RIT Pollution Prevention Expert Promotes Sustainability in Nation’s Schools

Henrietta resident Edwin Piñero, director of the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology, addressed the development of sustainable technologies that can prevent pollution in our nation’s schools during the 2008 International Go Green Earth Summit, held last weekend in Syracuse.

The event featured speakers and representatives from around the world and was sponsored by the Go Green Initiative, which seeks to advance the development of sustainability in all areas of public school education.

Piñero’s speech focused on ways that school districts can collaborate with government, industry and academia to both “green” school facilities and promote knowledge of sustainability and pollution prevention among elementary and secondary students.

“I have long been a proponent of the work being undertaken by the Go Green Initiative, and this international summit is an opportunity to enhance understanding of the sustainability needs of our schools while also disseminating best practices,” notes Piñero, who prior to joining RIT served as Federal Environmental Executive in the White House.

The summit is a major component of the Go Green Initiative’s efforts to bring together a diverse gathering of community stakeholders from across the globe to discuss and plan ways to create a culture of conservation.