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:

 

    • 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

    • Decreasing utility costs to towns/county/citizens by encouraging use of alternate energy sources such as solar and wind

    • Improving citizens health by cleaning air & water from effects of too much CO2

    • Protecting our watershed

    • Increasing job opportunities with clean energy initiatives

    • Improving economic life of farmers 

    • Supporting local/state/national policies that protect us against climate change effects

    • Protection of local, state, national forests & parks and tourism economy    

 

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.

 

  • Organizations working on climate related environmental issues & preservation of local mountain cultures

  • Farmers

  • Natural resources business

  • Sportsmen/women like hunting & fishing & other recreational users

  • Businesses focussed on new climate aware technologies or efforts

  • Municipalities & governmental agencies

  • Churches

  • Corporations

  • Local businesses

  • Educator

  • Students

  • 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.

 

  • Must organize activities that get folks to the table

  • Build activities/events that grow awareness

  • Encourage attention to seek solutions for local and larger scale (state/national)issues

  • Can be a resource organizer

  • 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

 

  • Familiarize each other with work being done and effects being seen locally from rapid climate changes

  • Coalition to organize larger event to build awareness

  • To have focus group with local citizen groups?

  • To work with municipalities and businesses to “green up”?

  • To work with community to mitigate climate effects?

  • To lobby for/or put forward protections/legislation?

  • To organize/publicize local resources?

  • To educate citizens about individual actions that can be done