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Rural Climate Dialogues: Developing a Citizen-Based
ResponseAnna Claussen, Director Rural Strategies, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Andrew Rockway, Program Director, Jefferson Center
Overview
I. The Problem > Symptoms > Drivers
II. The RCD ApproachIII. The RCD Process IV. The RCD Communities – the Pilot
Projects, Results and EvaluationsV. What Does This Look Like for You?
The Problem > Symptoms >
Drivers
The failure to effectively engage
rural communities on climate change has severely limited our collective ability
to address one of the biggest challenges of our
time
The Problem > Symptoms > Drivers
The Problem > Symptoms > Drivers
States not pursuing litigation
The Problem > Symptoms > Drivers1. Climate Change is Politicized
and Polarizing
The Problem > Symptoms > Drivers
2. Rural America is Discounted
The Problem > Symptoms > Drivers3. Rural America is Impacted Differently
Spend higher percentage of their income on transportation and energy
Have higher poverty rates, lower housing quality and lower energy efficiency
While 73% of metropolitan counties have land-use planners, only 29% of rural counties not adjacent to a metropolitan county had one or more planners
The RCD Approach
+
The RCD Approach is Two-Fold
Place-based & democratic community solutions
More equitable state and federal
policy
Why does rural engagement on climate change matter?➢ Rural people have different cultural hurdles
to overcome ➢ Lack of awareness of local climate
change impacts and fewer resources to plan effectively for change
➢ Skepticism manifests as inaction/opposition
Deliberative Public Engagement
➢ Engagement as conversation➢ Why Deliberation?
➢ Educates on complex issues➢ Incorporates local values and
knowledge➢ Provides greater legitimacy
Rural Climate Dialogues
➢ Building diverse community coalitions
➢ Public deliberation (Citizens’ Jury) to guide and catalyze collaborative community action
➢ Sustained community organizing to support implementation of actions and projects identified through deliberation
The RCD Process
Pre-JuryStakeholder Engagemen
t
3-Day Citizen’s
Jury
Post-JuryCoordinate Resources
& Assistance
RCD #1
RCD #2RCD #3 RCD
State Convening: Rural Jurors +
State Agencies Student
Citizen’s Jury
Pre-Jury Organizing➢ Identify pertinent community issues➢ Tap into existing local networks➢ Align deliberation and organizing
efforts with existing local movements / actions / efforts beyond “typical” voices or “key stakeholders”
➢ Engage mini-citizen’s jury process with high-school students
Citizen’s Jury Deliberation
A diverse group of a community➢ Study and gain understanding of
complex issues➢ Deliberate respectfully in a manner
than transcends typical partisan debate
➢ Produce well-considered recommendations based on solid information.
We pool thousands of individuals from the community before creating a randomly selected, demographically stratified group of 18. This deliberative panel serves as a microcosm of the larger community. Participants are compensated to overcome barriers to participation and ensure diversity.
We provide the group with unbiased background information and expert presenters to inform their deliberative inquiry.
We facilitate productive, creative deliberation over 3 days to give the group time to understand the issues and generate quality recommendations.
The group develops recommendations to address climate change and extreme weather through dialogue, deliberation, and voting.
Key Components of a Citizens Jury
1. Microcosm of the community2. Democratic conversations3. Quality information4. Productive deliberation5. Minimized bias6. Sufficient time to understand
issues
Process Details (From Morris)DAY 1 - Introductions
Panelists meet one another and discuss goals and expectations for the 3 daysPanelists engage in a simulation exercise as an introduction to the process of assessing information and working together to achieve shared resultsPanelists identify factors associated with community resiliencePanelists assess what makes a question “good” for getting clear and useful informationLocal extreme weather and climate conditions by Mark Seeley (Univ of MN Extension)Panelists assess the keys facts from Seeley’s presentation
DAY 2 - Background Presentations and DiscussionEnergy Burdens - Shalini Gupta, Center for Earth, Energy & DemocracyInsurance - Mark Kulda, Insurance Federation of MinnesotaAgriculture - Abdullah Jaradat, USDA Agricultural Research ServiceLocal Infrastructure - Blaine Hill, City of MorrisEnergy & Energy Efficiency - Bill Klyve, Otter Tail PowerResilience - Troy Goodnough, University of Minnesota Morris
DAY 3 - Generating RecommendationsPanelists identify and select top challengesPanelists identify and select top opportunitiesPanelists identify key fact, implications, and actionsPanelists write final statement in group editing process
Post-Jury Organizing➢ Coordinate action steps with jury
participants and others identified in pre-jury organizing
➢ Share results with community and policymakers
➢ Find and coordinate resources to support implementation of jury recommendations
The RCD Communities
Your name, where you’re fromWhat is one thing that makes your community a great place to live and work?
Take a Moment…
Morris, MNStevens County
Morris, MNStevens County
Community Experts Presented Local Impacts
In-class Debate Home energy surveys to 150 + households
– mapped household energy vulnerability
Student Dialogue
Morris - Key Weather Facts
Minnesota has experienced more frequent than average weather-related disasters in recent years.Average temperatures have been increasing, particularly due to warmer winters and higher minimum temperatures.The trend in our community shows more precipitation overall, falling in more intense precipitation events.We have experienced more frequent periods with “tropical-like” dew points, increasing humidity and Heat Index values.
