Bill Gates and some other big funders are stepping into the Green movement with some major strategies for overhauling the biggest American cities.

“Living Cities will be leading an effort to invest directly in several local efforts, particularly in large-scale energy retrofitting–insulating homes, plugging the energy leaks–and designing transportation projects in pilot city markets (SF Bay Area, Minnepaolis-St. Paul). Look for new partnerships among financial institutions, philanthropy and business as a result.”

“One focus of the study was on how to make improvements in the “un” sectors of cities: the unemployed, and underskilled paying large portions of their capital on energy for their uninsulated homes.”

That’s a good sign, but we’ve yet to see open lines of communication among these big funders and the ‘un’ communities that are also dealing with the highest levels of pollution and lowest levels of existing support.

The clout these foundations have can’t be ignored, and I’d say it’s an important step for Green businessmen to start wielding their authority.  But it’ll be up to us to make sure it goes down in the way that works for us, the residents of these cities, and make it less of a PR move, more of a sea change.

Related posts:

1. A Green Education For At Risk Students
2. Senate Passes Jobs Bill
3. Green Your Job = Green Yourself?
4. My President is Green!
5. We Gotta Work On Youth Violence NOW!