We provide technical and grassroots support to communities throughout the Sierra in mitigating climate change and building resilience to its impacts.
Our Work on Climate
- Reports, Toolkits, and Guides
to galvanize action and raise awareness to the effects of climate change on the Sierra Nevada - Climate March Organizer
Co-organized South Lake Tahoe Climate March - Enacting Community-wide 100% Renewable Energy Resolutions
The Sierra Nevada Alliance helps organize and facilitate community citizen groups to work with their local jurisdictions and energy providers to pass these resolutions. After resolutions have been passed. The Alliance staff, is available for technical assistance to help build capacity to conduct inventories, audits, implement public meetings, and develop climate action plans/strategies.
Climate Action Planning Now and For the Future
The Alliance’s Climate Resiliency Program goals consider both climate action planning and climate adaptation. We aid communities that are taking action on climate change by assisting in the development and implementation of climate action and adaptation plans. Similarly, we work to meet or exceed local renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. In accordance with our organizational goals, our team aims to provide assistance and resources to partners working on these types of initiatives–those that align with our mission.
A Global Crisis With Viable Local Solutions
Scientists agree that California and the Sierra are changing as greenhouse gas emissions cause global temperatures to rise. The Sierra snowpack is predicted to decrease by as much as 45% by mid-century and in worse case scenarios 90% by the end of the century. Global warming threatens to push our already failing systems to the breaking point. But climate change is an emergency for which we can plan. We can work to prevent the worse-case scenarios and prepare for those we cannot avoid.
Continuing a Legacy of Climate Policy Implementation in the Sierra
The Sierra Nevada Alliance has a long history of supporting sustainable planning. Since 1998 Alliance staff have actively partnered with member groups and allies to develop and implement local and regional resources plans. These plans, in compliance with the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets from SB 32 and SB 375, serve as models for a resilient and thriving Sierra region to successfully face unique economic, environmental, and societal challenges, including climate change.
Facilitating 100% Renewable Energy Resolutions
The Alliance has helped to facilitate 100% Renewable Energy Resolutions in South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and Nevada City.
By passing these resolutions, communities have committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and renewable energy by 2050. In addition to helping to facilitate these resolutions, the Alliance coordinates the annual Climate March in South Lake Tahoe and organizes an annual Sierra Day in the Capitol to promote climate change awareness in the community and inspire local environmental action. Regionally, the Alliance is a leadership member serving with Sierra Business Council’s Sierra CAMP (Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership) program to promote and synchronize regional climate initiatives among different environmental organizations and agencies. The Alliance is excited to continue its involvement in smart land use and climate planning, community development, and regional sustainability efforts. Due to the current lack of federal environmental leadership, the Alliance believes that ramping up local and regional efforts to build more resilient communities that reflect concern for and value of the natural environment is more important than ever.
If you have a community that would like help with this work contact us at jenny@sierranevadaalliance.org.
Climate Fellows Helping Sierra Communities Achieve 100% Renewable Energy Resolution Goals
In order to help achieve the 100% Renewable Energy Resolutions in South Lake Tahoe and Truckee–initiatives the Alliance helped to facilitate–it became apparent that immediate capacity building actions were needed. In September of 2018, the Alliance hired two new staff through Local Government Commission’s CivicSpark AmeriCorps program, which seeks to build capacity for local governments dealing with resilience issues, such as climate change.
Meredith Anderson and Sam Ruderman joined the Sierra Nevada Alliance team as Climate Fellows, and their work is focused mainly in three areas:
- greenhouse gas emissions inventorying;
- climate action planning; and
- working regionally to collaborate on and promote climate actions and initiatives throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin and greater Sierra region.
The addition of these team members has allowed the Alliance to expand its climate resiliency focus and has enabled it to provide more support to communities working on 100% Renewable Resolutions and other sustainability targets.
Our Vision for the Future: Expanding 100% Renewable Resolutions
Looking toward the future, the Alliance hopes to build staff capacity to advocate for more 100% renewable resolutions in communities throughout the Sierra, such as Mammoth Lakes, Carson Valley, and Reno. Doing so will help to achieve our goal of reducing greenhouse emissions, a vital component in protecting the region and crucial to building resilience in our communities. The processes for getting these resolutions passed successfully will act as templates that can be used to duplicate results in future 100% renewable efforts. These initiatives are crucial to curbing emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, while simultaneously improving human health and creating thriving local economies.