Morris - Top Concerns1. Changes in extreme weather and climate
may raise energy and food costs, which would disproportionately impact low-income households and elderly citizens living on a fixed income
2. Many community members are not aware of changes in extreme weather and climate and actions they can take to address changes.
3. Changes in extreme weather and climate patterns may negatively affect agriculture.
Morris - Top Opportunities
1. The Morris area can sustain and strengthen its agricultural economy.
2. The Morris area community can utilize local expertise and resources to build a more resilient community.
3. The Morris area can strengthen its economy and address problems associated with changes in extreme weather and climate.
Morris - Top Actions1. Assess your home for potential structural and energy-
saving improvements2. Encourage better construction in new homes, quality
retrofitting of old homes, and investment in energy-efficient appliances and alternative energy sources
3. Use water channeling and drainage to control flooding, erosion, and, where possible, capture water for other uses
4. Encourage and implement diversity in crops and crop rotation
5. Implement discussion of climate change into K-12 education
6. Hold town meetings where government officials, agricultural producers, utility providers, human services, and the public can generate and discuss new ideas so voters and consumers can make more informed decisions
Morris Since the Dialogue
• Community-focused recommendations and high institutional capacity
• Technical assistance agreement with Saerbeck, Germany to develop renewable energy generation for economic development
• Public and private investments in energy efficiency and clean energy generation
• Ongoing community education and outreach, including “Morris Model” website and community events
• Incorporating climate resilience into emergency planning
• Won 2015 Environmental Initiative Community Action award for community-led work building resilience
“Even if you thought you knew a lot about climate change, the information that we were all given, the experts that were provided, really gave you a chance to gain so much more knowledge and be able to have a dialogue with other people with all the information that you learned…”
John Geleneau, Morris, Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad
“We talk a lot more about climate change and I would say, previous to that, it might have come up once a year. Now, during any of these weather events, when you hear about flooding in other places it really does bring a lot more dialogue of: what can we do, how should we change things?”
“I think once you start bringing that dialogue up, other people want to join in and they want to learn more about it. Everybody wants to be able to sit at the table with the same information.”John Geleneau, Morris, Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad
Grand Rapids, MN
Itasca County
Over 150 students with 10 local experts
Student Dialogue Grand
Rapids, MNItasca County
Itasca - Top Challenges1. Extreme temperature variations and severe flooding
conditions reduce the life of capital assets and increase operational disruptions for public infrastructure. We need to consider new design standards for our stormwater systems to address larger precipitation events and new regulations. There are significant economic costs associated with future designs.
2. We need to emphasize management of natural resources from a long-term perspective (such as 50 years or more) and use a systems approach (recognizing that everything is interrelated) to more effectively manage and protect natural resources and ensure a legacy for future generations.
3. Stormwater runoff can increase sediment and phosphorus load in waterways, which can reduce water quality.
4. Fish community composition is changing. This will affect angling opportunity, Minnesota’s fishing economy, and our outdoor culture.
Itasca - Top Opportunities1. We can manage forests so they’re more adaptable in the
face of changing conditions by pursuing the following strategies...
2. Information is power. We can ensure information is accessible. Decision-makers at all levels – including individuals, government, and businesses – need to be informed and engaged concerning how changes in climate affect our natural resources and economy. It’s important to adapt present practices based on new information.
3. We can accept changes to natural systems and change the way we manage these systems. One opportunity is to move natural resource management into a long-term planning and sustainability mode, which includes empowering citizen interests in the planning process and being adaptive but realistic about changes.
4. To manage excessive water during extreme weather events, we can reduce imperviousness and allow water to infiltrate into the ground; we can adapt stormwater infrastructure to hold higher volumes; and we can maintain riparian buffers and forest cover, using natural features that slow or retain water.
Itasca - Top Actions1. We can change the way we manage our individual properties to
protect wildlife habitat and water quality...2. Actions by individuals add up! We can insulate our homes, use
efficient bulbs and appliances, use solar power, travel by bike, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, travel less, increase energy efficiency, and pursue alternative energy sources.
3. We can participate in public decision-making meetings related our infrastructure systems. Get involved by asking what you can do on your property to address stormwater and infrastructure issues....
4. We can install green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff on new developments. We can reduce risks associated with stormwater runoff by pursuing low impact development best practices…
5. To ensure tourists come to Itasca County, we can be adaptive and focus on what we have. We can create new reasons for tourists to come to Itasca County if weather conditions don’t support traditional tourist activities.
6. To improve our infrastructure systems, we should be more creative and keep an open mind, for example, by implementing green design ideas (e.g. new thermal pavements that reduce damage related to severe fluctuations in temperature).
