Last month, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) invited Green Neighbors DC to present testimony on the proposed Clean Energy Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, put forward by Councilmember Mary Cheh for the DC City Council, and they helped organize our inclusion in the process.  Annette Olson, a GNDC member since 2014, presented the testimony yesterday, October 9th, 2018, to the Transportation and Environment Committee of the DC City Council.  

Annette was in the last panel, and arranged to be the last organizational speaker, helping close up six and a half hours of public, foundation, and corporate testimony – the vast majority of which were in strong support of the bill, though perhaps with some amendments here and there.  The timing of the GNDC presentation worked well, as our testimony emphasized the known, coming impacts of climate change on DC itself (and perhaps some lesser known ones, such as armadillos and fire ants), and thus the importance of DC climate legislation.

A key point we made was the data from a graph from the Climate Explorer within the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, which is partially run by NOAA, illustrating that we’ll jump from the current average of eight to nine 95+ degree days annually, to ~83 95+ degree days in 2100. 

The testimony then showcased how GNDC is already helping neighbors share ideas, resources, and actions on climate change – through education events, farmer market booths, and fund-raising.  Annette stated at the end that GNDC supports the DC Climate Change omnibus bill, especially its clean energy/efficiency, equity, and transportation sections – and that we’re here to help spread the word and take action.

GNDC Testimony to the DC City Council 2018