Spring Webinar Series: Climate and Communities 3rd wed/month 2pm EST, free

Join us for 4 free webinars scheduled for this spring from across the United States.

DATES

• January 22: Civic Engagement for Climate Action, recording posted here.
• February 19: State policies that advance climate mitigation, recording here.
• March 19: Solar and Environmental Justice, recording here. 
• April 16: One Health and Climate, recordings broken out just below:
  • Intro to one health
  • Protecting the public from wildfire smoke
  • Collaborations across human and more than human worlds

TIME

• 2 pm EST
• Please register for each event of interest

Most events will be recorded and shared publicly here, after the event recording has been processed.

 

January 22, 2 pm EST: Civic Engagement for Climate Action, recording, here.

We know that climate education can play a crucial role in raising awareness and building understanding of climate change, its causes, likely impacts, and potential solutions. However, we also know we need to go beyond learning about climate change to build individual and collective capacity for effective climate action and justice. We can do this through civic engagement. The question is how can we best design and implement effective civic engagement programs that truly empower action and justice?

In this webinar, we will introduce the new Educating for Climate Action and Justice: Guidelines for Excellence—the latest contribution to the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Guidelines for Excellence Series. The guidelines are designed to assist educators in developing and implementing effective programs that focus on climate change, address injustice, and prompt action. We’ll discuss how these guidelines might support Extension programs or inspire new initiatives. We will also introduce readily available resources that you can use in your climate action programs.

Co-PRESENTERS

• Martha Monroe, Professor Emerita, University of Florida
• Bora Simmons, Director, National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education

KEY RESOURCE:

• The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Guidelines for Excellence
• Climate Literacy Essential Principles https://www.climate.gov/teaching/climate
• Environmental Justice Screen https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen
• Community Action Projects for the Environment https://cape.ifas.ufl.edu\
• Educating for Climate Action and Justice: https://eepro.naaee.org/resource/guidelines-excellence-series
• Global  Environmental Education Partnership: https://thegeep.org

SPEAKER BIOS

• Martha Monroe was an Extension Specialist at UF’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences specializing in environmental education and conservation behavior. She used current issues (wildfire, water quality, biomass) to explore public perceptions and effective educational strategies, blending extension, research, and teaching responsibilities. She published over 120 peer reviewed articles and mentored 150 graduate students.  In retirement she is focusing on climate education, along with some pottery and a lot of baking.
• Bora Simmons serves as the founding director of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) initiated the Project in 1993 to help educators develop and deliver effective environmental education programs. Bora has been actively involved in environmental education research, evaluation, and professional development for over forty years. She is professor emerita of environmental education at Northern Illinois University. In addition, she served as president of NAAEE, serves on numerous steering committees and boards of directors, and was an executive editor of the Journal of Environmental Education. She serves as co-chair of NAAEE’s Advisory Council and is a founding editor of the International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education.

 

 

February 19, 2 pm EST: State Climate Mitigation Policies and Incentives, recording here!

In this 1 hour webinar, learn about 2 different national search platforms to identify your state policies and incentives to address climate issues at home. The goal of this webinar is to connect local citizens with their local mandates, goals, and financial levers to empower local action.

 

TITLE: Intro to NC Clean Energy Technology Center and Tutorial for DSIRE (Database of States Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency)

• Rebekah de la Mora, Senior Policy Analyst, North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, North Carolina State University
• Learn about the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, an extension center out of North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering specializing in clean energy. Among other things, the Center is home to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), a public good that provides information on incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy efficiency across the country. Get a live DSIRE how-to on database navigation, the different types of programs included, and additional resources available.
• Key Resource: https://www.dsireusa.org/support/tutorial/

TITLE: Introduction to Climate XChange and the State Climate Policy Dashboard

• Ruby Wincele, Policy & Research Manager, Climate XChange
• Climate XChange’s State Climate Policy Dashboard is an all-in-one tool that transforms how advocates and other climate actors research climate policy. The tool features information on over 60 climate policies for all 50 states, with in-depth state examples, model legislation, enacted policy text, and other resources to help craft the most effective policies, adopt best practices, and accelerate climate policy progress. Join us for a walk through of the Dashboard, focusing on how the tool can be used in practice by policymakers, advocates, and other state actors.
• Key Resource: https://www.climatepolicydashboard.org/

SPEAKER BIOS

• Rebekah de la Mora is a Senior Policy Analyst at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University. The Center is home to the Database of States Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), a public good that provides information on policies and programs related to clean energy at the federal, state, local, and utility level across the United States. She covers six states and territories for DSIRE: Connecticut, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Texas. Her areas of focus include distributed solar, grid modernization, electric vehicles, power decarbonization, microgrids and resiliency, and hydrogen.
• Ruby Wincele is the Policy & Research Manager at Climate XChange, a national nonprofit with a mission to advance equitable climate policy at the state-level. She manages CXC’s State Climate Policy Dashboard and serves as CXC’s in-house expert on state climate policy landscapes. She also researches the economic, social, and environmental benefits of state climate policy, and provides technical assistance to policymakers and advocates working to pass equitable climate policy in their states.

 

March 19, 2 pm EST: Solar & Environmental Justice, recording Here!

Theme: Solar Power Opportunities for Redevelopment and Low-Income Communities

This webinar will bring together speakers from NJIT’s Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities program, Rocky Mountain Institute, and NC Clean Energy Technology to discuss how to implement solar energy in the redevelopment of contaminated lands (brownfields) and in low-income communities. Audience members will walk away with a better understanding of the economic and workforce development opportunities offered by revitalizing brownfields with solar energy (brightfields) and an example of North Carolina’s efforts to provide low-cost energy and workforce opportunities to low-income households via solar energy.

