Abby Huseth

Abby Huseth writes, "With both the IPCC’s lates and, most devastating climate report and Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine on the top of my mind, the heaviness and pain of our world feels paralyzing. And the timing of these two events is striking, highlighting just how interconnected they are."

Abby Huseth and Winona Bateman write "Seventy-one percent of Americans say they are at least “somewhat worried” about global warming, and 35% say they are “very worried.” But 61% of Americans say they “rarely” or “never” discuss global warming with family and friends."

This summer we’ve all been awakened to a world where the climate problem that was supposed to be decades away is actually today’s emergency. Drought, extreme heat, ever-lengthening wildfire season, smoke, storms. There’s no denying we’re all affected.

Abby Huseth writes, "Here in Missoula, rooftop solar will be a key pathway to reaching our community’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2030. Local government and community groups are working together on creative solutions to boost adoption of solar."

Abby Huseth writes, "The climate emergency poses an existential threat of a magnitude that is hard to comprehend, and we know that if we don’t turn this ship around - fast - the scale of climate disasters we’ve seen in 2020 will become the rule, not the exception."

This Saturday offers a great opportunity to be part of the climate change momentum by coming together to learn, share ideas and take action at our second annual Missoula Clean Energy Expo, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Caras Park. 

We don’t often think about displaced people when we think about climate impacts here in Missoula, but we are not immune to these issues. As we double down on efforts - locally and globally - to reduce carbon emissions, part of seeing the full picture of current and future climate impacts includes considerations around climate-related migration.

Here at Climate Smart Missoula, it’s part of our mission to shine a light on climate action in our community. One way we do this is with one of our favorite year-end activities: our annual Smarty Pants Awards. These awards honor Missoulians who have taken action on climate change, sometimes through years of quiet dedication behind the scenes, and sometimes with vocal and visible leadership, but always with creativity and passion. If you’re looking for hope, this is a great place to start. Here are this year’s winners:

This year, the many individuals and organizations that have contributed to this Sustainable Missoula column series generated headlines that paint a picture of a community that is bringing real solutions to local challenges and doing so with passion, hope and commitment.

Over the last three years, Faith and Climate Action Montana has grown into an interfaith network of more than 150 individuals from 15-plus faith communities. We have planted trees for Earth Day, started Green Teams at several churches, held educational forums and dialogues, and supported clean energy policy, among other activities. It turns out that this group fills an important niche.