Climate Engagement in

Rural Communities

1.Do rural communities have a voice in climate policy?

2.Does climate change resonate as a rural issue?

3.Are rural communities prepared for climate change?

RURAL CLIMATE DIALOGUES

1.Raise awareness of climate issues in rural communities

2.Develop specific, local responses to climate impacts

3. Identify rural policy priorities

MORRIS AREA CLIMATE

DIALOGUE

1.Relationship building

2.Community deliberation

3.Outreach, organizing, and action

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

COMMUNITY DELIBERATION

COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICSDemographic

Stevens County Ideal # Actual #

         

Gender        Female 50% 7-8 7  Male 50% 7-8 8Ethnicity        Caucasian/White 90% 13 11

 Non-Caucasian/Multiracial 10% 2 4

Party Affiliation        Democrat 35% 5 7  No Party, Other 37% 6 5  Republican 28% 4 3Age        18-39 40% 5-6 4  40-64 40% 5-6 6  65 & over 20% 4 5Education        Less than High School 8% 1 1  High School-GED 52% 7-8 5  Associate’s/Bachelor’s 30% 4-5 5  Graduate degree 10% 1-2 4         

Total Number of Participants 15 15              

DELIBERATION OUTCOMES1.Challenges

2.Opportunities

3.Actions

COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS

Assess and adapt agricultural practices to ensure future productivity in the face of extreme weather events and a shifting climate.

• Encourage diversity in crops and crop rotation

• Provide famers best tools to improve crops

• Implement diversified farming

• Design agricultural drainage for more severe rainfall events with less erosion

 

Adopt new technologies to improve individual and community resilience in response to extreme weather, climate changes, and increases in energy and insurance costs.

• Create a committee to start looking at building codes to promote weatherproofing

• Assess your home for potential structural and energy-saving improvements

• Incorporate better building techniques and materials to improve energy efficiency

• Take into account other factors of the manufacturing process (energy, etc.)

• Create an organization to find, educate, and assist people in accessing resources to make their homes more efficient and sustainable

• Encourage better construction in new homes, quality retrofitting of old homes, and investment in energy-efficient appliances and alternative energy sources

• Promote use of green products/industries (ex. solar panels)

 

Plan for changes in the water cycle (ex. more

frequent heavy precipitation events) and

implement new techniques to protect private

property, maintain and improve water quality,

and ensure an adequate water supply for

present and future generations.

• Use water channeling and drainage to control flooding and erosion, and, where possible, capture water for other uses

• Look at the possibilities of different storm protection for sewer systems

• Publish information on rain gardens for local homes in newspaper

• Find larger scale uses for rain gardens (ex. irrigation)

Educate community members on the concerns, opportunities, and actions associated with more frequent extreme weather and changes to our local climate.

• Implement discussion of climate change into K-12 education

• Begin education in early years

• Search for information on preventative measures and check out resources to help when disaster occurs

• Find ways to use social media to inform and education people

• Get article in newspaper to begin an awareness program

• Create an education site for information on climate change

• Pay attention to global weather patterns

Ensure the entire community is aware of local weather and climate issues and able to provide input to address concerns and opportunities.

• Elect officials who will take the issue seriously

• Hold town meetings where government officials, agricultural producers, utility providers, human services, and the public can generate and discuss new ideas so voters and consumers can make more informed decisions

the MORRIS MODEL

ITASCA CLIMATE DIALOGUE

WINONA CLIMATE DIALOGUE

MINNESOTA CLIMATE SUMMIT

Questions!

arockway@jefferson-center.org