Photo Courtesy of Jessi Wyatt
Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, know firsthand the urgency of addressing climate change. The city, Iowa’s second largest and located along the Cedar River, has experienced several major flooding events in recent years. Now the city is home to an ambitious plan to address climate change.
Climate change is here, it is wreaking havoc, and no community is immune from its impact. Summer 2021 alone saw heavy flooding across the globe, including in the United States. Fire clouds started wildfires across Alberta, and the US and Canada saw record-breaking, debilitating heat and equally extreme drought. As communities struggle to cope, there is growing recognition that local and place-based action is essential to addressing climate change. For this reason, the Great Plains Institute is excited to share new planning tools we’ve developed to help communities in the US succeed on climate action.
In November 2019, the City of Northfield joined several other Minnesota communities in adopting the Northfield Climate Action Plan. Northfield’s efforts are an excellent example of a small city setting ambitious climate goals and planning for long-term resilience. Action on climate at all scales, from small to large cities, is critical to achieving state, national, and global carbon reduction targets. Continue reading »
The last agenda item at the final city council meeting of the decade in Saint Paul, Minnesota was the adoption of the Saint Paul Climate Action and Resilience Plan. After more than 30 residents stood in line to publicly share their support for the plan for Minnesota’s capital city, the council unanimously voted to adopt it. It was a momentous and triumphant moment and there is much for the city to be proud of. Continue reading »
