OPENING PLENARY

Welcome! 
Tom Crawford, Candace Penn & Barb Scavezze

Great Promise For Clean Energy: Top Ten Climate Solutions.
 Jim Lazar & Abby Ruskey

Keynote Address with Aji Piper

 

SESSIONS

A1. FOOD & CLIMATE CHANGE

     

Adopting a Whole Food Plant-BasedLifestyle: What’s good for you is good for the planet.

Lynn Reveal

This session will explore links between chronic disease and the western diet; look at the scientific basis of a whole food plant-based lifestyle and disease prevention and reversal; and touch on the connection between animal-based diets and climate change.

RESOURCES
Whole Food Plant-based Lifestyle -PowerPoint 

Whole Food Plant-based Lifestyle – Reading ListPlant-Based-Pyramid-.png 

 

Wasted Food: Recovery & Prevention and the Link to Climate Change.

Allyson Ruppenthal & Heather Willis

Each year in the United States we continue to send 52 million tons of food to the landfill, plus 10 million tons discarded or unharvested at the farms. Working towards sustainable and expanding programs that re-distribute wasted food is one way to tackle our global food waste task together. This session will discuss a food recovery project launched in Thurston County which partnered Thurston County Public Works, Washington State Department of Ecology, Thurston County Food Bank, and local food pantries within Thurston County. The session will also highlight how individuals can prevent food waste at home and explore the success a food recovery program of its kind can have in the community and overall environment.

RESOURCES
Eat First Sign for Fridge
Wasted Food Recovery.pdf
Food Rescue Brochure.pdf
Food Rescue Handout .pdf

A2. Engaging Youth 

Aji Piper & Abby Ruskey

Are we engaging the youth, or are they engaging us? What are the keys to intergenerational communication, action and impact? Should learning and engagement be limited to the school room and day for K-12 and college age youth? What stories can we tell that break us out of our boxes and inspire new ways of thinking and doing? Aji and Abby’s creative collaboration aims to engage YOU to reveal new perspectives through questions like these. Youth of all ages are invited to participate!

 

A3. Sea-Level Rise: What Does Olympia Do About a Downtown Built On Fill? 

Clark Gilman & Brenda Snyder

When you build a town at the mouth of a river you’ve challenged Mother Nature. She throws heavy Spring run-off and King Tides at us. She throws earthquakes and volcanic eruptions at us. The challenge before Olympia is to best manage the risks and complications brought by our decision to center our town where the Deschutes River meets Puget Sound. Olympia has engaged on Climate Change related issues for two decades. We have staff with a great deal of experience and expertise and we draw upon the best available science.

There are local political decisions related to the impacts of sea level rise expected as an impact of climate disruption. What is the public interest? What is our responsibility to private landowners who own property created by filling in the river delta? Who benefits and who pays for public investment?And, ultimately, what are ecological impacts of protecting downtown Olympia from sea level rise? Big questions. We’ve got a lot to talk about.

A4. Think Globally, Act Locally: Engaging Local Government for Climate Action.

Michael Burnham & Tom Crawford

During this session, participants will learn about recent efforts in Thurston County to bring down our region’s carbon pollution, while at the same time preparing for the climate change impacts that are now unavoidable.  Presenters will discuss the Thurston Regional Planning Council’s recent climate adaptation plan. They will then tell the story of Thurston Climate Action Team’s technical and political work which helped the cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater, along with the Thurston County Commissioners, decide to work together on a regional climate mitigation plan. Using goals and targets set as part of TRPC’s Sustainable Thurston project, the mitigation plan will guide actions to reduce local carbon pollution.  After getting an update on the current status of this plan, participants will craft their own climate action messages to local elected officials.

RESOURCES

Climate Adaptation Plan
Sustainable Thurston

A5. Getting To 100% Renewable Energy.

Vlad Gutman-Britten & Jim Lazar

We can achieve a healthy economy with 100% renewable energy. Join experts Jim Lazar and Vlad Gutman to find out the potential for the region, the technologies we will need to rely on, and see some actual modeling of how a 100% renewable energy system might work to provide us with clean, affordable, and reliable energy.

