Lincoln Climate Change Plan 2020 by Esposito, Rinne, Johnson and Hanlon. Wachiska Audubon Feb, 2020
Join Wachiska Audubon as we learn about the 2020 Climate Action Plan for Lincoln and three of its Action Areas. The plan was developed by the Verdis Group, an Omaha environmental consulting firm. The principal author was Kim Morrow, previously with Interfaith Power and Light and a minister at First Plymouth Church.
The plan is 172 pages long and highlights eight "Action Areas for Making Lincoln a Climate-resilient City,” thus reducing risk to the city by reducing emissions that worsen climate change. Many climate impacts intersect with existing social and infrastructure vulnerabilities.
We're having this discussion now in order to be part of the process in making this plan work for us. Our panelists will be Miki Esposito, Tim Rinne, Bruce Johnson, and Gene Hanlon.
Miki Esposito is Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird’s senior policy adviser on the Mayor’s Lincoln Resiliency Initiative. Miki has 13 years of experience working for the city of Lincoln. She led the environmental cleanup that paved the way for the creation of the West Haymarket and later served as director of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities. Miki will explain how the climate plan was developed and how we can give feedback.
Tim Rinne will discuss the area dealing with Building a Resilient Local Food System. He is a founding member of both the Lincoln-Lancaster County Food Policy Council and the Nebraska Food Council. Along with his neighbors, Tim helped create the Hawley Hamlet neighborhood garden in their city block, where 20 households are now annually growing some of their own food in what was formerly grass lawns.
Bruce Johnson is a board member of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District; professor emeritus, Department of Agricultural Economics at UNL; and a founder of the Elder Climate Legacy Project. Bruce will talk about natural solutions to the risk of flooding in Lincoln.
Gene Hanlon, coordinator of the Citizens for Environmental Improvement coalition and the retired director of Lincoln’s Waste Management, will discuss the Action Area on waste.
The following is the Zoom presentation made Feb. 11, 2021 to Wachiska Audubon. The public is invited to join these no cost, informative meetings. Please pre-register monthly at www.wachiskaaudubon.org.