It was a beautiful Florida day, so instead of driving, we rode our bikes to downtown West Palm Beach for Step It Up 2007. We had a blast!  There were great speakers and we met a lot of really intersting people who care about the environment and showed their shade of green.

The mayor of West Palm Beach, Lois Frankel, kicked off the event. Governor Charlie Crist and Senator Bill Nelson couldn’t make it, so their letters supporting stepping up against climate change were read to the crowd!  We also heard from Bryan Miller who is running for the Florida House, as well as the U.S. Green Building Council and Dr. John Marr from the Perry Institute for Marine Science. 

We also met a bunch of really interesting people!  A realtor wanted to make her entire office paperless.  We met a county employee who installed solar panels on his house and knew a whole lot about electrical engineering.  We also met a school teacher working to start a recycling program where he teaches, a college student interested in biodiesel, and a local green high school club who, if I remember correctly, called themselves the “tree-huggers.”  We also spoke to a rep from Whole Foods and tried to convince her to open a store in West Palm Beach!  

We wrapped up the event by test driving a Toyota Scion retrofitted with an electric engine that the owner plugs into his house to recharge.  The ride was smooth, quiet, and get this, only two dollars to travel over 160 miles!  (We’ll write more on this later on.)

What was Step It Up 2007 like in your city?  We’d love to hear about it.  If you have any pictures, send them to yourpics@youmaybegreen.com.