The Pacific Northwest will soon become a “climate refuge” according to an article penned by Cliff Mass, a University of Washington professor of atmospheric science and local climate blogger. According to his mapping of current projections of some of the more dramatic impacts of climate change – sea level rise, drought, storms and heat waves – Washington and Oregon come out looking relatively unscathed (mind you, that’s “relatively”).
In Port Townsend and surrounding areas, there is some evidence that this migration has already started to happen.
If you are a newcomer to E Jefferson County, we would like to invite you to join us in our efforts to live lightly on the earth, and to work together toward the building of a sane, self-reliant and earth-loving community. And please encourage your friends and family to do the same when they arrive.
We have a rare opportunity in this area of the globe to achieve a sort of “critical mass” of sustainable thought and action. The City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County have both passed resolutions to reduce our carbon footprint dramatically, and so are eager to work with persons and organizations that are trying to do just that. And there are a lot of persons and organizations trying to do just that…
This is particularly evident in the food arena. There is a growing number of successful farms, creameries, cideries, wine producers and seed-saving enterprises in Jefferson County. Three weekly farmers’ markets help to make these products available to residents most of the year, and our local Food Co-op is committed to carrying local produce and products when available. Food banks augment their offerings with their own gardens. Schools are incorporating gardening into their curriculum and using local fresh produce in school meals. Even our local hospital is committed to using fresh local meat and produce (masterfully prepared) in its cafeteria and patient meals. Meanwhile, our local Jefferson Land Trust is working to preserve working farmland along with natural wilderness.
There are other local organizations focusing on other aspects of sustainability. The Recyclery promotes bicycle use, the Tool Shed hopes to establish a tool lending library and periodic “fix-it cafes”. Power Trip Energy, a local business, is largely responsible for the fact that there is more solar PV capacity per capita installed here than in any other county in Washington. It is currently donating five Level II EV charging stations to selected businesses in Port Townsend to help kickstart the development of our charging station network.
This list is just a taste of what is happening in our area, and does not even include projects arising out of Local 20/20 itself. But there is so much more we can do. Come join us.
