Category Archives: Climate Change

Landmark Climate Change Effort Launches in Utah

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski will joined with representatives from Salt Lake County Health Department, Alta Ski Area and Utah Interfaith Power & Light on Wednesday to launch the Utah Climate Action Network.

The Utah Climate Action Network is a partnership between government, research institutions, non-profits/foundations, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and individuals working to address climate change in Utah.

Over 20 organizations are participating in the Network, working to address climate change through conversation, leadership, and coordinated action an in effort to ensure a collaborative response to climate change and its impacts on the people, economies and prosperity of Utah.

The launch was held in conjunction with the Salt Lake County Health Department’s Climate Variability & Health Symposium. To learn more about the Utah Climate Action Network, visit UtahClimateActionNetwork.com. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Stories

KUTV 2: Utah Climate Action Network plans as Utah warms at twice global rate: http://bit.ly/20e6cSO

ABC 4: Utah Climate Action Network: Taking a look at climate change and its impacts on Utah’s residents: http://bit.ly/1SUMZ5J

FOX 13: Non-partisan group tackles climate change in Utah: http://bit.ly/1SEI5qP

KUER: Utah Climate Action Network Launches: http://bit.ly/1SUN9Kh

Standard-Examiner: Weber State joins several Utah organizations to confront climate change: http://bit.ly/20e6toR

Mayor Jackie Biskupski signs amicus brief in defense of President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan

Photo Credit: Erica Britto via Flickr

Today, Mayor Jackie Biskupski joined more than 50 city and county governments from 28 states in signing an amicus brief in defense of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan.

“I signed this brief on behalf of Salt Lake City because the effects of climate change are real, but so are the solutions,” said Mayor Biskupski. “The EPA estimates that the Clean Power Plan will reduce the pollutants that contribute to smog by more than 25 percent, a change that will benefit everyone along the Wasatch Front, especially during our increasingly dangerous winter inversion season.”

The brief, filed in federal court today, argues the administration’s plan is critical to the safety and economic security of local communities across the United States. Signatories of the brief represent a diverse geographic, economic, and political mix. In all, the signatories represent 51 localities, home to more than 18 million Americans.

“Climate change challenges our very way of life in Salt Lake City. Increasing temperatures and a shorter winter season are resulting in less snow, threatening not only our billion dollar ski industry, but the water we need to keep up with our population growth,” said Mayor Biskupski. “My administration is committed to strengthening our actions in cleaning our air. This week I asked our city’s Department of Sustainability to work with mayors and cities across the Wasatch Front to provide any resources we can to help them join this fight.”

The full brief is available here: http://web.law.columbia.edu/climate-change/clean-power-plan-amicus-brief

Citizens’ Climate Lobby Brings the Wild West Together for Regional Conference

Citizens’ Climate Lobby hosted it’s 2016 Wild West Regional Conference in Salt Lake City this past weekend. The event was rich with information about legislation, advanced communication, climate science and more.

Highlights included a panel discussion on exerting political influence with panelists Mayor Jackie Biskupski, Patrice Arent, Member of the Utah State House of Representatives, and Robert Axson, Central State Director for Senator Mike Lee. Panelists emphasized the importance of building relationships across the political spectrum.

Mark Reynolds, Executive Director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby lead several informative and inspirational sessions focused around CCL’s mission to create the political will for climate solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power.

Another panel discussion titled Broadening our Reach to Under Represented Groups consisted of presentations by Piper Christian, high school student and COP21 attendee, on engaging young people on climate change, Nate Salazar on speaking to the Hispanic population, Dave Christian, Psychologist, on communicating with other political views, and Susan Soleil on Faith Communities and the Moral Imperative for Climate Justice. These panelists encouraged increasing diversity in political involvement by including young people, minorities, and people of faith.

The keynote presentation featured Dr. Rob Davies, physicist, Utah Climate Center, Utah State University speaking on ways to communicate about climate change that resonate with people’s emotions so that they feel motivated to take action. The conference also included an evening performance by The Crossroads Project. This multi-media presentation combined video, classical music by the Fry Street Quartet, and monologue by Rob Davies about climate change science.

To learn more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby, visit their webpage.

Climate Variability & Health Symposium and Open House – April 6-7, 2016

Salt Lake County Health Department is hosting a free Climate Variability and Health Symposium on April 6&7. The event is brings together a diverse audience of health professionals, climate experts, and the general public to study and discuss the local impacts of climate variability. The symposium will focus on the threat climate variability poses to human health, and the disproportionate impact those changes could have on vulnerable populations.

Presenters will cover a broad range of topics relevant to climate variability and public health, including the impact of changing temperatures on our food supplies, water availability (and quality), insect populations, air quality, and how best to protect our most vulnerable constituents. The symposium’s goal is to increase understanding of the public health issues climate variability presents, and encourage discussion on how to build a healthier, more resilient community.

For more information and to register, visit the Symposium event page.

