Thank you to everyone who attended our Washington Climate Policy Panel: How is Climate Change Driving Policy Changes in Washington and Are We Resilient Enough?

In case you missed it, The Lands Council hosted a policy panel discussion with some of Washington’s leaders featuring Lisa Brown, Director of Commerce; Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands; Michael Pellicciotti, State Treasurer; Dr. Umair Shah, Secretary of Health; and Amanda Parrish, Executive Director for The Lands Council. The panel was be moderated by Naghmana Sherazi, Climate Justice Program Director at The Lands Council.

Climate change is already affecting us worldwide. What will living and working in Washington State be like by the year 2030, or by 2050? What is being done to help our overburdened, aging, and at-risk/vulnerable communities? And to address health disparities? What are we doing to diversify our sources of income to ensure our economy is strong and resilient? Will our farmers and lands be able to address growing demands on food production? Do we have the land or will we need to encroach on public forests and lands? What are we doing to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our carbon footprint, and is it even possible to get to net zero carbon?

If we want to make a difference, we need to become better educated, create awareness, and change our habits (Meyers, Brett, 2022). Decisions we make today will affect every single aspect of our lives in the very near future. Climate change plays a big role in policies shaping the landscape, and the condition of our world that we leave for future generations. Our communities have distinct and dire needs that must be addressed. We must acknowledge climate change is driving the need for policies to mitigate the effects on our local population and the area we live and work in.

If you would like to ensure that we continue to bring such discussions to you, please make a donation to our Climate Justice Program here: www.landscouncil.org/donate.