Climate Change

Earth Day Actions!

Posted by renewablejuneau on

Today, Earth Day 2021, we offer you a handful of local climate and renewable energy actions. Sure, we all know about LED bulbs, recycling, driving electric cars, etc. Ideally, all of these items are on your list and even better if they’ve been crossed off of that list!

There is a wave of momentum building from both state and national energies being directed towards both climate action and renewable energy promotion. Your outreach and support for a few of these items will help to send the message that you care, but that these issues are important to you. Individual actions are good. Collective actions are better. So, while we work to keep our personal carbon footprints as small as possible, we need to push those at the top to move the needle.

“Individuals (that) join together collectively have far more power changing the system than they can as individuals,” says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Source: How to Save Planet Earth | Discover Magazine

Here are some things you can do right now:  

  • WRITE to state legislators showing your support for renewable energy financing legislation – House bill 170 and Senate Bill 123. See one of RJ’s support letters HERE. Send support for the Senate bill to: Sen.Bert.Steadman@akleg.gov and Sen.Click.Bishop@akleg.gov. Send support for the House bill to: rep.ivy.spohnholz@akleg.go and rep.zack.fields@akleg.gov.
  • ATTEND the Juneau Commission on Sustainability’s noon refresher (TODAY!) on the Juneau Climate Action and Implementation Plan and the Juneau Renewable Energy Strategy, two foundational Juneau climate and energy measures! (Participate via Zoom for a 30-minute presentation followed by Q&A: https://juneau.zoom.us/j/99337831059 or call 1-253-215-8782 or 1-346-248-7799 with Webinar ID: 993 3783 1059)
  • ATTEND 350 Juneau‘s Friday climate rally in front of the Capitol building (every Friday!)
  • OFFSET some of your carbon footprint with the Juneau Carbon Offset Fund and help a lower-income family while reducing carbon emissions
  • CHECK OUT Alaska Heat Smart to learn about switching your home heating from oil to a renewable energy air source heat pump.  
  • THANK a CBJ Assembly person for their foresight in starting the conversion of the Capital Transit bus fleet from diesel to electric buses
  • TELL the CBJ Assembly you want to see cruise ships plugged in at the docks while in port, instead of running their diesel generators all day long while tied up at the docks (A list of Juneau’s assembly members can be found HERE. Email the entire Assembly all at once by sending email to: BoroughAssembly@juneau.org)

Lastly, talk about these important issues. Share with others what you’ve learned and what you’ve done. Urge them to do the same. Again, individual actions are good and collective actions are better. We all should aim to do as much as we can, but we must urge those at the top to pull the right levers, to push the right buttons, and to move us speedily towards a clean energy future!