Guest Post: Climate Week!
Happy (almost) Climate Week - September 22 to 29 this year! Curious about climate? We have some brain food for you.
Climate Week started in 2009 in New York City, as a side dish, if you will, to the United Nations General Assembly that attracts participation from heads of state, business leaders, and civil society. It has evolved to include activities and events across New York City and the globe. This year’s theme is “It’s Time” and we couldn’t agree more!
Many think of climate change as highly politicized, but the majority of individuals in our region (and the nation) agree that climate change is worrisome and that we need to do something about it. The odd thing is, despite these shared concerns, few Americans regularly talk about climate change with their friends, family, or colleagues. Take some time to check out these cool maps (down to the county level) from Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication to better understand how people feel about climate change and what Americans think we should be doing to address it. You might be surprised!
For some locally-sourced brain food, check out our region’s progress on environmental justice and sustainability on the ACT Rochester site. The ACT site not only includes information about the adoption of climate solutions (e.g., renewable energy capacity and EV infrastructure), but also about broader indicators of community health and vitality (e.g., lower asthma hospitalizations, energy burden) that can be improved by taking climate action. We are lucky to have a lot happening locally, but there’s more to be done and lots of ways to get involved. Climate Week is a great time to start!
If you want to celebrate Climate Week with your neighbors, join the Rochester Climate March on September 27th at 4pm. If that’s not your thing, check to see if there is a Color Your Community Green team near you or start your own. Looking to offset your carbon emissions from a recent trip? Check out the work of our friends at RENEW. Wondering what the local government is up to? Take a peek at the recently released Monroe County Climate Action Plan. If you still aren’t full after all that, there’s plenty more brain food here and more ways to become involved here. Now that’s some (sustainably produced) food for thought!
Contributed by Kristen VanHooreweghe, Senior Director of Programs at Climate Solutions Accelerator. Kristen has a PhD in Environmental Sociology and worked in academia for many years before joining the non-profit sector.