Fall 2020 Advocacy Opportunities
2020 Election
Election day is November 3rd, and taking part in electoral politics is one of the most direct ways we can use our collective voice to support climate action at every level, from local races, to state and federal. What can you do?
Make a plan to VOTE
2020 Election
Election day is November 3rd, and taking part in electoral politics is one of the most direct ways we can use our collective voice to support climate action at every level, from local races, to state and federal. What can you do?
Make a plan to VOTE
- Double check your voter registration easily online: https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo/
- If you aren’t registered to vote or need to update your address, you can request a form online HERE. You'll receive a voter registration form with a prepaid envelope to mail back to your elections office. Register using the Online Voter Registration portal until October 12th. After that date, you can register in-person! You can register to vote up until 8:00pm on Election Day in Montana. A list of in-person registration locations for your community is here.
- In Missoula County you should be receive your ballot by mid-October. VOTE asap! Fill out your ballot and return it by mail or drop it off at a County Elections drop box as soon as possible to ensure it's counted by Election Day, November 3rd. VOTE ALL THREE PAGES!
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Get informed about the races & issues
A number of nonpartisan organizations publish helpful voter guides. You can also go to candidates' websites, listen to interviews & debates, and find out what they stand for. In Missoula County, the Public Service Commission race and the Mountain Line Mill Levy are two you may not be familiar with:
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Work for and contribute to candidates that support climate action
Help get the word out about candidates that take the climate crisis seriously! Contact their campaigns to find out how you can volunteer, whether it be knocking on doors, making phone calls, sending texts or other ways to help.
Get out the vote
Help turn out voters - every vote counts, and our democracy needs all of us to ensure our voices are heard. Talk to 5 of your friends or family members and make sure they have a plan to vote.
Help get the word out about candidates that take the climate crisis seriously! Contact their campaigns to find out how you can volunteer, whether it be knocking on doors, making phone calls, sending texts or other ways to help.
Get out the vote
Help turn out voters - every vote counts, and our democracy needs all of us to ensure our voices are heard. Talk to 5 of your friends or family members and make sure they have a plan to vote.
Montana's Climate Solutions Plan
Governor Bullock released the Montana Climate Solutions Plan on September 9th. The plan represents a year+ long process and we're glad to see it completed. Climate Smart's ED Amy served on the Council and, with a diverse group of council members, worked hard to develop strategies to meet carbon pollution reduction goals and build a healthy and resilient Montana.
Read the final plan and learn more about the plan process here.
Check out this article about the plan from the Montana Free Press.
What now?? The plan is out, but the work is not over - it's up to us to help ensure the recommendations are implemented and strengthened. As Amy says, "The plan is chock full of needed strategies to build a resilient Montana and significantly reduce our emissions. It now needs leadership, policies, funding and all of us to help implement." What can you do today? Let your state legislators and the Governor know about your climate priorities and support for elements of this plan!
Governor Bullock released the Montana Climate Solutions Plan on September 9th. The plan represents a year+ long process and we're glad to see it completed. Climate Smart's ED Amy served on the Council and, with a diverse group of council members, worked hard to develop strategies to meet carbon pollution reduction goals and build a healthy and resilient Montana.
Read the final plan and learn more about the plan process here.
Check out this article about the plan from the Montana Free Press.
What now?? The plan is out, but the work is not over - it's up to us to help ensure the recommendations are implemented and strengthened. As Amy says, "The plan is chock full of needed strategies to build a resilient Montana and significantly reduce our emissions. It now needs leadership, policies, funding and all of us to help implement." What can you do today? Let your state legislators and the Governor know about your climate priorities and support for elements of this plan!
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Advocacy Updates
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100% Clean Electricity for Missoula
2020 Update: We are working with partners to implement this plan! In August, the Missoula County Commissioners. City Council and local government staff signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northwestern Energy agreeing to work together where possible. Meanwhile all are working to figure out best ways to implement our 100% plan, including by developing a Roadmap to 100% which will help guide broader community priorities, beyond just what we can accomplish by working with our utility. There's no time to wait and there's much we can get started on. Solar + Energy Efficiency efforts are ongoing, even in these challenging times. If you have questions about this process, feel free to email Amy.
Background on 100%:
100% Clean Electricity Joint Resolution adopted by both City and County in April 2019
The resolution was adopted by the County Commissioners and City Council in April. See more about this effort on our 100% Clean Electricity page as well as coverage of this process on our In the News page.
This effort grew out of our 100% Clean Electricity Options Report in 2018 (the latest and greatest version is HERE). Since then, we've been working with the City, County, and an ad hoc group of partners to keep this effort moving forward and we are thrilled to have passed a joint resolution to adopt the goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula community by 2030. Thank you to all who showed your support and made this happen, by coming to the meetings, signing the open letter (nearly 500 signatories!) and spreading the word. This was a team effort and we are so proud of our community.
2020 Update: We are working with partners to implement this plan! In August, the Missoula County Commissioners. City Council and local government staff signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northwestern Energy agreeing to work together where possible. Meanwhile all are working to figure out best ways to implement our 100% plan, including by developing a Roadmap to 100% which will help guide broader community priorities, beyond just what we can accomplish by working with our utility. There's no time to wait and there's much we can get started on. Solar + Energy Efficiency efforts are ongoing, even in these challenging times. If you have questions about this process, feel free to email Amy.