In addition to the academic portion, the symposium will also include a public open house on Thursday evening, April 7, that includes family-friendly activities for all ages. Salt Lake County Health Department’s Climate Adaptation and Health Open House brings together members from many different parts of the community—scientists, skiers, students, families, and public health professionals—to learn and share knowledge about the local impact of climate variability.

With fun activities, educational booths, games, and engaging speakers, this event will have something for everyone. The goal is to educate and inspire the public to leave thinking how they can participate in climate adaptation and mitigation.

Presentations and activities:
-Utah Climate Action Network presentation
-Presentation on Salt Lake County’s Climate Adaptation Plan for Health
-CNG Batmobile
-Panel discussion with local business, scientific, and faith leaders
-Climate change displays by high school students
-Tracy Aviary
-Clark Planetarium
-Education stations for kids

For more information, visit the Open House event page.

Sustainable Living Solutions and Inspiration, Winter Market at Rio Grande

March is Sustainable Living Solutions and Inspiration month at the Winter Market. Meet with Utah business owners and organizations who inspire environmentally friendly living solutions. A handful of local agencies, including SLCgreen, will be in attendance at the Winter Market on March 12 and March 26 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm to discuss what services are available to you and how you can reduce your ecological footprint.

Did you know that electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing waste stream in the United States? Valuable precious metals can be salvaged from recycling e-waste and toxic chemicals are prevented from entering the landfill and ground water. Good news — Recycle Solutions will be onsite at the March Winter Markets collecting electronic waste from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm! Below is a list of acceptable goods.

Please note CTR TVs (tube TVs) or refrigerators will NOT be accepted at this collection event.

Accepted Items:
Batteries
Cameras
Cell Phones
Communications Equipment
Computers Fax/Copy Machines Ink/Toner Cartridges
Keyboards & Accessories
Laptops
Office Machines Monitors
Network Devices
Hand Held Devices
Printers & Scanners
Returned or Unwanted Products
Servers Stereos and Audio Equipment
Telephones
Televisions (No CRT TVs)
VCR’s & DVD Players
Washers & Dryers
Paper
Plastic

For more information visit the SLC Downtown Farmers Market website or Facebook page.

Climate, Food and Conflict

Climate, Food & Conflict: How is Climate Change Creating Disruptions Across the Globe?

Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
Salt Lake City Main Library Auditorium – 210 East 400 South
Free, Public Event!

Join us on Thursday, March 3 for an exciting film screening and panel discussion with Dr. Tariq Banuri and Dr. Christine Clay to hear their insights on agriculture, climate change and disruption in the Middle East.

We’ll start the evening with a 60-minute screening of Episode 7 of the Emmy-award winning series Years of Living Dangerously. Episode 7, titled Revolt, Rebuild, Renew, features Jessica Alba, Thomas Friedman, and Chris Hayes and focuses on three stories that provide insight into the economic costs and opportunities of global warming.

The film screening will be followed by a 30-minute panel with our local experts.

Speaker Bios
Professor Tariq Banuri, Department of Economics, University of Utah, is an expert on sustainable development policy and institutional design. Before joining the University of Utah, he had served as the Director, UN Division for Sustainable Development, and earlier as the Director of Future Studies, Stockholm Environment Institute, and Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad. He has been instrumental in the design of a number of institutions and networks on sustainable development, and has provided policy advice to the Government of Pakistan as well as several international institutions.

He has served on national as well as international forums for policy and research, including as Coordinating Lead Author on the Nobel Prize winning Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC), member of the United Nations’ Committee on Development Policy (CDP), member of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council, member of the board of governors of Pakistan’s central bank, member/secretary of the Presidential Committee on Higher Education, and Chair of IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP).

Christy Clay has been a member of the faculty at Westminster College since 2007. She teaches a variety of courses in the Environmental Studies and Biology departments, and serves as chair of the Environmental Studies Program. She also has an active undergraduate research program investigating the environmental and ecological constraints of urban agriculture and food production. In her free time, Christy can be found working in her own garden, trail running or mountain biking, and obsessing about the current state of our food and agriculture system. Christy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from Colorado College and a PhD in Biology from University of Utah.

Wild West Citizens’ Climate Lobby Regional Conference March 18-20

By SLCgreen Intern Alicia Chen

On March 18th through the 20th, Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) will be putting on their Wild West regional conference in downtown Salt Lake City. This annual event brings together members and welcomes newcomers from the Wild West region (Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) to meet and to participate in various in-depth workshops. These sessions will feature panel discussions and training on topics ranging from climate science to advanced communications training that will increase understanding, develop skills, and promote collaborations around common concerns we face in this area. The keynote speaker will be Physicist, Dr. Rob Davies from Utah Climate Center who will discuss how to communicate about climate change in a way that resonates and motivates people to take action. For those new to CCL and interested in getting involved, the conference starts off with a Climate Advocate Training and Group Start Workshop on Saturday to learn about the group’s efforts, goals, and methods.

