Local Climate Action Planning
As a Dickinson student, I spent a lot of time working with local leaders at the municipal and county levels of government on how to best address climate change. The picture above is Cumberland County, Pennsylvania where I lived and studied. I helped develop the first climate action plans for the both Carlisle and Cumberland County.
I conducted research, gathered data, and made recommendations for local leaders including the Mayor of Carlisle and the Director of the Cumberland County Planning Department. My work emphasized reducing region-wide greenhouse gas emissions and taking steps to boost resilience to climate hazards.
Carlisle Climate Action Plan (2019 - 2020)
Carlisle is special place, it is home to about 20,000 people, and for four years, I was one of them. Carlisle's climate action plan has helped make the small city more sustainable, egalitarian, and resilient to disruptions.
Some of the most important legacies of the plan include more renewable energy production, affordable housing, electric vehicle charging stations, and bike lanes. As a climate action planning intern, I gathered data from stakeholders to create Carlisle's first greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
I presented my findings and recommendations to relevant policymakers, including the Mayor. COVID-19 emerged in the process of the creation of this project, so our team had to adapt to the new remote conditions to complete our responsibilities.
Cumberland County Climate Action Plan (2020 - 2021)
I continued my work from Carlisle's climate action plan to the county government, where there are far more people, businesses, land, and assets. The Cumberland County climate action plan is important because many policies require cooperation between county and municipal governments. This plan had many similar objectives as the Carlisle plan, and it served new purposes including prioritizing protecting green spaces. Together, the plans helped catalyze other counties and municipalities in Pennsylvania to develop their own climate action plans.
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One distinct aspect of this planning process was the development of a climate vulnerability assessment. This semester-long collaborative project resulted in a report about potential climate resiliency solutions for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. I researched the transportation sector and its sensitivity to disruptions caused by climate change and the county's adaptive capacity to mitigate these threats. The video on the right is my presentation of findings and recommendations to the Cumberland County Planning Department, members of the Carlisle Borough, other concerned community leaders, and residents.
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Today, nearly 500 counties and municipalities across Pennsylvania have developed climate action plans following the leadership of Carlisle and Cumberland County. Despite former President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Accords under dubious claims to protect jobs in Pittsburgh, municipal and county leaders followed the leadership of Carlisle and Cumberland County to develop climate action plans.
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