Education & Awareness

In order to facilitate the cultural and behavioral shift required to make Baltimore more sustainable, awareness needs to be incorporated into the daily life of the entire community. A 1996 report from the President’s Council on Sustainable Development stated that, “broad-based action is needed because local government alone cannot accomplish long-term solutions to community problems.” The City’s young people are one of our greatest assets. As they come to understand the connection between how they act now and the impact their actions have on their own futures, they come to accept sustainability as an integral part of their daily lives. The success of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan is dependent upon the participation of all residents, businesses, and institutions within the City. In a 2008 study ranking U.S. cities on different aspects of sustainability, Baltimore was tied for 11th place for knowledge and information criteria. We can improve this number by reaching out to those who would not normally be concerned with environmental issues, making connections to their everyday lives and demonstrating the effect their behaviors have on the world around them.