Viewpoint: City Council member urges peers to act on climate change

Daniel Carlino

In the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s summary for policymakers report, they state that rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented change is needed in all aspects of society to prevent climate catastrophe. Five years since this report, we are still not seeing the level of urgency that science demands.

As a Missoulian, I'm deeply concerned about the escalating impacts caused by the climate crisis that we are seeing in our beloved community. The rising intensity of wildfires, the Clark Fork trout dying from overheating, and the chain of effects on our local ecosystems are stark reminders of the challenges we face.

In response, I urge my colleagues on the City Council to consider these three actionable steps. First, let's eliminate parking mandates, thereby allowing for a more dense, walkable community and limiting our proliferation of turning so much land into asphalt.

Secondly, we must invest in our city’s climate team by hiring more staff to implement and manage our City’s climate mitigation plans.

Finally, it's crucial we vote for budget amendments this summer that ensure we have the proper funding to meet our climate mitigation goals. Investing in renewable energy, energy-efficient infrastructure, and climate education now will yield long-term savings and resilience.

The path to a sustainable Missoula is not easy, but it's our duty to act. Let's protect our city for the generations yet to come.