As I mentioned yesterday, I think that Renewable Cities was the best conference I’ve ever attended. A huge reason for that was how practically oriented it was — there was a repeated emphasis on taking home for practical implementation lessons, information, and very specific suggestions from other forum participants. As just one example of that, the Mayor of Vancouver and the Deputy City Manager at one point sat on stage and took advice from members of the audience on how to get Vancouver to 100% renewable energy (a recently announced target). They sat there taking notes from various experts for about 30 minutes! The Neighborhood Energy Manager and other city staff were sitting there taking notes as well.
Renewable Cities was packed with top-notch professionals with wonderful stories and advice, bringing a lot of inspiration to the crowd. Renewable Cities organizers and volunteers were busy throughout the event working to summarize it and highlight top quotes from participants. Below is a long series of my favorite tweets from the event. (Note that it takes awhile for all of those embedded tweets to load, so be patient or grab a snack or something if they haven’t loaded for you once you get down there.)
Of course, one other thing that I guess I loved about the conference was that I was really in my element — it was the stuff we read and write about every day here on Important Media. In fact, there were dozens of CleanTechnica readers there. It seemed that 80–90% of the people I talked to were CleanTechnica readers!
If you missed Renewable Cities, I encourage you to join in next time, whether you work in a cleantech sector or are simply a passionate citizen. Unfortunately, I think the next one won’t be for another three years…. In the meantime, keep reading CleanTechnica and enjoy these tweets (starting with a few featuring a skinny, short-haired guy you might recognize):
.@zshahan3: technology changes very quickly… Case in point. #RECities pic.twitter.com/nbRRePdcuz
— jane zhang (@plainzhang) May 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/MikeSoron/status/598689138280255489
https://twitter.com/MikeSoron/status/598687333370634240
"The future is now. Solar is competitive: it's cheaper than gas and coal." – @zshahan3 of @cleantechnica #REcities pic.twitter.com/8h3hyzfsuH
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
" Burning coal costs 5 billion a year in health and environmental costs in the U.S.A " @zshahan3 @renewablecities #RECities
— SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (@SFUDialogue) May 14, 2015
Let us all drive on sunshine! @renewablecities @zshahan3 #renewableenergy @TeslaMotors #RECities #solarenergy
— SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (@SFUDialogue) May 14, 2015
@renewablecities kick starts mind blowing reality #RECities – the future is now @LennoxCourtenay @CityofCourtenay pic.twitter.com/Nqi2zjhj3N
— David Frisch (@frischdavid1) May 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/MikeSoron/status/598688115658620928
@zshahan3 @cleantechnica & Stefan Shurig at @renewablecities series "clean energy revolution is a distributed economy revolution" #RECities
— Zack Embree (@zack_embree) May 15, 2015
"Of course it's cities – 82% of emissions. That's us." – @seankidney #REcities
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 15, 2015
"I'm here because… It can be done." – @Gwendal_C #REcities pic.twitter.com/JpgR9hlPPz
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
Our Programs and Communications Manager, @KeaGru loves #cleanenergy! #REcities pic.twitter.com/RWAcXVKkKW
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
This may be the best possible reason to attend #REcities Global Learning Forum. @esperanzagarcia #climate pic.twitter.com/9sloYf47m7
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
"Build your communities so people can walk to places." – @sadhuajohnston of @CityofVancouver #REcities pic.twitter.com/dElhQo5FA5