Itasca Since the Dialogue• Individual-focused recommendations and lower
institutional capacity• Exploring green stormwater infrastructure and
low-impact landscaping• Private investments in pollinator habitat, reduced
pesticide/fertilizer use, and energy efficiency upgrades
• High school rain garden projects• Municipal utility pursuing solar garden
development
“I'm not really sure why climate change has to be a political issue. It doesn't seem that it needs to be, but it has turned into one. Part of what was helpful is getting a lot of realistic information that was not really arguable, so it doesn't have to be something that turns into an opinion or something to argue about. The fact is, we've got some pretty significant changes in our weather. It is having a lot of impacts across a lot of different areas.”
Melissa Weidendorf, Grand Rapids
Winona, MNWinona County
Engaged 100 + students with expert panel. In class-room dialogue and debate.
Student Dialogue Winona, MNWinona County
Winona - Top Challenges1. Adjusting farming practices and other rural and urban land
management to be adaptable to more frequent extreme weather events while remaining lucrative and having a positive impact on the environment...
2. High intensity precipitation events may lead to short-term increases in water temperature, higher magnitude flooding, erosion, runoff of sediments and pollution, and degraded stream habitat for coldwater fish and other aquatic invertebrates...
3. Technology changes quickly. To be knowledgeable about current energy technology, individuals and organizations must know what energy issues to address first and what technology to use...
4. The annual cost of an average homeowners’ insurance policy in Minnesota increased 310% ($368 to $1140) from 1998 to 2012 due to extreme weather events. Premiums are still not high enough to cover all paid claims...
Winona - Top Opportunities
1. Local development of clean energy can reduce the state’s dependence on imported energy, which costs about $16 billion/year...
2. ‘Balance Watersheds’: Drained lands and impervious urban areas must be offset by best management practices (BMPs) and ecosystem restorations aimed at slowing runoff and storing water (infiltration, wetlands, floodplain connectivity, etc.)...
3. Adopting agricultural best management practices and planting perennials can reduce nutrient, soil, and water loss while maintaining production and profitability...
4. Southeastern Minnesota should strive for healthy, responsible land use practices – especially with agriculture and mining. Healthy shorelines and streams are more resilient to flood events...
Winona - Top Actions1. Pursue Guaranteed Energy Savings Plan for public retrofits and
distributed energy generation to receive comprehensive technical and financial assistance for state agencies, local government units, school districts, and institutions of higher learning to reduce the knowledge and finance barriers to implementing energy efficiency projects.
2. Take personal responsibility by assessing your land and practices; getting technical and financial assistance if needed; and ensuring home and business use protects both the quantity and quality of our waters.
3. Develop land use policies that strengthen water quality and invest in infrastructure improvements.
4. Consider home, business, or public space strategies to promote water retention instead of runoff – such as semi-permeable parking and walkway surfaces, rain gardens, native plantings, and protecting your nearby storm sewer from taking in pollutants and debris.
5. Go fishing! Money from trout stamp sales is critical for mitigation and management.
6. Let your voice be heard: Advocate for a balanced approach to land and water management, one that ensures water equality.
Winona Since the Dialogue
• Concluded earlier this year, but strong early response from community institutions
• Community-focused recommendations and high institutional capacity
• MPCA Grant for community engagement around conservation and sustainability actions, led by “Sustain Winona,” group comprised of staff from local government and other community institutions
• City of Winona hired full-time “Natural Resources Sustainability Coordinator” to work on pertinent issues
• Winona State University hired first Sustainability Director
“I think we, the people, are the solution. If we can get together and implement, educate, and learn about what it is that we can do to, explore different energy options, how we can do things differently on the farm and protect our trout streams. I just know that we are a part of the solution. What we do. What we learn. How we can be proactive. It's like paying it forward for our grandchildren into the future.” Katherine Sublett, Winona, retired
Organizing and Community Outcomes➢ Using dialogue results to
expand/align local networkso Recommendations provide opportunity and
incentives to coordinate action o Dialogue gives democratic community
legitimacyo Participants provide core of potential new
actors to raise awareness among their networks
➢ Contextual factorso Type of recommendations: individual vs.
communityo Local institutional capacity
Evaluation (so far)
How likely is it that your community will experience increased severe weather?
How likely is it that your community will experience major
shifts in climate patterns?
I, my community, and government can take
action...
I, my community, and government should take
action...
How satisfied were you with the...
State Climate ConveningSeptember 8 and 9, 2016
18 jury members, 25 state agency and NGO representatives
Linking available programs with rural priorities● Energy Transition● Infrastructure● Land Use, Land Management, and Stewardship
Recommendations explore greater collaboration between public agencies and rural communities: greater data sharing, ongoing feedback and engagement rather than discrete “comment sessions,” empowering citizens to take action coordinated by public agencies and (possibly) local officials
“I work with children, and again, when you're talking about families who are living in poverty already, and how devastating that can be to families and kids when you have families who are already living paycheck to paycheck, or barely making it, and then something comes along like a flood or high winds, trees down, and they don't have the resources to be able to deal with that, from a mental health perspective, that's an added stressor in terms of how people cope.” - Melissa Weidendorf, Grand Rapids
Anna ClaussenInstitute for Agriculture & Trade [email protected]
Andrew RockwayJefferson [email protected]
Funding provided primarily by the McKnight Foundation
50 organizations working nationally through the Rural Climate Network
www.ruralclimatenetwork.org