Background on 100%:
100% Clean Electricity Joint Resolution adopted by both City and County in April 2019
The resolution was adopted by the County Commissioners and City Council in April. See more about this effort on our 100% Clean Electricity page as well as coverage of this process on our In the News page.
This effort grew out of our 100% Clean Electricity Options Report in 2018 (the latest and greatest version is HERE). Since then, we've been working with the City, County, and an ad hoc group of partners to keep this effort moving forward and we are thrilled to have passed a joint resolution to adopt the goal of 100% clean electricity for the Missoula community by 2030. Thank you to all who showed your support and made this happen, by coming to the meetings, signing the open letter (nearly 500 signatories!) and spreading the word. This was a team effort and we are so proud of our community.
Cryptocurrency
March 2020: Missoula's Board of County Commissioners (BCC) passed a renewal of the emergency interim zoning regulations (first adopted in April 2019) for cryptocurrency operations. This can be a somewhat complicated issue and the very best way to understand this is to read the County Commissioner's excellent opinion piece from 2019: Missoula County commissioners explain new cryptocurrency mining regulations. It's in plain English and very useful! There is great information on the County's website.
Brief background on cryptocurrency in Missoula: Following an evaluation process and two public hearings in 2018, the Missoula BCC adopted interim zoning regulations that would place requirements on the energy-intensive cryptocurrency industry (such as bitcoin) in our county, including requiring facilities to offset their energy use with NEW renewable energy sources. Thank you again to all who commented on this issue.
THE LOW-DOWN ON CRYPTOCURRENCY
These operations, which consume heaps and heaps of energy, are looking to Missoula County in order to exploit our relatively cool climate and low-cost electricity. The main reasons the County is concerned are 1) greenhouse gas emissions, 2) noise, and 3) electronic waste. Facilities can disrupt neighborhoods with their noisy operations, increase electricity rates due to costly infrastructure upgrades, and set back efforts to mitigate climate change by consuming obscene amounts of dirty fossil fuel energy - or simply using vast amounts of existing clean energy, forcing other would-be consumers of that clean energy to other not so clean sources. These issues will worsen if more facilities flood in.
In 2018 the Missoula Board of County Commissioners (BCC) initiated a process to evaluate cryptocurrency impacts and possible ways to address them. As part of this, there was an initial public hearing in June (see articles in the Missoula Current, Missoulian, and Independent) and a second hearing in September (here's a recap in the Missoulian). Head to the County's WEB PAGE for more.
For more about cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, including what they are and the climate change problems they create, see these two articles. The County's web page also links to numerous articles and even YouTube videos about block chain.
March 2020: Missoula's Board of County Commissioners (BCC) passed a renewal of the emergency interim zoning regulations (first adopted in April 2019) for cryptocurrency operations. This can be a somewhat complicated issue and the very best way to understand this is to read the County Commissioner's excellent opinion piece from 2019: Missoula County commissioners explain new cryptocurrency mining regulations. It's in plain English and very useful! There is great information on the County's website.
Brief background on cryptocurrency in Missoula: Following an evaluation process and two public hearings in 2018, the Missoula BCC adopted interim zoning regulations that would place requirements on the energy-intensive cryptocurrency industry (such as bitcoin) in our county, including requiring facilities to offset their energy use with NEW renewable energy sources. Thank you again to all who commented on this issue.
THE LOW-DOWN ON CRYPTOCURRENCY
These operations, which consume heaps and heaps of energy, are looking to Missoula County in order to exploit our relatively cool climate and low-cost electricity. The main reasons the County is concerned are 1) greenhouse gas emissions, 2) noise, and 3) electronic waste. Facilities can disrupt neighborhoods with their noisy operations, increase electricity rates due to costly infrastructure upgrades, and set back efforts to mitigate climate change by consuming obscene amounts of dirty fossil fuel energy - or simply using vast amounts of existing clean energy, forcing other would-be consumers of that clean energy to other not so clean sources. These issues will worsen if more facilities flood in.
In 2018 the Missoula Board of County Commissioners (BCC) initiated a process to evaluate cryptocurrency impacts and possible ways to address them. As part of this, there was an initial public hearing in June (see articles in the Missoula Current, Missoulian, and Independent) and a second hearing in September (here's a recap in the Missoulian). Head to the County's WEB PAGE for more.
For more about cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, including what they are and the climate change problems they create, see these two articles. The County's web page also links to numerous articles and even YouTube videos about block chain.
People's Climate March and RallyWe had great turn out for BOTH People's Climate March and Rallies - April 2017 and Sept. 2018. Thank you!!
Head here for media and more. |
Solar Jobs Rally in HelenaThanks for Rallying back in 2017
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Stay in touch for upcoming events...See our calendar and join our mailing list to stay up to date on advocacy opportunities.
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There are lots of ways to advocate for a healthy climate...
It's always a good time to speak out for climate solutions. You can write letters to the editor, get involved in election campaigns for those who support climate science and action, send an email to the Governor about how you would like to see Montana take action, or speak to your friends, neighbors, and local representatives.
Here are some ideas re: talking to others about Climate Change:
Because the best tonic for despair is action. |
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Photo credit: Tim Spangler
