Climate Action Plan Roll-Out

Yaquina estuary during a king tide.\Photo by Rena Olson, with support from Lighthawk.

A plan to make Lincoln County carbon-neutral by 2035 will be presented online on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 7-8:15 p.m.  Sponsored by 350 Oregon Central Coast and Citizens for a Better Lincoln County, the event is free and open to all via Zoom.

The virtual event will feature seven speakers describing current and projected climate impacts to Lincoln County and how te local community can become carbon neutral.   The two groups will be releasing an eight-page executive summary and a 60-page detailed report during the presentation.

The report represents a two-year effort by local community and environmental groups providing presentations and public outreach about the effects of climate change.  The sponsoring groups decided to pursue the development of a community climate action plan after a very mixed and lackluster response from the local governments in the county. 

According to a fall 2019 survey generated by the organizations, 73% of Lincoln County residents agree that climate change is a serious threat to current generations.  The same survey found that 65% of respondents believe that the Sixth Mass Extinction (ongoing extinction of other species by human activity) is happening now.  More than 80% of the respondents supported the creation of a local climate action plan for Lincoln County.

Speakers include Martin Desmond on the county’s greenhouse gas emissions; Tom Kerns on human rights and climate change; Fred Holzmer and Mike Broili on water use impacts; Joanne Cvar on sea level rise; Mark Saelens on wind and solar energy solutions; and others.

The format is a Zoom webinar.   Individuals will be allowed to post written questions and chat online although they will not have access to have their video displayed or audio heard.   Participants don’t need to have their own Zoom accounts; click on the Zoom link below at the time of the event.  It is also possible to listen to the presentation by phone by dialing in to the phone numbers listed below and entering the meeting ID 844 6458 0047.

Click this link to join the webinar:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84464580047.

By telephone dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):  US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592.  Webinar ID: 844 6458 0047.

For information or to receive a copy of the executive summary and the full report, contact Martin Desmond at cclnewport@gmail.com.