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
"Cities can do this…we can create change." @sadhuajohnston on a 100% renewable @CityofVancouver at @renewablecities #RECities
— kamilah (@CoastalKamilah) May 14, 2015
Chris Henderson: #Aboriginal leaders across canada are bringing (renewable) power to the people #RECities pic.twitter.com/87UwfTZvIn
— jane zhang (@plainzhang) May 14, 2015
"In Canada, we need everyday visible signs of new energy solutions." – @merransmith of @cleanenergycan #REcities pic.twitter.com/V1dvuxki3C
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
.@esperanzagarcia & @bfvrubim energize the crowd and bring the connections between climate change and inequality to the fore at #RECities
— Erica Lay (@EricaMKLay) May 14, 2015
GHG neutral world is technically possible! Ingredients needed = policy change + urgent action – Harry Lehnamm #RECities @renewablecities
— Tesicca Truong | 張慈櫻 | Trương Từ Anh (she/her) (@TesiccaT) May 14, 2015
Harry Lehmann 80% of Germans are supportive of Energiewende; a complete change of industry % society #RECities cities are a point of action
— Karen lockridge (@KarenLockridge) May 14, 2015
Marc Jacobson: by 2050, the US can be electrified, and powered by wind, water and solar #RECities @mzjacobson
— Karen lockridge (@KarenLockridge) May 14, 2015
"We have to fight to keep the Earth green and sustainable." – Ross Beaty of @Alterra_Power #REcities pic.twitter.com/e5JYR7jiIu
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 14, 2015
"Moving to 100% Renewables is not only possible, it's inevitable" @ShaunaSylvester at the #REcities opening #PechaKucha
— Andrea Reimer (she/her) (@andreareimer) May 14, 2015
.@bfvrubim's parting message @ #RECities: "We hold the (renewable) POWER to create change beyond our wildest imaginations!"
— Carbon Talks (@carbontalks) May 14, 2015
The era of renewable energy is here. More than 175 gigawatts of solar was online at the close fo 2014 @renewablecities #REcities
— Plug'n Drive (@PlugN_Drive) May 14, 2015
36 percent of global energy lost in waste heat, from Rob Thornton, Int'l District Energy Assoc. at #REcities
— Chris Henderson (@ChrisChenderson) May 14, 2015
@mayorgregor @sadhuajohnston seek advice on how to achieve the 100%RE target that Vancouver set recently… #VAN100RE #REcities #go100re
— Anna Leidreiter (@AnnaLeidreiter) May 14, 2015
Sadhu and Gregor crowdsourcing next level renewable cities ideas for Van's 100% renewable energy target #van100re pic.twitter.com/W1go0QYHcC
— SSG (@SSGcoop) May 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/paloaltocso/status/598894577706209280
@cityofcalgary has been 100% Wind powered electricity for City operations since 2012 #recities #leadership @ENMAX #Van100RE
— Bruce Cullen (@BACullenyyc) May 14, 2015
@MayorGregor : Working towards 100% renewable energy isnt a choice, its a necessity @RenewableCities #REcities
— Veronika Bylicki (@veronikabyl) May 14, 2015
Theme of the morning so far at #REcities 2015 is we have the technology and solutions for #100%Renewable @renewablecities
— Climate Access (@climateaccess) May 14, 2015
Fascinating session on using public art to generate power. @renewablecities #REcities #LandArtGenerator #vanpoli pic.twitter.com/1VhOV51NxE
— Heather Deal (@VanRealDeal) May 14, 2015
Art is a great icebreaker + training opportunity when introducing #renewables to our communities. #REcities #yvr pic.twitter.com/rT4NTGl1CC
— Angela Danyluk (@ADanyluk) May 14, 2015
#RenewableEnergy can create = Civic pride. Autonomy. Local ownership. Resilience. That gets people (and ME) excited! #RECities
— Tesicca Truong | 張慈櫻 | Trương Từ Anh (she/her) (@TesiccaT) May 15, 2015
We don't have time for bridging, we don't have time for less than 100% @chernushenko #REcities
— Shea O'Neil (@skoneil9) May 15, 2015
*Its about time that universities became the hotbeds of what we SHOULD be doing" Sean Kidney #REcities
— Erica Lay (@EricaMKLay) May 15, 2015
"We ready for the renewable energy revolution. The tipping point is here" says @MargeryMoore #REcities pic.twitter.com/hitKofPSrG
