City Council discusses climate change mitigation

Future survey will gauge citizensā€™ concerns; climate action plan could help reduce emissions

Palouse+CCL+is+currently+working+on+a+survey+to+gain+a+better+understanding+of+community+members%E2%80%99+knowledge+about+climate+change+their+willingness+to+take+action+on+the+issue.+

MEETING SCREENSHOT

Palouse CCL is currently working on a survey to gain a better understanding of community membersā€™ knowledge about climate change their willingness to take action on the issue.

ALEXANDRIA OSBORNE, Editor-in-chief

City of Pullman councilmembers discussed the effects of climate change on the Palouse in recent years during their meeting Tuesday eveningĀ 

Kynan Witters-Hicks, Palouse Citizens Conservations Lobby member, said Palouse CCL has been working to mitigate climate change in the region for the last few years.

Palouse CCL is currently working on a survey to gain a better understanding of community membersā€™ knowledge about climate change, Witters-Hicks said. The survey also aims to gauge residents’ concerns about climate change and their willingness to take action on the issue.Ā 

ā€œWe intend to execute this survey this fall,ā€ he said. ā€œWe may do a combination of an online and in-person survey ā€¦ and our goal is to reach a representative sample of Pullman-ites so we can draw significant insights about the population.ā€

WSUā€™s Social and Economic Sciences Research Center aided Palouse CCL in developing the survey, Witters-Hicks said.Ā 

The survey will ask respondents about their concerns with issues such as severe heatwaves and decline in vegetation due to hotter conditions, he said. The survey also asks respondents how important it is for city officials to act on the matter.

ā€œWeā€™re putting together [the survey] to engage Pullman residents as well as reintroduce the idea of creating a climate action planĀ for Pullman,ā€ he said. ā€œWe think the time is right.ā€

Palouse CCL member Judy Meuth said research shows climate change is happening faster than many people think. A climate action planĀ could positively impact the community as it provides the ability to make strategic decisions on mitigating climate change impacts.Ā 

ā€œIn our local area, some of the impacts that we are seeing are higher temperatures across the year,ā€ she said. ā€œThe West is in a drought ā€¦ we are in the record driest year since records began to be kept.ā€

A climate action planĀ is a roadmap helping the county effectively bring down emissions and prepare for current climate impacts and in the future, she said.Ā 

People from multiple fields including engineering, construction and water conservation are prepared to step in to help create a climate action plan, Meuth said.Ā 

There are several steps to follow when creating a climate action plan, she said. These steps include creating a goal for the plan, incorporating citizensā€™ input and creating a climate action committee.Ā 

CCLā€™s survey will help gather citizensā€™ input, Meuth said. City Council passed a goal to develop a climate action planĀ in 2018, and CCL wants to put that back into place.Ā 

ā€œThereā€™s no reason that you canā€™t change a problem into an opportunity,ā€ she said.Ā