STEADY BROOK Getting everyone on the same page is one thing, but Glenn Sharp says more than talk is required to fire up the green economic engine.
Sharp, engineering manager of Abydoz Environmental, was one of about 60 people who attended a dialogue on the green economy concept facilitated by The Strategic Partnership at Marble Mountain in Steady Brook on Friday.
The discussion on the development of an environmentally and socially conscious economy involved private business representatives and officials from government and the educational sector.
The purpose of the day-long session was to raise the level of discussion of the green economy at the regional level and to gather input related to local opportunities and challenges that might help shape public policy in the future.
Sharp, whose company designs and installs engineered wetlands as wastewater treatment systems for communities, said it’s always good to engage more and more people at this level of thinking.
“I’d like to see follow-up events where they try to take some of the things seen here to another level of moving forward to try and take action,” said Sharp.
“It’s good to get people together to bring their interests forward, but action stimulates more activity.”
Leigh Puddester, the chair and chief executive officer of the province’s Multi-Materials Stewardship Board, attended Friday’s session.
His organization is unique in that it is involved in the regulations and policy of waste management, is an agent for public education and is also a business that tries to generate revenue from recycling initiatives.
He agreed with Sharp in that the ultimate goal is for these talks to stimulate real economic activity.
“The more we can do to get people to understand the potential of the province and find common approaches to deal with some of the challenges that we’re hearing about, the better,” said Puddester.
“At the end of day, though, we need those businesses that are going to go out and create the opportunitiess and seize those opportunities.”
