The Alachua County NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee invites you to their Climate Change Summit on September 30th at the United Church of Gainesville. Read on for the full press release and find the full flyer here. 

Contact: Bob Tancig
352-214-1778
naacpecjcgnv [at] gmail.com

Climate Change Summit seeks local action for Gainesville and Alachua County

GAINESVILLE, FL - The public is invited to attend a free Climate Change Summit in Gainesville, Florida on September 30, 2023. The organizers are Alachua County NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, the United Church of Gainesville, and the Wagmore Foundation.

The summit’s purpose is to establish a citizen-based climate action agenda for the county. The one-day event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church: 1624 NW 5th Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32603. Lunch will be provided.

Community members, students, and concerned citizens should register at bit.ly/3O9OGRc or by calling 352-214-1778 before the event reaches capacity. The deadline to register is September 25th. Event details will be available after registration. This will be a zero-waste event.

Summit highlights will include:

• New information from the “Critical Infrastructure and Land Use Climate Vulnerability Analysis” commissioned by Alachua County
• Keynote speaker Jacqueline Patterson, Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project, a resource hub for black frontline climate justice leadership
• Breakout sessions on Health, Water, Food, and Energy.

Participants will be asked to draw on local knowledge to invent a more livable community. They will engage in dialogues led by mayors and other local leaders who have a solid understanding of the obstacles we face.

An essential goal is to explore how to meet national Justice40 objectives to deliver at least “40 percent of the overall benefits” to disadvantaged communities. Together, we will chart a course to a more sustainable community able to support all its members.

While the climate crisis is surely global, we need to “act locally.” The Gainesville and broader Alachua County community must begin to implement a local response now.

The Alachua County NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee coordinates climate action and environmental justice organizations in our area by sharing information and strategies designed to address the ongoing climate crisis. The United Church of Gainesville became an official Creation Justice Church this year. The Wagmore Foundation supports humane treatment of animals in Alachua County.