WNC Climate Action Coalition
Confronting Our Local Climate Change Challenges

Here's the latest:
What:Electric Transportation: EVs and Beyond
Presentation followed by EV Show-local owners and their cars, SUVs, and trucks.
When: Saturday, August 13, 10-11:30 a.m. presentation. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (new extended time) EV show: meet members of Blue Ridge EV Club and see their cars, trucks, and SUVs.
Where: First United Methodist Church, Waynesville, gymnasium (behind sanctuary); and Zoom. Show in the parking lot on Academy Street.
Presenter: William Hite, R.N., WNC CAC Steering Committee; Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments; and Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Committee, Charles George VA Medical Center, Asheville. Hite is an EV owner. Other EV owners are fellow members of a regional EV owners club.
Zoom link: Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81191589406?pwd=Y0JhSkNhbk9QZmdpa3MrYU5qWGNpdz09
Meeting ID: 811 9158 9406
Passcode: 619060
Triple-Win Climate Solutions
Also in The Mountaineer, online and print, and Smoky Mountain News online
WNC Climate Action Coalition
1. WHY: The mission/purpose of this coalition is to connect growing climate effects awareness with local efforts to protect our mountain region’s people, environment, economy, health, and recreation. This might include:
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Mitigating the effects from local climate threats including: landslides, drought/intense rainstorms, wildfire, floods, temperature extremes & changes, pressures from increased development due to outmigration from coastal and hot areas
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Decreasing utility costs to towns/county/citizens by encouraging use of alternate energy sources such as solar and wind
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Improving citizens health by cleaning air & water from effects of too much CO2
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Protecting our watershed
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Increasing job opportunities with clean energy initiatives
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Improving economic life of farmers
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Supporting local/state/national policies that protect us against climate change effects
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Protection of local, state, national forests & parks and tourism economy
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2. WHO: A “coalition” expresses a framework for different organizations and individuals to come together to improve our ability to work on a common cause.
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Organizations working on climate related environmental issues & preservation of local mountain cultures
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Farmers
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Natural resources business
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Sportsmen/women like hunting & fishing & other recreational users
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Businesses focussed on new climate aware technologies or efforts
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Municipalities & governmental agencies
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Churches
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Corporations
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Local businesses
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Educator
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Students
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Local concerned citizens
3. WHAT: To support local efforts addressing climate effects and to incorporate climate awareness in all planning: economic, commercial, educational, recreational, political.
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Must organize activities that get folks to the table
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Build activities/events that grow awareness
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Encourage attention to seek solutions for local and larger scale (state/national)issues
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Can be a resource organizer
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Can build events small and large around county/region highlighting effects on specific parts of our mountain community: farmers, tourism, recreation, local economies including jobs and living costs, health of our citizens
4. HOW: Build a broad coalition and decide on immediate action needed in our community/region
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Familiarize each other with work being done and effects being seen locally from rapid climate changes
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Coalition to organize larger event to build awareness
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To have focus group with local citizen groups?
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To work with municipalities and businesses to “green up”?
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To work with community to mitigate climate effects?
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To lobby for/or put forward protections/legislation?
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To organize/publicize local resources?
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To educate citizens about individual actions that can be done