By Daily Press staff
The only one of its kind scheduled, a town hall meeting will take place this Saturday in Santa Monica to prepare for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August.
Environmental and local government leaders from Southern California will convene the meeting on June 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Crossroads School.
Representatives from the Bush Administration and the United Nations will present the issues that will be discussed at the summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants will have an opportunity to comment on the U.S. government’s position and provide feedback.
The United Nations Earth Summit, scheduled for August in South Africa, is in disarray with the failure of the recent international preparatory meeting in Bali, Indonesia, to agree on a draft action plan.
“Californians have led the nation on facing many environmental challenges including green power, clean air, clean buses, water quality and urban forestry,” said Irving Samoff, director of the Friends of the United Nations, one of the organizing groups for the town hall meeting. “Everyone attending will have an opportunity to contribute to the report of the recommendations that will be sent with a member of the U.S. Delegation to the summit in Johannesburg.”
Representing the White House is Allan Hecht, associate director sustainable development, council on environmental quality. Representing the United Nations is Lowell L. Flanders, assistant director of the division for sustainable development. There will be 40 other speakers from various organizations.
Crossroads School is located at 1715 Olympic Boulevard.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 27, 2002. Read the original PDF.