Taking Climate Action
<p>At a meeting held by Climate Action CdA, Kent Allen of Coeur d’Alene talks about the importance of educating community members about putting chemicals on plants and in water.</p>
<p>Dr. Lisa Manning, the Lake Coeur d’Alene Waterkeeper, talks at a meeting held by Climate Action CdA, about some of the Waterkeeper programs that inform the community about current issues dealing with the lake.</p>
A few community members gathered Thursday evening to discuss what makes Coeur d’Alene great. Then, to discuss what concerns people about this place’s future.
The meeting, hosted by Climate Action CdA, a program of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, started off with the group’s president, Bill Irving, introducing himself and talking about why he loves Coeur d’Alene.
“This is home,” he said. “Part of the experience of being home is a stable climate for people to come back and enjoy and relive those memories. When the climate becomes destabilized, that disrupts the sense of home.”
The 15 or so people started talking about what they valued about the Coeur d’Alene area, and why they stick around.
People spoke about the beauty of the land, the accessibility to public lands, the city’s low population density and the area’s abundance of clean water.
Then the conversation turned to what people would like to address in the community to keep the quality of life and environment healthy. This brought up issues like mining pollution in lakes, recycling downtown and people’s complacency with how things are.
One man spoke about how people are so busy with their daily lives, they don’t look at the bigger picture around them. He wanted a way to get more people aware of and involved in the health of the natural landscape.
Another topic brought up by Kent Allen of Coeur d’Alene was the use of chemicals. Whether it be for water, or killing bugs if people knew about the damage chemicals can do to the environment, and were offered an alternative, steps could be made in the right direction.
Allen has a bachelor’s degree and master's degree in Earth sciences. He attended the meeting to get more involved with KEA.
“I liked listening to people’s point of views,” he said. “It was cool to listen to people from different areas of life. It was encouraging, I think this is the right approach.”
Politics and media were also brought up in the conversation. People pointed out how mainstream media dumbs down environmental issues to appear to be less important or not as influential as they are. People also agreed they want political representatives who share their concerns and support their attitudes toward the environment.
Rhonda Botello, of Hayden, just moved to the area and wanted to meet like-minded people. She said she came to the meeting to see what was going on in the community and where she might fit in.
“I’m not here to change anything,” she said. “I’m just trying to see what’s going on and how I can help.”
Kevin Ames just happened to stumble upon the meeting and decided to stay. He lives near Fernan Lake, so lake health is a big concern for him.
“I see a lake there that I wouldn’t want to step into barefoot,” he said. “This is a beautiful area and I want it to stay that way.”
Climate Action CdA is planning a panel discussion Oct. 20. The time and location are yet to be determined. The meeting Thursday night served as a brainstorming session for what issues and topics the panel discussion will touch on in October.
Irving’s goal is to get field experts in some sort of science like biology or climate change, faith, and education to serve on the panel. He plans to invite city council members, the governor and other city officials to attend as well as the general population.
For more information about the October event, contact Bill Irving at (208) 818-5772.