TEDxTucson - James MacAdam - Green Streets of Tucson

Tucson was once the home of the nation's "Most Ugly Street", so we set about to change that in many innovative ways. James MacAdam takes us for a tour of Tucson and shows us what our streets look like through "muffin tin glasses" and how we can improve the way we capture water in such a hot and dry environment. People come from all over the world to learn rainwater harvesting techniques and permaculture methods from James and his Tucson colleagues. We've become innovators and world leaders in rainwater harvesting out of necessity, and its inspiring to see the living environment of entire neighborhoods be beautifully transformed by the people who live there.

James is a writer, teacher and advocate for sustainable communities. He currently manages Tucson-based nonprofit Watershed Management Group's program to spread the use of green infrastructure throughout the US Southwest through community-based approaches. James has led corporate sustainability programs, led award-winning community development projects, and writes for the monthly The New Southwest. In his work and writing, he brings a unique perspective to the field of sustainability that values both individuals' and communities' inner and outer dimensions.

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxTucson, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxTucson event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combined to spark deep discussion and connection about sustainability. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.