— Molly Henry (@mollymhenry) May 15, 2015
If Barcelona , Copenhagen, and Burlington Vermont can do it, then Greater Victoria CAN DO IT!! @renewablecities @MayorNils #REcities
— SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (@SFUDialogue) May 15, 2015
https://twitter.com/KeaGru/status/599326887924486144
At #REcities conclusion "action on #renewables is not just an environmental strategy, it's an economic strategy." #vancouver
— JAMES ROBERTS (@JamesRobertsCBC) May 15, 2015
#RECities @andreareimer & David Cadman closing plenary: Renewable energy has the potential to power us out poverty globally
— Gwendal Castellan (@Gwendal_C) May 15, 2015
Great quotes: it's not a 'renewable energy future', it's 'renewable energy now': if you can't go thru them, go around them #RECities
— Karen lockridge (@KarenLockridge) May 15, 2015
Takeaway: We are ready innovation-wise. Work needs to be done on policy side. @MargeryMoore #REcities
— Renewable Cities (@renewablecities) May 15, 2015
Transitions to Renewable energy is an economic opportunity and a moral obligation #RECities #bcpoli @COP21
— Shauna Sylvester (@ShaunaSylvester) May 15, 2015
@RonanDantec at #RECities: We need a positive narrative for #Paris2015. Therefore we need local governments to raise their voice. #COP21
— Global100%RE (@Global100RE) May 15, 2015
@RonanDantec at #REcities: the most important day this year is not Paris but the day before Paris!!! #COP21 #GetUpAnd #go100re
— Anna Leidreiter (@AnnaLeidreiter) May 15, 2015
Ronan Dantec says the days before Paris are most important to counter climate fatalism #REcities pic.twitter.com/7FTsqWmSp3
— Shauna Sylvester (@ShaunaSylvester) May 15, 2015
Climate scientists are suffering from mental health because we aren't listening Sean Kidney #RECITIES @sfu pic.twitter.com/y6mYqM82rd
— Shauna Sylvester (@ShaunaSylvester) May 15, 2015
“Difference between 2 degree warming and 4 degree warming: Civilization.” HT @seankidney @climatebonds #RECities
— Mathew Bond (@mrmathewbond) May 15, 2015
Manuel Valdes Lopez #Barcelona & Jose Etcheverry #Toronto "abundant era of renewable nrg" @renewablecities #RECities pic.twitter.com/vXugfQGcJj
— Zack Embree (@zack_embree) May 14, 2015
Vancouver has reached goal (early!) of 50% transportation by foot, bike or public transport. Copenhagen on way to goal of 75%! #RECities
— Karen lockridge (@KarenLockridge) May 14, 2015
Would it possible to be to 100% renewable in 10 years? That's the s #moonshot in Palo Alto #dreambig #RECities
— Tesicca Truong | 張慈櫻 | Trương Từ Anh (she/her) (@TesiccaT) May 14, 2015
@gfriend presents levers for achieving its 100% RE target at #RECities in #vancouver. Let's learn to go @Global100RE pic.twitter.com/reBf60FFuD
— Anna Leidreiter (@AnnaLeidreiter) May 14, 2015
I have never participated in a conference as focused and results oriented as the Renewable cities forum. Huge thanks to SFU #REcities
— Novo Solar Solutions (@NovoSolar) May 15, 2015
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. Let's make #REcities happen! pic.twitter.com/6gbJxaAwNg
— Molly Henry (@mollymhenry) May 15, 2015
Half of world's population lives in urban centres. Delegates from 45 countries attend #REcities in Vancouver https://t.co/8ispK2xpOS
— Peter Ronald (@raenvald) May 15, 2015
I can't think of a better way to end the incredible #RECities Forum than a test drive of #TeslaModelS. #renewableenergy @bfvrubim @zshahan3
— Kristin Lundmark (@AnneKristin_J) May 17, 2015
My take away from #RECities :The future is now! 100% renewable energy is technically possible, an economical opportunity, a moral obligation
— Remi Gervais (@RemiPG) May 15, 2015
"I now know how we can do 100% renewable, not just that we should" @AdrianeCarr at @renewablecities #REcities
— QI Vancouver (@QIVancouver) May 15, 2015
Note that I retweeted all of those just this weekend. It’s not too late — do the same! 😀
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