Air Date: Week of June 3, 2005

Mayors from around the world gather in the Bay Area for the very first World Environment Day ever to be hosted in the United States. San Francisco opens its golden gates with green fanfare.

Transcript

[LIVE FLUTE MUSIC]

CURWOOD: Musicians from Iraq's National Symphony played traditional folk music to open the festivities at World Environment Day. Some 70 mayors from all over the world are in the Golden Gate City for the United Nations event. This is the first time the annual conference is being held in the United States since the celebration began in 1974. This year's theme is Greening Cities, and San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom is well aware why his town became the chosen venue.

NEWSOM: Now we like to think the United Nations chose San Francisco because of our great environmental stewardship, because of our example, and because we have so much to share, but we would be, I think, overstating it. Do not forget where you are sitting here today is exactly where people were some 60 years ago next month, those were the people that put together the documents to found the United Nations.

 

Links

World Environment Day