Taking the first steps in your community

Climate change can be overwhelming and scary. And almost everyone at some point feels like shutting down and pretending it is not really happening. But it is happening. And we can do better than shutting down.

The important thing is to GET STARTED. Your community can be made more resilient with a wide variety of actions – but continuing to do things the way you have always done them is not a viable option.

We suggest you do three things:

1. Get involved in community efforts to address climate change if they already exist or start them if they do not. Getting your community to conduct a vulnerability assessment is a great way to get started at the community scale.
2. Do what you can, in your own life, to reduce your carbon footprint. It will not only have an impact on the larger problem, it will also make you feel more energized for doing the work that needs to be done in your community.
3. Remember that you are not alone. You might not know exactly who they are, but in every community the polls tell us that MOST people are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change.

It is important to remember that climate change adaptation is work that will never be finished in our lifetime. Whatever your role in local government, industry, or your community, you will never clear your desk on this issue.

And, it might be the most important work you ever do. Preparing for climate change impacts and reducing community vulnerabilities WILL SAVE LIVES AND MONEY.

Addressing the impacts of climate change and building local resiliency is an ongoing process that must become a primary consideration for all parts of your community if you are to be successful in strengthening and maintaining the quality of life for your citizens.

Whether you choose to work with us or another service provider, please keep in mind that the more you integrate across your community and develop whole community solutions, the stronger and more resilient your community will be.

Here are some additional resources to help you in your efforts:

• Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange  – adaptation case studies, tools, networking
• Georgetown Climate Center  – adaptation resources, toolkits for coastal communities and heat island effects, including funding.
• ClimateAccess – resources for communicating about climate change
• Institute for Sustainable Communities – Sustainable Communities Leadership Academy

We hope this information has been helpful for you as you consider how best to serve your community during this time of change.