The NFTA-Metro is proud to announce the winners of the 2012 Good Going Awards. Businesses and organizations throughout Western New York continue to develop innovative Earth Day programs and events that not only illustrate their individual commitment to green principles on Earth Day, but strengthen our regional understanding of the importance of sustainable living every day. The winners of the 2012 Good Going Awards are:
Earth Day Alternative Transportation Award - Green Options Buffalo Complete Streets Summit
Green Options Buffalo’s Buffalo Complete Streets Summit April 19 was designed to recognize that transportation is an urgent issue that impacts the prosperity, health, and livability of the entire Greater Buffalo region. Understanding that the challenges facing us are multi-faceted, transcend municipal boundaries, and affect all of us, regardless of how we choose to get around – by car, bike, transit, or our own two feet – the summit looked to confront these challenges head-on by engaging a diverse group of professionals, policy-makers, researchers, advocates, community members and thought leaders from across the region.
Earth Day Community Outreach Award - Burchfield Penney Art Center “Live Exhibition of our Food Culture”
The Burchfield Penney Art Center M&T Second Friday’s event April 13, hosted a “live exhibition of our food culture.” The event showcased the vibrancy of the local and sustainable food movement in Western New York. Nearly 20 farms, vineyards and nonprofits devoted to creating a healthier, smarter and more connected place to live attended the event. The Burchfield Penney Art Center has shown its ongoing support of efforts to improve the local economy and the health of our residents and environment.
Earth Day Program Award - Rich Products
Rich Products continued their great efforts to conduct a month long “Moving Toward Zero Waste” themed Earth Day program. Rich’s Earth Day program included hosting an electronic recycling drive, promoting a "Bring Your Own Reusable" to the cafeteria to reduce waste of disposable utensils, providing opportunities for employees to volunteer in the community with Riverkeeper, Massachusetts Avenue Project, and the City Honors community garden, as well as establishing a company-wide action plan to reduce paper usage by half in the coming year.
“Earth Day is Every Day” Award - Clean Air Coalition’s Lois Gibbs Fellowship
The Lois Gibbs Fellowship is a selective, seven-month program that provides a diverse set of emerging citizen leaders with the tools and training to build sustained political will to improve the environment and health in Western New York neighborhoods. The program is named in honor of Lois Gibbs who is emblematic of the program’s philosophy: ordinary individuals can make an extraordinary difference.
Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Stewardship - University at Buffalo’s Solar Strand
The University at Buffalo’s Solar Strand, which is the 3,200-panel photovoltaic array that was constructed at the entrance to UB’s North Campus, was formally dedicated in a ceremony on April 23. The Solar Strand represents an innovative approach to obtaining carbon neutrality and lessening our environmental footprint on the future while welcoming students, faculty, staff and community members at the gateway of the campus. It will generate enough carbon-free energy to power approximately 700 student apartments, as well as serve as a natural classroom for kindergarteners to PhD students. The strand will be one of the most publicly accessible energy parks in the world, designed to invite the community in, to learn, to share, and move sustainability forward as one community. UB’s Solar Strand is a shining example of an outstanding achievement in environmental stewardship.
