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He makes every day Earth Day

By THERESA BLACKWELL
Published November 27, 2006

LARGO - Pinellas officials are on a mission to spread the virtues of sustainability.

In short, officials say, sustainability is a process that can lead to conservation of resources, increased economic prosperity and better lives today and in the future. It can be as simple as changing to fluorescent light bulbs or as bold as redesigning cities.

And they have a new point person for the cause.

Devesh Nirmul, 34, is the Pinellas County Extension's new Urban Environmental Sustainability agent, the first one in the state.

Nirmul thinks that with the right attitude, the county can adapt the wisdom of the natural world and natural processes to live in a manner that sustains humanity and the earth.

"I'm here to be a catalyst for the journey of sustainability that the county is embarking upon," Nirmul said. "We can use our talents as human beings to make this work for ourselves and everything around us."

Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension director, is working with Nirmul to introduce the concept to county employees, businesses and residents. The initial focus has been Pinellas County government, and county officials are already fired up, she said.

Nirmul started that journey himself as a senior at Brandon High School. He remembers Earth Day in 1990 at Lowry Park Zoo as what nudged him down his life's path. He designed his own major at the University of Florida, then completed a master's in public affairs and in environmental science at Indiana University.

In Washington, D.C., he enjoyed the urban lifestyle, walking and taking the Metro subway. He worked at the National Wildlife Federation and several other nonprofits and consulted for the federal government.

He co-founded the Washington D.C. Sustainable Business Network that brought businesses together to talk about how business can do well and do good at the same time.

In Tampa, he worked for the city on the mayor's beautification program as Environmental Services Coordinator and then as an urban planner.

The job he started in Pinellas two months ago is mostly funded by the University of Florida William P. and Janet F. Bushnell Professorship in Urban Environmental Sustainability endowment.

Nirmul plans to use his education and experience to lead the county to adopt practices and designs that incorporate concern for economic, social and environmental health.

"You don't have to trade off one for the other if you do it right," he said.

Some county officials, like affordable housing director Frank Bowman, were already familiar with the concept. Bowman went to his first conference on the subject in about 1988.

"This is so wonderful," he said. "It is becoming imperative at this stage, and I think there's enough momentum to get it going."

Building housing for workers next to where they work in industrial areas, Bowman said, is an example of a good practice. Employees can walk to work. The family needs one less car and that frees up their income for other uses.

That's one less car using fuel, spewing emissions and adding to traffic congestion.

Spirits were high at Nirmul's first meeting last week with county officials who will lead the process.

The Florida Green Building Coalition had recently awarded the county a silver rating in the Green Local Government Award, the first in Florida.

Nirmul and Campbell hope the county will serve as an example for residents as they move along in the process and find new ways to make sure the most densely populated county in Florida only gets better.

They plan to improve their Web site at www.pinellascounty.org/ sustainability. The site already asks residents to take pledges to do things like replace one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb or turn off the water while brushing teeth.

Just after the meeting with county officials, Campbell consulted with Nirmul as he packed up his electronic equipment.

"You're going to have a pretty simplistic work plan this year," she said, "which is really spreading the word."

[Last modified November 27, 2006, 07:04:35]