PODCAST: Turning up the heat on climate action
In late June, an extreme heat wave struck the Pacific Northwest and sent temperatures skyrocketing. Sammamish topped out at around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, while Seattle set a new high temperature record of 108 that obliterated the previous record by 5 degrees.
Heat waves come and go, but scientists believe the level of intensity of this particular heat wave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change.
Although climate change is a global problem, action often starts at the local level. In this episode, we explore what cities can do to become more sustainable to fight climate change. We compare the approaches taken by two cities — Kirkland, which has a sustainability master plan and a target to reduce carbon emissions, and Sammamish, which does not have such a plan.
Finally, we meet a high school student who started a petition for the City of Sammamish to adopt a sustainability master plan, and reveal what happened after he pitched his proposal to Mayor Karen Moran and city officials.
With the negative impact of climate change growing, calls for government to take action have also grown louder across the country. We encourage our listeners to become more civically engaged on this issue, especially at the local level.
This episode’s guests include:
- Jay Arnold, deputy mayor, City of Kirkland
- Pam Stuart, council member, City of Sammamish
- Maanit Goel, sophomore, Eastlake High School
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