By Michael Schmitz, Executive Director of ICLEI USA Back in 2010, when Colorado gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes accused Denver’s bicycle sharing program of being part of an insidious United Nations conspiracy to take over America’s communities, a nation chuckled at the absurdity. ” Cities Engage in Vast Biking Conspiracy (Shh!)” read a New York Times headline. More than [...]

By Michael Schmitz, Interim Executive Director, ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability USA Two things are clear in the wake of the COP17 international climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa. First, time is not on our side in the fight against climate change. And second, the world needs to look beyond national governments for meaningful ways to reduce [...]