If you're reading this, climate change is probably already on your mind.  And, if your experience is like mine, chances are good you've had difficulty discussing it with some folks.   Our current climate crisis has been an unwelcome topic in some circles.

Moving past resistance to honest dialog is what tomorrow night's "24 Hours of Reality - Truth in Action"  event is all about.  But, thankfully, the tide is already turning.  I hear it in conversations, and we see it in the very positive response to our Sustainable Newton message. 

But, I was still pleasantly surprised by a report published this week by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication declaring:  "Georgia voters broadly support policies to address climate impacts and expand renewable energy in the state, and they want their elected officials to support those policies as well."

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

Sustainable Newton is proud to do our part.  We're also a bit apprehensive.  Thursday at 6 pm is also the annual Lighting of Downtown Covington event on the square.  It's unfortunate timing, but as they say, it is what it is.  This being a global  event tied to a fixed window of time, we had limited scheduling options.  And, when we realized the conflict a couple of weeks ago, it was impossible to shift to a different time on Thursday, with newspaper articles, event posts, and flyers already in circulation.

Here's a little good news to share...  I recently had an arborist come out to our  home in Oxford to check on our sickly elm tree to see if it could be saved.  Thankfully, it can be. 

But, that’s only part of the good news.  When the arborist finished diagnosing the elm, he walked around to our large front yard and mentioned the space “would be perfect for some trees.”  He volunteered that Emory University had not been able to meet its goals for no net loss of trees on property owned by the university.  And, as a result, Emory was looking for nearby property owners interested in having trees planted on their property for free.

I attended last week’s Georgia Climate Conference as a Sustainable Newton board member and concerned citizen who has read what scientists from 13 federal government agencies predict for our region in the Fourth National Climate Assessment. As a parent and someone who cares about my fellow community members, I am deeply concerned about what will happen if we fail to take action.
 
I came away from the two-day conference reassured that despite knowing Georgia is poised to experience every extreme climate event there is, including intense heat, drought, inland flooding, sea level rise, and wildfire, our state has the potential to be a leader in the fight to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Below, I’ve highlighted a handful of projects that demonstrate why.