I remember feeling so grateful and hopeful in 2019, when the City Commission of Gainesville declared a Climate Emergency. That was a perfect way to support the UN theme of “Climate Action for Peace.” The next month, the Alachua County Commission created the Joint Water and Climate Policy Board and the Citizen Climate Advisory Committee (CCAC).
Through the next months and years, I followed the slow process of appointing the committee members, who discussed the problem and agreed to survey the climate risks in Alachua County. They identified five risks: wind, flood, drought, heat, and wildfires. Then they looked at how governmental agencies currently address these risks and compiled recommendations.
After five years of meeting, consulting, and planning, the Environmental Protection Department’s Climate Action Plan is almost ready to be presented to the Board of County Commissioners. The draft chapters and a form for community feedback are on the county website (see below). Once the Board of County Commissioners approves the Climate Action Plan, the Environmental Protection Department will begin community outreach.
Then it’s showtime for the Climate Collaboratory! Our year-round community-engagement climate conversation-to-action program will go public. Ready or not, here we grow!
Resources
- WUFT-FM reported on the city of Gainesville’s Declaration of Climate Emergency in this WUFT News article
- Alachua County Environmental Protection Department – Climate Initiatives