City of LA Bureau of Sanitation Assistant Director Adel Hagekhalil recently became president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. VX News presents remarks he made in Rhode Island as he assumed the new position, expressing thanks and outlining his main objectives for NACWA going forward.
Los Angeles Times Publisher Austin Beutner and California Governor Jerry Brown engaged this month in a dialogue about the state's drought and climate-change challenges to come during "Water in the West," held at USC. Brown delves into an explanation of the Bay Delta tunnels and the challenges of water governance in California. VX News offers edited selections from the event, beginning with an introduction by USC President Dr. C.L. Max Nikias.
Phillip Washington was appointed CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in March, coming west from Denver's Regional Transportation District. At the June meeting of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Board of Governors, Washington explains five mega-trends in transportation, then articulates his goals for Metro in the context of these national shifts. He emphasizes the need for public-private partnerships in the context of shrinking federal funds for major infrastructure. VX presents an edited transcript of these remarks, with an introduction by LAEDC President and CEO Bill Allen.
Last week, Pope Francis joined a long line of his predecessors by issuing new Catholic teachings on a contemporary subject. The 184-page encyclical, called “Laudato Si’” or “Praise Be To You: On Care for Our Common Home” called on people across the world to address the serious threat of climate change. Pope Francis intertwines religious texts and science, making the case for anthropogenic warming as well as other harms caused to the planet by humans. In these excerpts selected by VerdeXchange News, Pope Francis urges nations to join together through international agreements, transforming their economies to prevent further destruction.
Maryanne Weiss, president of Gustare Ltd. and CEO of VerdeXchange Arizona, has penned an op-ed on the importance of a sustainable economic relationship between Arizona and Mexico. She argues that collaboration and productive teamwork are necessary for the growth of the region. Weiss points out that two G20 nations sharing a border surely offers an opportunity for collective endeavors, around climate and otherwise, that must not be missed. To learn more about VX Arizona, visit www.vxaz.com.