RESOURCES
Teaching A Duck To Fly: 10 strategies to get to 100% clean energy – PowerPoint
 

 

A6. Solar Energy: Practical Applications, Technological Advances and Policy Priorities.

Kirk Haffner

From individual households, to shared community solar projects, to utility scale installs that are on the horizon, Kirk Haffner of South Sound Solar will discuss growing our local and regional solar economy.  Solar faces opportunities and challenges, from the increase in energy storage, to utilities pushing back on net metering. Kirk has 10+ years’ experience in the solar industry, and will discuss practical applications, technological advances, and policy priorities, with the focus on what individuals and communities can do to further the renewable energy economy.

 

B1. Solutionary Rail: A Climate Crisis Solution to Electrify America’s Railroads, and Usher in a Clean Energy Future

Bill Moyer

How can railroads, the oldest form of mechanized mass transportation, be the key to unlocking solutions to some of our greatest challenges? Part action plan and part manifesto, Solutionary Rail is a book, a vision, and a launch pad for a new people-powered campaign to transform the way we use trains and the corridors they travel. We invite you to learn more about this sustainable transportation and energy solution and to jump onboard this innovative campaign.

 

B2. Legislative Session 2018 Overview of Climate Issues.

Representative Beth Doglio & Senator Sam Hunt

What happened, what didn’t happen, and what we need from you!

 

B3. Action At Home: 10 Exceptionally Good Reasons to Move Beyond the Doom and Gloom to Action Here at Home!

Abby Ruskey

To achieve, much less supersede, the goals for rapid and substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration of carbon set by the Paris Agreement, strategic scaling of existing and emerging technologies and practices is imperative, yet a substantial gap exists between what is necessary and current reality. The session presenter, a local resident, climate literacy leader and U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development Fellow, has been working with scientists at Project Drawdown, the Stockholm Resilience Institute, University for Public Service, Budapest and Future Earth to identify the “sweet spot” for rapid implementation of Drawdown. Good news! Thurston County communities are at the ideal population level to get the most greenhouse gas reduction + economic “bang for the buck” providing there is also alignment with larger scale solutions and policies such as those led by Governor Inslee and other Washington climate leaders, and a strong amplification of individual, household and neighborhood efforts. Come learn about this important research, where you are on the scale of “urgency and agency” as you contemplate individual and collective actions in your own life beyond the Climate Convention.

 

B4. EMPOWERING WOMEN, FAMILY PLANNING & CLIMATE CHANGE: GLOBAL VIEW & LOCAL ACTION

Educating Girls and Family Planning are among the top 10 solutions in the Book, Drawdown, The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever proposed to Reverse Global Warming.

Population & Climate Change: The Dynamic Duo.

Roy Treadway

Worldwide, climate change and population growth have been closely related. The use of coal, oil, and gas that fueled climate change is also the basis for rapid growth of population. Currently, climate change is directly impacting mortality and increasing migration. Population growth is overlooked as a factor in climate change; basically, the more people, the greater use of fossil fuels. Family planning programs are a cost effective way of addressing climate change by lowering fertility. Thus, programs to empower and educate women and girls and to provide family planning, thus enabling women (and couples) to have the children they want, are important not only to improve the lives of all but also to address climate change.

Dining For Women: Your Local Action For Change.

Amber Huffstickler

Learn about a local organization taking action to make global changes for women. Dining for Women is a global giving circle that funds grassroots projects working in developing countries to fight gender inequality. Dining for Women celebrates the power of the individual to see an injustice and act to change it; to see need and act to fill it.About Amber
Amber holds leadership in Dining For Women’s Olympia chapter; as a young professional with experience in development work, Amber gravitated toward Dining For Women due to its well-rounded, sustainability-oriented vetting process of grantees. With limited income to invest in positive social change, she was impressed with Dining For Women’s capacity-building philosophy and trusted that her contributions would make a difference. She has been active in the local Olympia chapter since 2011. Amber holds a BA in International Development & Social Change and a MA in Teaching from Clark University. She is currently an active leadership team member with the Community Café Collaborative (www.thecommunitycafe.org) and Associate Consultant with the Athena Group (www.athenaplace.com) in Olympia, WA.

 B5. Mass Extinction Due to Climate Change Looming.

