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Articles by Denise Fairchild

Denise Fairchild is president/CEO of Emerald Cities Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization of business, labor, and community groups dedicated to climate resilience strategies that produce environmental, economic, and equity outcomes. She is also an advisor to the Island Press Urban Resilience Project, which is supported by the Kresge Foundation.

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We already know that President Obama’s proposed federal budget is full of goodies to fight climate change.

But there are climate benefits hidden in other parts of the budget, too — notably, in the president’s proposal to make community college education available tuition-free for millions of students.

Why should climate advocates care about community colleges? Because these colleges are building the knowledge and skills we need to create a sustainable, resilient future.

Hundreds of community colleges have formally committed to train students on the importance of sustainability, and to prepare them for green jobs. The American Association of Community Colleges’ Sustainability Education and Economic Development Center helps community colleges deliver best-in-class programs, including a resilience training toolkit and sustainability curricula across all disciplines.

Community colleges are also greening their campuses and, in the process, creating living laboratories for sustainability. By merging campus facilities management with academic study, they are reducing their carbon footprints, saving taxpayers money, and providing experiential lear... Read more

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