Scio Twp Hosts Inaugural Sustainability Fair to Champion Environmental Action

On Sunday, October 29th, the Scio Township Environmental Sustainability Task Force (ESTF) held its first annual Sustainability Fair. The fair presented a broad spectrum of information on local efforts to bolster community resilience and health and provided actionable guidance for residents to contribute to these initiatives.

ESTF Chair Jan Culbertson commented on the event: "The purpose of the fair is to engage residents in starting or continuing their efforts to protect our natural environment and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, a Washtenaw County and Scio Township.”

Culbertson explained this goal is part of a broader imperative to prevent the planet from warming above 2 degrees Celsius. Since the late 19th century, Earth's average temperature has increased by at least 1.1° Celsius, with the majority of this warming occurring from 1975 at an accelerating rate. Culbertson emphasized the urgency of the current decade for global warming mitigation, advocating for “accelerating decarbonization in all sectors of our global community.”

The ESTF, a volunteer body, has formulated Scio’s Environmental Sustainability Climate Action Plan, which has received a nod from the Planning Commission and awaits approval from the Board of Trustees. The fair aimed to educate attendees about the seven focal points of the plan and how they might partake in the decarbonization process.

The event covered various topics: trail preservation, land conservation, watershed protection, home energy efficiency, recycling, and composting. Participants explored eco-friendly transportation like ebikes, chatted with electric vehicle owners, and learned about community emergency response. The event also served as a means for residents to engage with groups such as the Citizen's Climate Lobby and the Washtenaw Climate Reality Project.

To learn more, visit https://www.sciotownship.org/democracy/township-board-commissions-and-committees/sustainability-task-force

References:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/global-temperatures

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202309#:~:text=According%20to%20NCEI's%20statistical%20analysis,the%20warmest%20year%20on%20record.&text=South%20America%20and%20Europe%20had,warmest%20such%20period%20on%20record.

Photos courtesy of ESTF