The Climate Action Plan is the County’s strategic plan to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and by 100 percent by 2035. The actions and technical analyses presented in the plan build upon the work of more than 200 volunteer members of the Climate Technical Workgroups, community groups, County employees and
Update: Deadline extended to February 28, 2021! Calling all artists and climate justice activists! Montgomery County is hosting a competition for artwork to be featured in the county’s climate action plan. What photos, drawings, poems, digital art, and memes (yes, we meant it, memes) invoke the need to protect your community from climate change?
By Julia Brown and Tenzin Yangkey A critical focus of Montgomery County is addressing the causes and impacts of climate change in order to ensure a healthy and equitable future for all of its residents. In 2017, the Montgomery County Council adopted the Emergency Climate Mobilization Resolution, which called for an 80% reduction in County greenhouse
By Omotola Fadeyi, Resilience Ambassador and Junior at Paint Branch High School In the past three months working as a Resilience Ambassador for Montgomery County’s Covid Corps, I have taken note of what can catch the attention of residents and spur them to educate themselves or speak on the things going on in the world
by Julia McMurry, Climate Intern A community-based workgroup released its final recommendations in October 2020 in a publicly-available report detailing how to integrate climate considerations into County budgets. The Climate Change Budgeting Process Workgroup comprised 15 volunteer members with backgrounds ranging from public administration and policy to finance and environmental science. Since August 2020, they have been working with
When we think of climate change we often think of melting ice caps, rising sea-levels, extreme weather, and warmer global temperatures. These are the harsh realities of a warming planet caused by human activity. We produce energy from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and consume this energy at high, unsustainable rates. We
What happens when you combine a dedication to climate activism with a passion for helping others learn more about it? For Montgomery Blair High School senior Vivian Li, it meant gathering a group of like-minded friends and figuring out a way to help others get an education about the climate in one important way they
By Julia Henderson, Climate Intern Montgomery County’s Climate Planning team, in partnership with Vision Zero, began the Resilience Ambassador pilot program in mid-July. The County brought on a team of five paid youth Resilience Ambassadors who were hired as part of the “COVID Corps” through the Department of Recreation. The goal of the program was
Incorporating climate literacy and education about climate change into schools is an important factor in making Montgomery County a more sustainable community and necessary to meet our goal of zero carbon emissions by 2035. In the days of COVID-19, in person trainings on climate change education are few and far between, but there are a
By Julia Henderson, Climate Intern Interview with Dan Sanayi, Traffic Engineering Design and Operations, Montgomery County Department of Transportation, July 20, 2020. Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) recently completed its Countywide conversion of streetlights from predominately high pressure sodium (HPS) to light-emitting diode (LED). The MCDOT adopted the LED technology in 2014 and
As the County pursues ambitious goals of 80% reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2027 and zero emissions by 2035, we anxiously await updated greenhouse gas emissions inventories to help us monitor our progress. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) recently released the 2018 inventory and we take a look at the results below.
Montgomery County is convening a specialized workgroup to develop ideas for incorporating a climate change lens into the County budgeting processes. Creating the “Budgeting Process” workgroup was a recommendation from the community-based climate workgroups that concluded their work in February 2020. The groups were formed by County Executive Marc Elrich as part of the County’s
Thank you for joining us for DEP’s biggest virtual event! On April 22nd we hosted an all-day live stream event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. We featured a wide variety of DEP programs from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm from 17 presenters over 13 sessions live! DEP Live! #EarthDay2020
Celebrate the 50th-Anniversary of Earth Day This year, Earth Month events are going to look a little different as we stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are bringing you a month full of fun at-home activities using online tools to bring you a VIRTUAL Earth Month. This year, we’re celebrating Earth Month with
The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC), in collaboration with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), is calling on artists and community organizations to help facilitate our community’s collective reflection about the state of our environment, particularly as it relates to climate change, waste reduction and water quality. Together, AHCMC and DEP