Pay close attention to the politics of today and you'll hear no shortage of talk about climate change, sustainability, bans on single use plastic bags, and a move to eliminate plastic straws from the landscape. Going green, however, does not have to be a chore. It can actually be fun. And to prove it, you should check out Boston's 12th annual Green Fest and Tech Expo, a three-day expo that aims to educate and empower people to create a more sustainable and healthier world. It's happening this month from the 16th to the 18th in Boston. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Henry Santoro: Here to fill us in on all things Boston Green Fest is Executive Director Karen Weber-Salamanca. Good morning.
Karen Weber-Salamanca: Good morning.
Santoro: Before we jump in and talk all things green, first let me just mention that here at WGBH, the building that we're in, on guest Street in Brighton, it's a very green building. And I know that you know that because you had a hand in that, didn't you?
Weber-Salamanca: I did indeed. I helped establish a vegetated rooftop, which is a green roof on your building.
Santoro: Well, thank you for that.
Weber-Salamanca: You're very welcome.
Santoro: This month marks the 12th year of the Green Fest, a festival that you have founded. My guess is that the green initiative in 2008 was nowhere near as popular with politicians as it is now.
Weber-Salamanca: You are correct. I think the general population is starting to realize that climate change is real. They're seeing it around hurricanes, storms, fires, droughts that we're seeing now not just in other parts of the world but in our own country.
Santoro: The festival is equal parts entertainment and education. Where should people head to and what can they expect to find from the 16th to the 18th?
Weber-Salamanca: That's a great question. I think they should try to work to be there all three days if they can because there's so much to see. We have over 100 exhibitors and eco-vendors that are going to be from the rings fountain on the green way to the carousel where we'll have a smart city pavilion with very interesting items to sort of start envisioning what if a city of the future could be. Then we have a beautiful stage and performance area on the Christopher Columbus Park where we're going to be showing live music dance and theater. There'll be a lot of great messaging as well. We also have an eco-fashion show on Saturday.
Santoro: What does that encompass?
Weber-Salamanca: That's a wonderful program. What we're trying to do is help people understand that there are ways to think about clothing and our accessories in a way that's a little bit more friendly to the environment. We also have the Green Tech Expo on Saturday that's going to be inside the Marriott. We have robotics and how robotics are connected to the environment. And we have all kinds of innovators that are doing some interesting initiatives and research on ways to make tech a little bit more eco-savvy.
Santoro: And so everything was in walking distance?
Weber-Salamanca: Everything's in walking distance. I also have another wonderful thing to announce. We're going to have our Boston Green Film Fest over at 25 Union Street. Our theme this year is connecting land and sea — trying to help people recognize that our actions on land affect the ocean and the ocean is very much a part of what helps us survive here on land.
