Climate Connection: The smell of rotting fish…
By Leah Mason
Ah Fall! The season of pumpkin-pie spiced everything, the peculiar burning smell of rotting fish in the Indian River, and the frenzy of local elections. Thankfully, there has been a lot of water in our rivers so the fish might have a chance to spawn future generations. As the fish fight the flow and take on the seagulls - in their quest to get upriver - the humans of Sitka are also wrestling with strategies that will help future generations live.
As someone who is more interested in policy than personality, I find election season to be really unsatisfying. Like fish dodging seagulls, many people seeking election try to expose as little as they can. So, how can we know where candidates stand on important matters? By asking questions!
I have been writing candidate questions to help different groups get well-informed answers, and it is interesting how this focuses my mind on what people in local government can do. Mostly it is about harnessing the power of the community through consultation, empowering citizens to take action, looking at their own processes and policies, and using the levers that government can pull with other layers of government.
When it comes to helping Sitka draw down the greenhouse gases that are filling our atmosphere and being absorbed by our oceans, local government can start very simply: assessing how we are likely to be affected.
We already have some work going on in different areas, with the landslide research and risk assessment, and work on ocean acidification going on at the Sitka Sound Science Center. The city could provide some much needed coordination by inviting all of these different players to provide information that would be the start of a “risk assessment” for climate change impacts. The city could also help by connecting them to the Emergency Planning Commission tasked with evaluating Sitka’s emergency preparedness. The Health and Human Services Commission could also play a useful role evaluating health and social services preparedness.
Although I’ve already noted in previous columns that the City is not the biggest owner of buildings or vehicles, it does run some impressive machinery. Local government can help by showing leadership. How? By starting the process of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The Sitka Citizens’ Climate Lobby will be interested in hearing candidates talk about opportunities to have the City do some planning around electrifying the CBS vehicle fleet, changing out fossil fuel and greenhouse gas producing technologies in City facilities, and dropping any investments it has in fossil fuels (divestment).
It probably wouldn’t cost very much to help Sitkans take action by establishing a Climate Change Commission to work with the community on becoming carbon neutral by 2030. This body could:
–work with community members and relevant organizations to promote action on a community climate emergency action plan
–identify funding and partnership opportunities to help businesses and community members reduce their carbon footprint.
–report on progress to the Assembly every month.
Finally, our representatives in the Assembly supported the concept of a Carbon Fee and Dividend program back in 2018, and now we have the bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act in the House of Representatives. A motion of support for this bill won’t cost us a cent!
What do you think, Sitka?
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Leah Mason is a member of the Sitka Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Unitarians Meet
Sunday Via Zoom
The Sitka Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is beginning a new season of programs 10:30 a.m. Sundays via Zoom.
The fellowship is a liberal spiritual community welcoming all persons, the group said.
Sunday’s program will be an introduction to Unitarian Universalism through a trivia game featuring facts about this lesser known denomination.
All are invited to participate, or just listen in. People begin dialing in at 10:30 a.m. for informal “coffee hour.” The program begins at 10:45 with an opening reading, and time for people to share their joys and concerns, the group said. The game will begin at 11 a.m.
For information on how to join on Zoom, call 747-3702.
Educators Offered
DKG Mini-Grants
Iota chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma is offering mini-grants to local professional educators to be used for classroom projects for which budgeted funding is not available.
The grant amount will be $50 to $200 per application.
For information, contact Marcia Hirai (360)481-1505. To request or submit an application, email Sitka.DKG@gmail.com.
Completed application forms should be returned no later than Oct. 9.
Climate Action
Meeting Saturday
The Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby will hold its monthly Zoom meeting 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.
The national speaker at 9 a.m. will be Tina Johnson, director of the National Black Environmental Justice Network, talking about inequities. For links to these meetings, email sitkaclimatelobby@gmail.com by Friday evening.
All interested in climate crisis solutions are welcome.
STA to Offer
Fatherhood Classes
Registration is open for ‘‘Fatherhood Is Sacred’’ sessions sponsored by Sitka Tribe of Alaska this fall.
Curriculum is based on the Native American values and responsibility to raise safe and happy families, STA said.
It is free and open to Native and non-Native fathers, grandfathers, uncles and mentors. Discussion groups will be offered via Zoom noon-1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
To register contact Jean Swanson, co-facilitator, at 747-3968 or jean.swanson@sitkatribe-nsn.gov.
Transportation
Panel to Meet
The Human Services Transportation Committee will meet virtually 3:30-4:40 p.m. Sept. 17.
Agenda items include discussion of transportation needs of human service agency clients and any other members of public. The public is invited to attend or testify.
The meeting will be virtual, both online and by call-in phone number. For access to the online meeting, email csipe@cfc.org before noon Sept. 17. Persons wishing to call-in only can call: (253)-215-8782 (not toll-free.) If asked, meeting ID is 917-7211-7136. Contact csipe@cfc.org or 966-4232 with questions.
Youth Soccer
Registration Set
Registration for the fall soccer season is open for youths in kindergarten through 10th grades. The season runs 3-4:30 p.m. Sundays Sept. 20-Nov. 15 on the upper Moller turf field.
Start times will stagger depending on age group. The registration fee is $45 which includes a jersey with the Sitka Youth Soccer logo and a soccer balls. Financial assistance is available.
COVID-19 safety measures are in place, based on the protocols from the Alaska Schools Activities Association and the Sitka School District.
To register, go to http://www.hamescenter.org/soccer. For information, contact sitkayouthsoccer@gmail.com.
