Climate change is a global threat, and international actions are arguably doing very little to solve the issue at hand. The key to effectively addressing climate change is to change public perception. Focusing on small, yet simple changes in people’s daily lives and local communities can lead to larger support for changes that cross a much broader area (i.e. reaching emissions reductions in industry or putting more tax revenue into renewables research). Local initiatives that shift the public perception from, “why the hell should I care and what the hell do you expect me to do about it?” to a genuine desire to commit to improving the environment we live in are key to opening the door to more productive climate change discussions.
Evidence:
Evidence will
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There are ongoing discussions on addressing the inadequate storm drainage infrastructure, but the need for new infrastructure can be pointed back to changing regional weather patterns attributed to changes in heartland climate. The key point from the evidence is to take the scientific data and frame it so that local residents can understand how climate change is directly impacting them. Framing the argument in a way that challenges the established norm is what will shift the conversations from “why do we care?” to “what can we do?”
Action items:
Proposed actions to be included in the community “small & simple” initiative:
Responsible and conscientious energy usage: reducing energy consumption reduces our carbon footprint and saves homeowners money every month
Establish “ride your bike to work” days in the spring and fall. Kansas summers are too hot and humid to participate in the summer dates, but the spring and fall are cool and mild in comparison. Establishing community “days of play” so to speak get people out of their cars and create an easy platform for more climate education. Encourage more recycling and waste reduction! The current city