As my time with the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC) comes to an end, and I reflect on the past eight months, I feel immense gratitude, not only for the amazing professional experience, but also for the individuals and the projects I have had the honor to contribute to in a small way. It has been an honor and a joy to be a part of this small but mighty team, dedicated to climate action and serving the Dane County community.
OECC launched its climate action efforts during difficult times. While we appreciated the momentum we received from the Biden Administration, we are prepared to lead with or without that assistance.
"Take a deep breath and focus on the work at hand." I say that a lot lately.
As 2024 comes to a close we face both change and certainty here at the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change.
On November 16, I was privileged to be part of the 2024 Youth Climate Conference at Madison College. This was the fourth annual climate conference of this kind and it was, as usual, amazing.
We have made real progress reducing countywide emissions AND we all need to do more faster to achieve our 2030 countywide climate action goals.
The first time I learned about the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC) was at an environmental networking event nearly two years ago, and I knew from that moment on that this office was something I needed to be involved in.
On August 11 the City of Madison closed a series of major streets across the isthmus (from Regent Street to Proudfit Street and John Nolen Drive to Willy Street) to car traffic for the annual Ride the Drive event.
I recently had the opportunity to dive deep into the environmental world by completing an emission inventory for Dane County. Here are some of the lessons I learned.
I remember the first time I heard County Executive Joe Parisi do a talk. It was at an environmental fair at a church on the west side of Madison, in 2017 or 2018.
