Acting now to face climate change
Our children and grandchildren will face increasingly difficult challenges related to extreme weather events unless we take more action now. Facing the realities of climate change can feel overwhelming. The best way we can counter this feeling is to act now.
As your Mayor I will work with individuals, communities, and businesses to help us do just that. We can make our municipality notable in its commitment to climate action in both small and big ways by having the necessary action-oriented, conversations. We are being called on by our children and grandchildren to take the actions we can.
It’s the least we can do for ourselves today and for all those who will inherit the world we choose to leave them. Let's look at some of the big things your municipality can do to address climate change, as well as some of the personal things we can do, and encourage others to do, that will be effective.
A Big Thing: Getting More Green Energy in Production
For close to a decade the Meadowview Community Development Association (MCDA) has championed a large solar field project to be placed on the old municipal "dump" site. I was strongly associated with launching this project. In fact, along with Joe Benjamin, Chair of the MCDA, and other supporters, we applied for small grants to see if it was possible. We held a fundraising event at my home to attain the additional money needed to complete the first feasibility study. When Peter Muttart became Mayor in 2016, this project became a priority, and the municipality continues to push this project forward. Several community forums have been held during 2024 to inform neighbours of all the work to date and it is expected this project will proceed soon.
Property Assessed Clean Energy Program
The Municipality of the County of Kings has been looking at a PACE (Property Accessed Clean Energy) program since 2016. These are in use in other municipalities and are a way to make the reduction of energy use more affordable. As your Mayor, I will prioritize bringing this program to Kings County homes and businesses within the first years of the 2024-2028 sitting of your newly elected council.
Many Small Things Can Make a Big Change
Households and individuals are far from tapping out small, everyday things we can do to reduce our energy use. This can help address the climate crisis we face while making life more affordable. Let's figure out how a municipality can encourage "line drying", more effective use of our own vehicles daily, better use of public transit, etc.
Working with Nature on Climate Solutions
As your Mayor I will bring more attention to ways, both big and small that we can work with nature to combat the impacts of climate change. Planting and protecting trees are surefire ways to absorb and store greenhouse gases. Trees also regulate water levels. They can protect shorelines from surges and erosion. They have a cooling effect when located throughout our urbanized villages and growth centres.
I will also champion the protection of large, canopied areas like the Chain Lakes Wilderness Area where most of the land is owned by the crown.
As a municipality we can work alongside others, including the Blomidon Naturalists Society (established in Kings County in 1974) to see legislated protection of such areas enacted.
As we face our climate emergency, canopied lands serve us nobly by doing climate action work at little cost. These times demand a renewed respect for wetlands and untouched forested areas. I will continue to work with organizations and other levels of government to bring increased attention to the value of nature-based, these can be potent, low-cost solutions.