Call for Volunteers: Establishing a Sustainability Committee at Bethesda Park
by: CM Caplinger, edited for clarity by Andrew Vu and Isaac Lucero
Many people have had completely valid feelings of anxiety and dread around the ongoing climate crisis since the publication of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). To summarize the United Nations’ backed IPCC report: there is definitive proof that industrial human activity has contributed to rising temperatures that cause extreme and lethal weather events. Humanity has less than 10 years to make significant and drastic changes to our lifestyles.
From a recent Washington Post article: “If the planet continues to warm on its current trajectory, the average 6-year-old will live through roughly three times as many climate disasters as their grandparents...They will see twice as many wildfires, 1.7 times as many tropical cyclones, 3.4 times more river floods, 2.5 times more crop failures and 2.3 times as many droughts as someone born in 1960.”
It’s crucial that Bethesda Park come together as a community to support each other and adapt to the changing weather that will affect us all. As we saw in early September, our city is not immune. As Hurricane Ida moved up the East coast, it brought deadly flooding to many areas. Two miles from Bethesda Park, basement units in Rock Creek Woods apartments were washed out and Melkin Cedillo, 19, died trying to rescue his mother.
We must give ourselves the space to grieve and be angry about the real losses we face. It’s important we process these emotions together so we can turn our feelings into actions. The government and other private institutions are not moving quickly enough, and we need to mobilize as a community. Contributing and collaborating to find solutions are concrete ways to combat climate despair.
In the spirit of action and mutual aid, Bethesda Park should create a Sustainability Committee. The scope and goals can be determined by a community survey, the expertise of volunteers, and the latest scientific recommendations. Big picture: this group should work to illustrate the demonstrable benefits of going green like reduced cost of living, improved personal health, and increased resilience against climate emergencies.
Some examples of what this working group could tackle include:
Collaborating with the management and operations teams to ensure that we keep operational costs down, stop working with fossil fuel companies, and invest in green technology. Examples include solar panels that could lower our energy bills, charging stations for electric vehicles and neighborhood composting that would decrease our carbon emissions, refreshing the building exteriors with ultra-reflective paint that decreases the need for air conditioning, paving that doesn’t disrupt water absorption and exacerbate flooding, upgrading the HVAC units to be compatible with smart thermostats that reduce energy waste, converting to high-efficiency, in-unit washers and dryers, etc.
Ensuring the safety and preparedness of residents during climate emergencies - we can work to create procedures for community care during heat waves, host events with climate activists and local political candidates with green platforms, determine evacuation plans for flash flooding, and share relevant climate resources. The more prepared we are, the more likely we are to avoid exorbitant maintenance costs. Recovery and repair from water damage, for example, is expensive, inconvenient, and displaces families from their homes.
Modeling the potential of climate sustainable communities to local government and other condo associations by carefully documenting the process and creating a case study that will inspire people to make meaningful changes in their own neighborhoods. Lobbying justifiably gets a bad rap, but we could organize and push for green legislation that offers financial and material benefits for sustainable practices.
Please help establish a Sustainability Committee by joining as a volunteer. It is vital we center and amplify Indigenous and Black voices, people of the global majority, young people, economically disadvantaged people, scientists, and activists. Your contributions are invaluable and will positively affect the community members of Bethesda Park for years to come.
If you or anyone in your household are interested in joining, please email caitlincaplinger@gmail.com with the subject line “Bethesda Park Sustainability Committee.” This is also an opportunity for high school students to get involved and gain experience in affecting positive change in real time. Feedback is also welcome even if you are unable to volunteer right now.
For more background and inspiration, check out articles like: 9 Climate Activists of Color You Should Know; A Beginner’s Guide to Fossil Fuel Divestment; What Would a Climate Emergency Plan Look Like; and An Antidote to Climate Despair.
CM Caplinger (they/them) is a writer, non-profit administrator, software engineer, and artist who recently purchased a condo in Bethesda Park. They are passionate about facilitating progress within the arts, technology, and environmental sectors.