 

PRESENTIONS

TITLE: Brownfields and their Economic and Energy Opportunities

• Speaker: Carrie Martin, Environmental Sustainability Planner, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB)
• This presentation will focus on describing brownfields, their impacts on low-income communities, and provide case studies on how they have been transformed to provide low-cost distributed energy to revitalize communities.
• Key Resource: https://www.youtube.com/@community-systems/videos

TITLE: Brightfields opportunities and challenges

• Speaker: Tansy Massey-Green, Senior Associate, RMI
• Brightfields (or clean energy on brownfields) offer an exciting opportunity to revitalize contaminated sites, meet communities’ clean energy goals, develop a local clean energy workforce, and generate revenue for the community. They come with challenges unique to developing clean energy on contaminated lands, such as required clean up and special design considerations. This presentation will give you an overview of the opportunities, discuss the challenges, and discuss what RMI is doing to support communities in developing brightfields.
• Key Resource: https://rmi.org/us-program/brightfields-accelerator/

TITLE: Solar for All – Engagement plans for rural communities

• Speaker: Vincent Potter, Policy Project Manager, NC Clean Energy Technology Center
• Solar for All aims to reduce energy burdens in lower income communities by providing more access to solar electricity. The programs include single-family homes, multifamily dwellings, and community solar facilities to find the best balance of economics and access to reduce consumer costs for electricity.
• EnergizeNC.org, https://nccleantech.ncsu.edu/2023/06/22/resilient-reddi-communities-project-kicks-off/

SPEAKER BIOS

• Ms. Martin strives to create safe, vibrant, and resilient communities as an environmental planning professional. She currently serves as the subject matter expert on climate resiliency and sustainability at NJIT ‘s Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB). TAB provides free technical assistance to state, regional, county, tribal, and local government entities and nonprofit organizations interested in learning about, identifying, assessing, cleaning up, and redeveloping brownfield sites in EPA Regions 2 & 4. Ms. Martin holds a Master of City and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) and a graduate certificate in Coastal Climate Risk & Resilience from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She received her bachelor’s degree in public policy and environmental policy from William & Mary.
• Tansy Massey-Green is a Senior Associate on RMI’s Cities & Communities team at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), supporting RMI’s Brightfields Accelerator aimed at helping communities consider deploying clean energy in brownfields and closed landfills. She has supported cities in shaping their brightfield projects by identifying available funding, navigating utility engagement, and facilitating stakeholder engagement. She also manages the America’s Federal Funding Opportunities and Resources for Decarbonization (AFFORD) tool, designed to help subnational actors navigate federal funding and financing opportunities. Previously, Tansy worked on the America Is All In coalition at RMI, where she helped states, cities, businesses, and nonprofits understand and utilize clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Tansy has a double degree B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.   
• Vincent Potter is a Policy Project Manager with the NC Clean Tech Center. Vincent’s focus is on community solar programs, community energy resiliency, grid modernization, and decarbonization in the power sector. He researches policy changes of states and utilities in the mid-atlantic region for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIREUSA.org).

 

April 16, 2 pm EST: One Health & Climate

In this webinar, the speakers will discuss the frame work of “One Health” with a special focus on Climate.

PRESENTIONS

TITLE: Introduction to “One Health”

• Speaker: Sharon Toth,
• Sharon will cover the basics of One Health, including what is means and how it relates to Extension.

TITLE: Protecting the public from wildfire smoke

• Speaker: Alistar Hayden
• Wildfire smoke waves have been impacting communities from coast to coast. We will discuss the wildfire smoke hazard and what people can do to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from this hazard.
• Key Resource: https://blogs.cornell.edu/wildfire/

TITLE: Collaboration Across Human and More-Than-Human Worldviews

• Speaker: Scott Laursen
• Extensive research in emotion, resilience, and adaptation suggests that experiencing meaning in life can buffer against negative stressors and that individuals with a greater sense of community and relational strengths are often better able to withstand adverse experiences while achieving mental wellbeing (i.e., adaptation and resilience). As an example of One Health’s foundation of uniting the health of human and more-than-human communities, Scott will touch on some of his experiences earning sustenance and relationships in remote locations while leading outdoor education expeditions. He will then share how such experiences led to the co-development of a graduate research program founded in engaging diverse knowledge forms and long-term, placed-based relationships.
• Key Resource: PI-CASC Manager Climate Corps (MCC homepage) and MCC Program Approach (engaging multiple knowledge forms)

 

SPEAKER BIOS

• Dr. Sharon Toth is a County 4-H Agent in New Jersey where she focuses on integrating One Health into her programming. Her research background examined ACL ruptures in the knee by using dogs as an anatomical model, utilizing her knowledge, skills, and experiences from growing up in the 4-H dog program.
• Alistair Hayden is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Cornell’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, and former Division Chief in the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. His research and practice aims to help communities increase their preparedness and resilience, using geospatial and epidemiological methods to understand and link the physical aspects of natural hazards with the human aspects that can turn them into disasters.
• Scott is a naturalist, facilitator, and educator. Over a few decades, he has rooted his path in engaging diverse knowledge forms within the human condition through immersion experiences that develop and strengthen holistic relationships across human and more-than-human interactions. The intent of such engagement is to unite diverse worldviews in support of local adaptation through unprecedented socio-ecological change by further developing our ancestral and evolutionary capacities.