More than 100,000 people rallied at Green Jobs Now events across the country “to urge leaders to jump start the clean energy economy [and] create real energy solutions that build a new green economy strong enough to create millions of green jobs and lift people out of poverty”. Twenty or so of the 100,000 were at Smith-Peters Park (900 Catherine Street) today, marking Richmond’s commitment to the creation of clean jobs as a boon to both the environment and the local economy.

There were a number of speakers, including mayoral candidate Paul Goldman and 2nd District council candidates Tyron Bey and Charles Samuels. We also heard from Melissa Phillips for PowerVote.org (pictured above), Jon Davidow from Back Porch Energy, Ron Brown of the Carver-VCU partnership, Christopher Maxwell, and Laura Halperin from Waste Not Want Not. Technical difficulties ate some of the recordings (sorry Charles), but most of the speechmaking is linked below.

Halperin’s growing composting project, Waste Not Want Not, stands out as exactly the kind of on-the-ground that needs more exposure. Richmond’s independent restaurants are in a good position to work with green entrepreneurs to cut down on their waste and take “biodegradable materials out of our precarious landfills and puts all the nutrients from the food waste back into the soil”.

Listen to what folks had to say:

• Jon Davidow, Back Porch Energy
• Ron Brown, Carver- VCU partnertship
• Paul Goldman, mayoral candidate
• Tyron Bey, 2nd District council candidate
• Laura Halperin, Waste Not Want Not

Check out photos from the event.