The Earth and its most committed local champions take center stage at University of Tampa this weekend. During the Earth Charter Sustainable Business Awards of Tampa Bay luncheon on Friday, 16 Bay area businesses of all sizes are honored for demonstrating dedication to social, economic and environmental responsibility. Among the award-winners are Kaleisia Tea Lounge, Busch Gardens, the Tampa Bay Rays, OceanGrown Inc., and Sirata Beach Resort. On Saturday, people from around the world meet physically and electronically for the Earth Charter Climate Change Community Summit, an international forum on community-based solutions to climate change. The day-long event features workshops, lectures, lunch and a "Webcast Global Round-Robin," at which each participating city — NYC; Honolulu; Senegal, Africa; Okinawa, Japan; and Hamburg, Germany, among many others — offers a two-minute presentation on its commitment to addressing climate change. A special "Earth Scouts" program for boys and girls ages 3-13 is also offered throughout the day. Youths enjoy a tasting of and talk about fair trade chocolate, letter-writing to government officials on environmental issues, and other hands-on activities that focus on subjects like human rights, respect for nature, economic justice and a culture of peace. Sustainable Business Awards, Fri., Oct. 10, 11:30 a.m., Vaughn Center, $50, and Community Summit, Sat., Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Falk Theatre and the Vaughn Center, free admission, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, utampa.edu.
This article appears in Oct 8-14, 2008.