Sunshine City has won another accolade with regard to its leadership's commitment to environmental consciousness: St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman made a list of the world's 100 most influential people when it comes to climate policy.
The list comes courtesy of apolitical, a "global network for government, helping public servants find the ideas, people and partners they need to solve the hardest challenges facing our societies" (?!), and features leaders from around the world, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Al Gore, Bernie Sanders, Pope Francis, Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough and Michael Bloomberg.
So, yeah — esteemed company.
Kriseman's proactive views on climate change, sea level rise and other environmental issues are well-documented; back in 2016, he pledged that St. Pete would be the first city in Florida to transition completely to clean and renewable energy, though the 'Burg's journey hasn't been without its rebuttals and controversies thus far.
But it's not easy being green, and given the fact that a whole lot of people in high places are still reluctant to admit that climate change even exists, it's gotta be no small honor to be recognized among some of the world's most outspoken advocates for policy change regarding environmental policy.
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This article appears in Mar 21-28, 2019.