Kim Adelson

More than half of American bird species are at risk of climate-change induced extinction within the next 60 years. Come learn about the many ways that climate change is already negatively impacting birds, and the results these disruptions have on the different ecosystems in which they exist.

 

 

B6. Electrical Vehicle Owner’s Forum.

Moderated by Thad Curtz

An opportunity to check out a variety of plug-in cars and to talk with local owners about their experiences with them. Check out the new Nissan LEAF, the new Chevy Bolt, the Tesla Model S, the Chevy Volt, and a Ford CMAX Energi.

 

 

C1. Collaborative Art as a Catalyst for (Climate) Action. 

Carrie Ziegler

End your day at the convention by taking action through art! Learn how art can inspire individuals, communities, and governments to take action on climate change. Make art for the Less Waste, More Food Art in Action Project, a collaboration for the new Lacey Food Bank.

 

C2. Carbon Tax Initiatives: Lessons Learned from I-732.

Michael Massa, Hobe Williams & Vlad Gutman-Britton

Washington State has been a hotbed for carbon pricing proposals over the last several years. Cap and trade bills were introduced during the 2014 and 2015 legislative sessions, but failed to advance. In 2016, Initiative 732 became the first carbon tax proposal in the nation put to a statewide public vote, but did not pass. This year, in another national first, Senate Bill 6203 successfully advanced through two legislative committees before stalling. Now, a new signature gathering effort is underway for Initiative 1631, a measure to charge “pollution fees” on sources of greenhouse gas pollutants.Join us for a primer on I-1631 and a look back at some lessons learned during the I-732 campaign.

RESOURCES
Lessons from the I-732 Campaign – SSCAC 2018.pdf

 

C3. No Coal, No Gas, No LNG! Building a Movement to Get PSE Off Fossil Fuels.

Jessica Koski  & Victoria Leistman

Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE’s) most recent long-term plan reveals that PSE intends to operate its dirty coal plant until at least 2035 and build over 700 MW of new fracked gas plants. PSE also plans to sacrifice Puyallup Tribal land, community safety, and ratepayer money for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Tacoma that we do not need. This session will focus on how we can build a movement to get PSE off coal by 2025 and keep the utility from building any new fossil infrastructure. Washington is ready to lead on clean energy.

RESOURCES
PSE Presentation .pdf

 

C4. Climate Reality Invites You: How to Join the Educational Movement of the NEW Climate Reality Project.

Rhonda Hunter & Susan Woodward 

Come see how slideshow presentations by a team trained by Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project can be customized for specific audiences to bring attention to local climate change issues. Consider how you might use CRP’s Thurston County Speaker’s Bureau and learn how to join the Bureau!

 

C5. Steh-Chass (Deschutes) Estuary: Estuaries as Carbon Sinks.

Sue Patnude & Candace Penn

Discover how a restored Deschutes estuary could help mitigate the impacts of climate change on the South Salish Sea.  Candace will also be talking about how Tribal culture is one with natural resources and how climate change might impact resilience.

 

C6. Active Transportation: Healthy, Wealthy and Climate-wise.

Karen Messmer & Chris Hawkins 

Transportation is a major contributor to carbon emissions in our community. How can we work together to reduce transportation emissions, and how can you take an active role personally to reduce emissions? Find out answers to these questions and about bonus benefits of carbon-free and low carbon transportation from local active transportation advocates.

RESOURCES
Active Community Design

 

C7. Climate Justice

Jill MacIntyre

 

 

C8. Buildings As Action: Zero Net Carbon Buildings as Climate Action.

Chris van Daalen

Chris will share news and strategy from his work with Shift Zero: the Zero Net Carbon Building Alliance founded last year so that green building organizations could speak with the power of a collective voice. The alliance recognizes climate change is the most urgent threat to the planet’s ecosystems and people, yet we are not scaling up zero-energy buildings fast enough to meet this threat. Fortunately there are now cost-effective means to build and retrofit zero net carbon buildings, and the Alliance has launched several initiatives to this end which Chris will describe, including PACE legislation to finance energy-efficient buildings, creating a Road Map to a Zero Net Energy Building Code, and the 20 by 2020 Building Challenge.

RESOURCES
Buildings as Climate Action TCAT