Climate & Energy Forum November 18 (WU-388)

Did you know that half our carbon emissions in Washington State come from the transportation sector?

Half of that amount comes from our own personal cars, but the rest of those emissions come from trucks, trains and ferries. So what kinds of changes COULD we make to reduce our carbon footprint?

In this podcast, Steve Johnson and Randal Samstag, board members of Bainbridge Island’s Climate & Energy Forum, talk about the work of five local environmental organizations -- Climate Action Bainbridge, EcoAdapt, Sustainable Bainbridge, Friends of Island Power and Citizens Climate Lobby -- that are exploring this very question.

Their Forum hosts a monthly series featuring speakers and discussion topics to increase our community’s awareness and response. This month, the topic is on the electrification of our transportation system.

Steve and Randal talk about what we can do to cut these emissions. For example, they highlight the benefits of buying an electric car and getting our local power from a cleaner, renewable source. They also note work already underway to have more electric buses and ferries.

Joining this podcast via Skype to talk about the opportunities to improve our rail system, Bill Moyer, co-author of “Solutionary Rail: A Campaign to Electrify America’s Rails While Creating Clean Energy Corridors," offers a vision for what can be done in the United States (see link here).

To learn more, you can attend the next Climate & Energy Forum event, the Electrification of Transportation and the Path to a Carbon Free Washington, on Saturday, November 18, from 10:00am-11:30am at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church. Speakers will include Bill Moyer of Solutionary Rail, John Clausen of Kitsap Transit and Matt Von Ruden of the Washington State Ferries.

 For more information on the Climate and Energy Forum, please visit: www.bainbridgeislandforum.org.

Credits: BCB host: Christina Hulet; audio editor and publisher: Diane Walker.