Statement in Response to President’ Obama’s Remarks From Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA

“Indeed New Orleans is blossoming again, thanks to so many amazing social entrepreneurial leaders across the the great city. The job has not been easy.  Much like President Francis as he pledged to reopen Xavier University within months after Hurricane Katrina, many people thought I was crazy to think we could help rebuild New Orleans to be a green city in the years after the storm,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA. “Remarkably, we have made significant progress on all fronts we pledged to accomplish:

• Greening the schools and housing to be rebuilt — and now, the Recovery School District is on track to not just have 6 green schools that Global Green made possible (including the Wilson School where I spent Friday morning with EPA Administrator Jackson), but dozens of healthier, energy efficient schools;
• Advancing our goal of adopting a neighborhood not just with the the first phase of our sustainable village – the Holy Cross Project - being completed, but our green map shows the thousands of homes that are more energy efficient and healthier across Greater New Orleans.

Still, just as President Obama has stated, too few people have been able to come home and too few new jobs have been created – the President’s commitment to help New Orleans recover needs to continue to include increased investment in greener, cleaner jobs and buildings to create a community of the future,” continued Petersen. “Thankfully, our Holy Cross Project is an example of the President’s commitment — our sustainable village is the only recipient of stimulus funds for new construction in the Lower 9th Ward, helping build our community and climate action center.

The President’s commitment to keep his promise to help the region recover in the aftermath of the BP oil disaster is critical – but he must also put in place a long term strategy to help New Orleans and the Gulf Coast transition to the future,” concluded Petersen. “Global Green’s call for a Gulf Coast Healthy Communities and Clean Energy Foundation – funded with BP settlement funds – would create a long term environmental and economic recovery, and help the hard working Americans lead the way toward the transition to cleaner energy and good jobs.”