
This post was originally published on The Washington Informer
(WIB) – For many, this year’s Democratic National Convention looked extremely different than past events. Those attending the caucus meetings, press briefings and daily activities didn’t see traditional printouts and pamphlets but QR codes instead. This decision was a part of a larger goal to create the most sustainable convention in the country’s history.
“We have to make the climate issues real for every single person in America. They have to see that fighting for the climate is as important as fighting for a dignified wage, as important as retirement, as important as fighting for democracy,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers argued.
Throughout the four-day convention hosted between Chicago’s United Center and McCormick Place, the Democratic National Convention planning committee collected compost, posted signage to increase recycling and also encouraged a new concept called carbon insetting, which helps mitigate toxic emissions by promoting sustainability efforts.
According to convention staff, 4,098,072 gallons of water was saved and 55,360 lbs of CO2e diverted from landfill (equivalent to 2,826 gallons of gas).
“Just as the Harris-Walz ticket and the Democratic Party are dedicated to protecting the environment, we showed this same commitment at the convention — before, during, and after this historic event,” Emily Soong, Democratic National Convention Committee press secretary told The Informer. “We worked with our sustainability advisors on a comprehensive and detailed approach to sustainability that gave back to the local community, combatted climate change, and set the bar for future conventions.”
While some loved the environmental endeavor others didn’t think it was the most practical.
“I may be behind the times. I thought with the big money raised and available they could have given out a printed program for each of the four days when finalized to the onsite delegates for press at night and press onsite at the morning briefing,” Robert Weiner, a long-time convention volunteer and media organizer since 1972.
The decision to remove paper and other items from the convention involved Bright Beat, a sustainable project management agency that specializes in zero waste through diversion. The DNC also chose to use clean energy from ComEd, a regional utility company to power convention-related affairs among many others.
Giving Back
The Convention Committee reported that 6,746 lbs of food was donated and 14,978 meals were served to local nonprofits.
“Through our food rescue program, this food ended up in compost bins or on the tables of local underserved communities where it is needed the most, such as Breakthrough Urban Ministries, Covenant House, Franciscan Outreach, CIRCLE Foundation, Benton House, Dunamis Life Church, Hope Church Pilsen, Howard Brown Health, Thresholds, New Life Covenant, Calmeca Academy, Bethel Temple and more,” a Democratic National Convention Committee spokesperson shared.
The organizing team also encouraged visitors to make donations to community groups like Growing Home, which specializes in flipping urban lots into thriving farms through local residents and volunteers. Those hired often have employment barriers but receive paid job force training that aims to offset poverty in neighborhoods on the South side of Chicago.
Growing Home is currently the only USDA-certified high-production urban farm in Chicago and has grown 35,000 pounds of organic produce. Janelle St. John, the Executive Director for Growing Home said participating in large-scale events like the Democratic National Convention is essential to solving the climate crisis.
“We have limited resources and knowing how we can best utilize those resources is important,” St. John told The Informer. “We have to teach our kids not just to prepare for today but also prepare for the future of our Earth.”
While serving as a vendor at the convention’s expo, Growing Home provided information to guests and encouraged them to travel to different areas outside of downtown where most events were held.
St. John shared, “Chicago is unfortunately very segregated so you have to step out of your comfort zone if you really want to experience it.”
As over 50,000 people traveled to Chicago’s West Side, a working-class community, hundreds helped fund the Growing Home organization which provides 25 hours per week of paid on-the-job experience despite people’s history involving criminal records, medical needs, child care and housing to put people on the path to self-sufficiency.
Donations were promoted by the Travel Carbon Inset Initiative and spanned from $77 in honor of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, $47 to supply 5 lbs. of fresh produce for a local family in need and $24 to purchase one student toolkit for Growing Home’s Training Program.
Continuing to Push Sustainability, Environmental Justice
Elected officials believe it will take intense intentionality to spur a national wave of change during the 2024 election and far beyond.
“We are fired up because we know what’s at stake. We are living in a moment and a time where the existential crises of our climate and the injustices that have been perpetuated in our environment particularly for Black folk, poor white folk, indigenous communities and rural communities that have been for too often and too long been overlooked and dismissed,” Tennessee Representative Justin Pearson (D) said.
He encouraged others to unite in combating the negative effects of climate change and environmental injustice.
“If we go into those communities knowing that transformation is necessary through community power and if we use our power and our social location to join forces together we disrupt a status quo that hurts and harms the most marginalized.”
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