When Mayor Frank Jackson created the cabinet-level position Chief of Sustainability, he illustrated in very certain terms his commitment to turn Cleveland into a "Green City on a Blue Lake."

With the goal of making the region attractive to mobile professionals, this administration seeks at every turn to reduce carbon emissions, expand green spaces, increase bike access, and improve the health and well being of its residents – all while fostering sustainable economic growth.

But why wait for City Hall? Numerous philanthropic and commercial enterprises are hard at work pursuing green-minded ideas. Sustainability is about more than installing CFLs; it is a way of looking at everything from food and art to architecture and transportation with an eye towards the future. Paying heed now to the triple bottom line ensures that tomorrow's generation will have the opportunity to do the same.

Initiatives like the Evergreen Cooperatives seek to create living wage jobs by leveraging the buying power of the city's largest medical, educational and cultural institutions. Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, and University Hospitals alone spend over $3 billion per year on goods and services. Local farms and farmers markets are tapping into a $7 billion per year food budget that would otherwise be served by out-of-state producers.