This Week in Communities & Climate – Dec 18-22

This week, we saw many stories highlighting local climate leadership and a few fun Christmas stories. Our favorites are below. 

Don’t forget to check out our blog post from earlier this week summarizing 5 Ways to Garner Support for Climate Change as featured in our ACLS Recommendations Report. 

LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEADERSHIP

• The most popular article of the week was published in Outside Magazine profiling Salt Lake City Utah’s progressive, gay climate-hawk mayor Jackie Biskupski who, in the heart of a deeply conservative state, pushes her city into a future of “clean air, renewable energy, and (hopefully) deep snow.” The Progressive Gay Mayor in the Heart of Utah.
• The Baltimore Sun reports that 8 northeast US states, including MD, CT, NH, NY, ME, MA, RI, & VT just finalized the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The states “finalized a rule that will put into place a reduction in the carbon pollution cap by 30 percent between 2020 and 2030.” 

• Here’s a practical local leadership solution that can make cities cleaner, greener, and quieter, as highlighted in InsideClimateNews: Electric Trucks Begin Reporting for Duty, Quietly and Without All the Fumes. 

• “Talking about Climate Change in Trump Country” is an important article in Sierra Magazine that discusses the Rural Climate Dialogues in Minnesota, a successful program improving dialogue about climate change among rural residents. Also watch this 4-minute video that accompanies the article.

• Cities are poised to make rapid changes to reduce emissions. Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) announced the Urban Transitions Alliance in which ICLEI will help cities from the US, Europe and Asia transition from industrial to clean energy economies. Seven cities are participating, including Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Buffalo in the US. 

CHRISTMAS STORIES

We thought these were the best climate-related holiday stories to enjoy on Christmas week. 

• Christmas tree farms fight climate change, so don’t feel bad about buying a real one. 
• The ghost of Christmas future? California’s hellish wildfires will make Christmas wildfires more common, say scientists. 
• The Very Hot Snowman: A Climate Coalition video voiced by Twitter star Liam Gallagher. 
• Climate change is helping aphids that damage Christmas trees in Canada.
• 6 ways climate is affecting Christmas: it’s wreaking havoc on reindeer, Christmas trees, snow, hot chocolate and the North Pole. An older story, but a good one

If some of these holiday stories bum you out, don’t despair, all those local leadership stories should offer hope and inspiration for the new year! We are here to bring you the best, most inspiring and helpful ideas to help local leaders implement climate solutions. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!