The Community Advisory Task Force (CATF) has been meeting since July to help develop a climate action plan to meet the county goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

At the Aug. 26 meeting, members dug into the status of current greenhouse gas emissions in the county and what we can expect for future emissions. They also considered how to translate this data into actionable steps the county, businesses and community members can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative effects of climate change.

You are invited to listen in to task force meetings and express your views during the public comment portion. The next meeting will be held 1-3:40 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 9. Meetings will continue every two weeks through early Nov., and periodically through spring 2022. Get meeting Zoom links, read meeting materials and watch past videos at www.clackamas.us/sustainability/climateaction.

The project team has turned to a special group of rural residents interested in the climate action issue to advise on reaching out to people and businesses in rural areas of the county. These Rural Key Communicators, as we call them, have provided numerous thoughtful suggestions for how to connect with and reach people in our rural communities to make sure they are engaged in this important project. We will continue to turn to these volunteers to help us include as many voices as possible in the development of the climate action plan.

The recent summer heat waves hit hard in Clackamas County, where not only do many people not have air conditioning, but also where many people live because there is (or was) no need for air conditioning. These rising temperatures, as well as the recent wildfires, the ice storm last winter and, of course, the pandemic. These are the types of events projected to continue and increase in coming decades, and remind all of us of the importance of our work.

The need for a county climate action plan was also underscored by the release of the Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in early August.

Extreme temperatures, drought, storms, sea levels and levels of precipitation are all expected to rise globally according to this report. The IPCC reviewed more than 14,000 pieces of scientific literature and reached consensus that “Recent changes in the climate are widespread, rapid, and intensifying, and unprecedented in thousands of years.” The report concludes that large-scale and immediate action is needed to curb the effects of climate change, although some effects may be permanent due to the amount of carbon released in the atmosphere from human activities. “There’s no going back from some changes in the climate system…However, some changes could be slowed and others could be stopped by limiting warming.” Read the report.

We want to welcome people, organizations and businesses from throughout Clackamas County to help achieve the countywide goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. This newsletter is one way to share opportunities for community members to be engaged. If you know of folks - students, neighbors, colleagues, supervisors, electeds - who would be interested in learning about and perhaps contributing to this plan, please share this newsletter and encourage them to sign up.

We also want to know what kind of information you would like in this newsletter and on the project webpage. Send suggestions to climate@clackamas.us.

Thank you for being on this journey with us!

Sign up to receive future e-newsletters and opportunities to engage in the climate action plan development process!