Climate Connections: People power and collaboration for fast action
Amy Cilimburg
Did you know there is a mind-boggling amount of climate and clean energy action happening today, in this country? Like, good stuff? If you didn’t know this, you can be forgiven—we’re all simply trying to pay attention to the most pressing issues (cue saving our democracy!).
And when it comes to climate, most of the headlines seem to be about what is no longer happening because the Trump administration pulled the plug - cancelling solar, wind and environmental justice projects that were underway or ready to go, stealing back the funds. Hard stuff.
Yet there really are great things happening. We have this recent headline from NPR: Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says. And this headline from GRIST: How EVs can fix the grid and lower your electric bill. And more, if you look for them.
Those of us who work on climate solutions really do see, dare I say, reasons for hope persisting.
Take Missoula’s 3rd annual Climate Solutions Week where PEOPLE POWER shined bright. Over 1,300(!) folks joined us, starting with our best-ever ClimateFEST, to hands on workshops, solar house parties, the always-rad sustainable fashion show, and culminating in Climate Ride Missoula - the entire week was a massive success with true community engagement. Check out photos and videos here.
Take New York City’s climate week where thousands from all over the world came together to under the theme of “POWER ON”. We may not have been there in person, but by tuning into panels and podcasts (like these from David Roberts), we learn about new opportunities.
Take the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit that four of us from Missoula just experienced. This event, held annually in small towns around the intermountain west, is designed to showcase climate solutions that can scale and inspire—small towns doing big things, showing each other what is possible.
At MT2030 as it’s known, I was joined by Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero, City of Missoula’s Strategic Initiatives Manager Anne Geiger, and Missoula County’s Climate Action Program Manager Svein Newman. Together we learned about everything from flywheel magnets, to financing geothermal networks, to biochar’s Ring of Fire, to the latest battery storage chemistries. We strategized about the many intersections of this work with other community challenges, especially energy and affordability; climate and housing; growth and planetary boundaries. Heady stuff.
At this 2-day summit, three things stood out:
First, the only path forward is through collaboration and cooperation. Many MT2030 attendees hail from the outdoor recreation industry. Ski companies really want snow to show up every winter, and although they compete against each other for tourists, they are deeply committed to sharing best practices and finding solutions to gnarly problems together. There’s power in cooperating.
Second, we have to speak up and not be shy. This is not the time to obscure the fact that there’s a climate crisis, and we are fighting to protect our only home. We can reach beyond talking to the choir. This means sharing climate solutions not just with community members, but even tourists and those we may think may not care. In other words, it’s not just doing the right thing and hoping someone notices, it’s about talking about the what and the why at every opportunity.
Third, be crazy brave. An unexpected and truly inspiring speaker was Dr. Ramon Mendez Galain, the former Secretary of Energy of Uruguay. Although I’ve no idea how he managed to find himself in Breckenridge, Colorado, his talk was refreshingly uplifting. In a nutshell, Dr. Mendez led his country’s rapid energy transition to 98% renewable sources (starting from 50%), demonstrating a country can decarbonize its economy. Uruguay did with a mix of wind, hydro, and biowaste, with solar and storage still to come. They did this with the intention that such action can be replicated across the globe.
Dr Mendez shared these keys to success: 1) long-term policy direction, 2) the public and private working together, adapting along the way, and 3) innovative strategies. It does take creativity and new thinking.
And then Mendez shared his #1 belief: Not all crazy ideas are great ideas, but all great ideas are crazy ideas. He admonished all of us to be “brave enough for crazy ideas.”
Despite all the setbacks and challenges, can we be brave, Missoula? What crazy, fruitful, forward-leaning ideas can we try? What can we do to give our young people hope? Do we have the PEOPLE POWER to POWER ON?
Let us at Climate Smart Missoula know!
My hope for all of us is a peaceful, thriving world that we bravely build together. My hope is that we all get out this weekend and make our voices heard and enjoy the sunshine, changing larch, and the lovely fall colors.
Amy Cilimburg is the Executive Director at Climate Smart Missoula. Climate Smart Missoula brings this Climate Connections column to you two Fridays of every month. Learn more about our work and sign up for our e-newsletter at missoulaclimate.org.