Panels and events include:
• CCL leaders from each state addressing area-specific issues and strategies used to influence Members of Congress.
• Breakout Sessions on climate and health, a writers workshop, exerting political influence, broadening reach to include under-represented groups, how to use social media effectively.
• A social gathering to meet other members on Friday with live music, drink, and appetizers and a performance on Saturday by The Crossroads Project.

CCL is an advocacy organization dedicated to addressing climate change through national policies. They train and support volunteers to engage elected officials, the media, and the public. Interested in learning how to influence policies or getting involved? Visit the event page for additional details and to register.

Early registration is $65 and is now open until February 19th, registration after the 19th is $75. Registration fee covers all sessions, the Crossroads Project performance, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday. There is no charge for the newcomer Advocate Training and Group Start Workshop on Saturday. The conference will take place at The Chase Mill at Tracy Aviary (589 E. 1300 S. SLC, UT 84105) and at the Wasatch Retreat and Conference Center at the Episcopal Church.

Intermountain Sustainability Summit March 24 &25

The Intermountain Sustainability Summit returns to Weber State University March 24th and 25th, 2016. The summit offers over a dozen sessions and in depth workshops addressing climate, water, recycling, clean energy and more. Join sustainability professionals, civic leaders, businesses, nonprofits, educators, students and community members to learn, network, and develop strategies for implementing sustainability across Utah and the Intermountain West.

The summit kicks off with a conference day, Thursday, March 24th. The keynote speaker will be Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor of GreenBiz Group Inc. Makower has been a leading voice on business, the environment and the bottom line for the past 25 years. In 2014 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Institute of Sustainability Professionals. He will be joined by over 40 speakers throughout the conference to inspire, inform, and show how businesses, policy makers, nonprofits, and community members are making a difference. SLCgreen’s Tyler Poulson will be presenting on strategies for engaging employees on climate change to encourage grassroots, participatory leadership within an organization. For additional speaker information, visit the webpage.

Workshops will be held on Friday, March 25th. Workshops include:

Community Zero Waste Road Map
LEED Green Associate Workshop
Smart Cycling

Looking to be involved and grow your business, nonprofit or idea? See the Sponsor, Exhibitor, or Poster page to be a part of the Summit. Register by March 15th for early bird pricing. Visit the Intermountain Sustainability Summit webpage for more information! We hope to see you there!

Salt Lake City Green Drinks + e2 Business Event

It’s the 4th annual Salt Lake City Green Drinks + e2 Business event! The event will take place Wednesday, February 24th from 6:00pm-9:00pm at Cytybyrd Cafe and Restaurant in the City & County Building, 451 S State Street, Salt Lake City.

6:00 pm: Mingle and Network
Meet and greet with e2 businesses, have a drink and enjoy some light fare from Cytybyrd.

7:00 pm: Get Your Green Learn On! Learn about the e2 Business program from Peter Nelson and hear from Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski.

All are encouraged to bike, ride UTA or walk to the event. The City & County Building is easily accessible from either the Library or Courthouse TRAX stations.

*$5-$10 requested donation

Salt Lake City’s e2 Business program is dedicated to helping Salt Lake’s business community run in a more environmentally and economically sustainable manner. The e2 Business program is entirely funded and managed by the City. Participation is free to any business located within Salt Lake City limits.

Salt Lake City Green Drinks chapter typically meets once a month and is an informal networking opportunity for people interested in sustainability to get together & talk “green.” If you’d like to receive invitations to events as a member of SLC Green Drinks, please email slcgreendrinks2@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

Solving Climate Change with Clean Energy: A Special Event on Thursday, February 4

Tackling climate change requires fresh perspectives, diverse collaborations and a profound transition to cleaner energy sources.

Join us on Thursday, February 4th to explore these themes and what they mean for Utah. We’ll be joined by two prominent local leaders, Sarah Wright and Matt Pacenza, who will share their insights on clean energy and climate solutions.

We’ll start the evening with a 60-minute screening of Episode 6 of the Emmy-award winning series Years of Living Dangerously. This will be followed by a 30-minute panel with our local experts. Episode 6 of the series focuses on methane leaks from natural gas operations, lobbying forces in America and home-grown renewable energy solutions.

RSVP to the Facebook event!

Watch the trailer:

Speaker Bios

Sarah Wright is the founder and Executive Director of Utah Clean Energy, a non-profit partnering to build the new clean energy economy in Utah for the past 15 years. She leads a team that collaborates with government, private sector and other community partners to stop energy waste while simultaneously building a smarter energy future.

Sarah is an intervener in regulatory proceedings and an expert witness in legislative hearings, testifying in support of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Sarah has a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from Bradley University and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Utah.

Matt Pacenza joined HEAL Utah five years ago and began serving as Executive Director in 2015. HEAL is a non-profit that promotes renewable energy and advocates for enhanced public health while opposing toxic harms to the environment.

Matt has managed HEAL’s policy agenda on nuclear waste, energy and clean air issues and now leads the organization’s staff, program and budgets. Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Policy from Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from New York University. From the east coast, he now happily calls “Sugarhood” his home.