What makes Knoxville great?
Some might say it is our stunning landscapes; we have a vast network of parks and greenways throughout this county and we are lucky to be nestled in between the Great Smoky Mountains and Lake Loudon.
There are those that say it is in our history, reflected in our architecture and monuments that bring our memoires, tragedies, and victories to life in ways that schoolbooks simply can’t.
And others say it is our quality of life— from city streets teeming with happily busy people to beautiful lawns and playgrounds in quaint neighborhoods— we have conveniences and lifestyles that would have awed generations past.
As you know, it is all these things. But what binds them together is our people—young, old, and from all ethnicities and all walks of life. When our people come together to rally behind a cause or an effort, we can accomplish anything.
This is what Keep Knoxville Beautiful and the Great American Cleanup is all about. This is what we hope our work will progress, preserve and protect for generations to come.
At the core of the Great American Cleanup are the litter pick-ups, small and large throughout all of Knox County. Last year, we had 3,424 citizens who donated almost 10,000 hours of service to clean 256 miles of streets, roads and highways. They picked up almost 208,000 pounds of litter and we expect to cover even more in 2010!
Litter is more than just a blight on the landscape. It is a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects and rodents, it encourages further community irresponsibility and it adversely affects water quality, ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Trash that collects in streams, tributaries and drainage systems flows into larger lakes, estuaries and ultimately the ocean, compounding the damage. Did you know that over 80% of all litter and debris in our oceans, rivers and lakes originated on land?
On March 20th, Keep Knoxville Beautiful is co-sponsoring the annual Clean, Protect, Restore event with the Water Quality Forum and their community partners. We hope to encourage hundreds of volunteers to give our waterways some much needed CPR by removing the trash that clogs and pollutes our local creeks.
Beauty is far from superficial; it is a powerful force, providing restful havens from our busy lives and strong community pride in every citizen. Healthy treescapes shade homes, reducing energy consumption while digesting carbon dioxide and cleansing the air. According to research done by the University of Illinois, buildings surrounded by trees and shrubs suffer from half as much crime as those with no vegetation.
Thanks to a state grant, Keep Knoxville Beautiful has begun 20 tree plantings in South Knoxville each of which, according to the US Department of Agriculture, can not only offset 2.5 tons of carbon over a 50-year lifetime, but can control $31,250 worth of soil erosion and recycle $37,500 worth of water.
We are also excited about Tanasi Council Girl Scout Troop 20672 planting 5 crabapple trees at Holston Middle School that will serve as a beautiful addition to our community as well as a valuable learning tool for our youth. We have high hopes that as beautification projects materialize in the coming months, more will include tree plantings throughout our great community.
Our hard work is also reflected in our positive financial returns. During the 2008 through 2009 fiscal year, Keep Knoxville Beautiful provided $9.17 in measurable community benefits for every $1 invested in programs by local government. This investment pays when it comes to cleaner, greener, neighborhoods, and practical benefits abound: businesses on treescaped streets show a 12% higher revenue. Nearby property values demonstrate a 10% increase in price according to a study at the Wharton School of Business.
Today we are gathered at Calhoun’s on the River, but we are truly joining over 3 million volunteers preparing to give our time and energy to improve not only individual communities, but the whole nation from coast to coast.
This year, we can and will surpass our previous achievements. My hope is always that through you, as active citizens creating Personal Responsibility in your Direct Environment, you will put me out of a job. Keep Knoxville Beautiful is about communities—where people live, where they work and where they play.
The efforts by individuals in this room, as well as countless businesses, organizations, churches and individuals will unite through the Great American Cleanup to engage the greater community for the betterment of our city, our county, our state and our country.
By working together, we can inspire a culture of service, where citizens focus on the common good through individual stewardship for the environment and care for the community. Our combined efforts in litter prevention and removal, waste reduction, recycling and beautification can and will result in a cleaner, greener more beautiful Knoxville
