City Business to Host a Green Conference

The Metropolitan catering hall in Glen Cove will be filled with Long Island elected officials, environment experts and more on Saturday as the site of Yes We Can! Long Island's Going Green Conference.

The organization — a grassroots group that started in 2007 — aims to spread awareness about health care and campaign finance reform, energy, the environment, jobs and the economy, according to its Web site. It currently has nearly 1,000 members.

The organization's environmental committee, representatives said, spent months organizing the conference, which is slated to discuss, among other things, energy efficiency, alternate fuel sources as well as educate attendees about what environmentally friendly decisions they can make in their homes and businesses. Vendors at the conference will also provide displays, presentations and other information about how the public can do something green. 

There will be a host of speakers and panelists on-hand including Rabia Aziz, of Advocating for Solutions, who will discuss going green in business. Experts will also provide the public with information about ways to get federal, state and Long Island Power Authority rebates for projects such as installing a solar energy system in their homes. John Kaiman, supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, will discuss what environment initiatives are taking place at the school level. 

Guests, officials said, will also have a chance to win free programmable thermostats and energy saving light bulbs that in a raffle drawing. 

As a part of the program, the group will also present Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg (D-Merrick) with its Environmentalist of the Year award. 

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and the conference will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit yeswecanli.org.