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solar installations , alleviating health concerns around homeless encampments by creating rapid response teams to collect abandoned waste , and abating the rat population . Discussing the progress the department has made towards its own sustainability goals , he says that “ our Mayor put forth a sustainability plan back in 2015 , which is committing all of us in the city – and certainly the municipal departments – towards a more low-carbon , green energy future . In April , he updated the plan because many of the goals that were on track to be achieved , about 90 %, had already been met .”
Alongside technology , Walters is keen to reiterate that education is a key factor in tackling climate change : “ There ’ s a lot more awareness in the population as a whole ,” he says . “ We ’ ve been educating children on environmental issues for several decades and , as they have matured , they have fostered a more socially responsible population .”
105 Douglas Walters
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
In his dual role as LA Sanitation & Environment ’ s Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Resiliency Officer , Doug Walters , P . E ., BCEE , has been a leader on many fronts since his graduation as a Civil Engineer at UCLA . He ’ s been instrumental in numerous breakthroughs in ceasing ocean discharge of biosolids , designing composting facilities , transforming landfills , improving water quality , integrating water assets and planning , recruiting talented engineers , strategic planning , and touting environmental justice and equality causes . In June , he rode his bicycle 545 miles from San Francisco to LA to raise money and awareness in support of people living longer and stronger with HIV and AIDS .
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