Carlisle, PA

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Climate Action Plan & Climate Action Committee

Background

Carlisle Borough is one of 20 communities participating in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Local Climate Action Assistance Program. This program provides tools and expertise to help municipalities develop plans to manage the risks of climate change impacts on their communities. The ultimate goal of the program is for the Borough to create its own Climate Action Plan to reduce emissions and manage impacts.

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Carlisle Borough entered the program in the fall of 2019 and teamed up with students from Dickinson College's Center for Sustainability Education to measure greenhouse gas emissions in the Borough. The group calculated greenhouse gas emissions for the years 2016 and 2017. This inventory will serve as a baseline to help the Borough identify and prioritize emission sources for action, develop strategies for reducing emissions, and set goals.

Non-residential energy is the number one source for greenhouse gas emissions in the Borough, with electricity being the biggest contributor. Electric utilities emitted nearly 77,000 MTCO2e of greenhouse gases to generate the electricity used by Carlisle establishments in 2017.

Climate Action Resolution and Commission
This summer, Borough Council passed a Climate Action Resolution that commits the Borough to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26% by 2025 and 80% by 2050, compared to 2005. The resolution also requires the Borough to form a Climate Action Commission to create a Climate Action Plan for the Borough.
The Climate Action Commission (CAC) will consist of an Executive Committee (led by the CAC Chair) and four teams that report directly to Executive Committee.
September 1, 2022
Dickinson College is hosting an International Climate Symposium on October 24-26. Science-Based Choices for Climate Action, Insights from the IPCC 6th Assessment Report will be held both in-person and virtually. Attendance is free, but pre-registration is requested. Visit https://www.dickinson.edu/climatesymposium for more.

June 9, 2022
The Climate Action Committee needs your input! They will be hosting focus groups at the Professional Education and Empowerment Center at 291 North Pitt Street. All events begin at 7:00 p.m. Space is limited, so register ahead at engagecarlisle@gmail.com. Free pizza will be provided to participants!
Monday, June 20: Transportation Initiatives
Monday, July 11: Energy Efficiency in Rental Housing
Monday, August 8: Climate Action Objectives
Monday, August 29: Electrification

May 23, 2022
The Community Engagement Team will host a series of DIY Energy Efficiency Workshops. Read more.

January 14, 2022
At their January meeting, Carlisle Borough Council unanimously approved the Borough's first-ever Climate Action Plan! View the Plan.

January 12, 2022
The Employee Relations and Community Participation Committee of Carlisle Borough Council is seeking interested Borough citizens to serve on the Climate Action Commission in the following roles: Transportation Task Force Lead and Decarbonization Task Force Team Lead. Visit our Boards and Commission Page for more information.

December 9, 2021
The Climate Action Plan is now available for public comment! You can view the document here: Draft Climate Action Plan. Public comment can be submitted through Engage Carlisle, our community engagement platform.

November 2, 2021

The Borough's Climate Action Commission is looking for a volunteer to serve as its Community Engagement Team Lead!

This person will be responsible for ensuring the commission's Climate Action Plan (CAP) reflects community values and maintains community support. They are the primary interface with the public in the development and implementation of the CAP. The ideal candidate is an effective communicator with the desire to help reduce the carbon footprint of the Borough.

If you are interested in applying, visit www.carlislepa.org/volunteer for more details. Submissions are due by November 21.

October 15, 2021
The work of the Borough’s Climate Action Commission will continue into 2022! Borough Council recently reappointed members of the Commission’s Executive Committee to serve another year. The Executive Committee consists of Joel Hicks, Chair; Mohamed Rali Badissy, Projects and Estimates Team Lead; Sara Markowitz, Community Engagement Team Lead; Tony Underwood; Planning and Analytics Team Lead; Karla Farrell, Zoning Team Lead; and Tamela Trussell, Resident-at-Large. Their new terms will expire on September 1, 2022.

June 15, 2021
The Carlisle Climate Action Commission is offering mini-grants to fund projects in our community with a positive environmental impact. Read more.
May 7, 2021
The Community Engagement Team is hiring an intern! They are searching for current college students or recent college graduates who are interested in assisting with community outreach and survey distribution. View the complete job description.

April 16, 2021
The Community Engagement Team has planned a series of events for Earth Day, beginning on Friday, April 16.
Friday, April 16
Rally Against Extinction and the Environmental Crisis

Monday, April 19
Policy Update from Penn Future and the Conservation Voters of PA

Tuesday, April 20
How-To DIY Sustainability with Brenda Landis

Wednesday, April 21
Air Pollution + COVID Means Double Trouble

Thursday, April 22
Climate JeopardyClimate JeopardyDowntown Carlisle Cleanup: Info TBA

Friday, April 23
Climate Justice for All Rally: Info TBA
Climate Jeopardy

Saturday, April 24
Seed Swap at the Carlisle Alliance Church
LeTort Trail Community Bike Ride
Celebration at Earth Artisan & Outfitter

April 9, 2021
At their April Meeting, Borough Council appointed APPI Energy as the Borough's Solar Electric consultant and authorized the distribution of a Request for Proposal related to the planning and design of a potential solar energy project at the wastewater treatment plan.

March 10, 2021
Cumberland County is working on its own climate action plan. Please take a few minutes and fill out their citizen survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CumberlandCountyCAP. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CumberlandCountyCAP.

March 5, 2021
At their March meeting, the CAC's Executive Committee voted to approve a proposed pathway for meeting their goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26% by 2025 and 80% by 2050, compared to 2005 levels. The committee unanimously voted to approve the Rapid Pathway. The proposed moderate pathway would not have met their target mitigation goals. Proposed Pathways Summary Report

The Community Engagement Team has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Civic Engagement Fund at Dickinson College. The team plans to use the funds to further its community outreach goals. Read more.

February 9, 2021
On February 19 at 4:00 PM, members of the Borough's Climate Action Commission (CAC) will take part in a panel discussion offered by the Bosler Memorial Library. The CAC panelists will introduce themselves and summarize their thoughts and specific actions to be taken to address climate change on local, national, and international levels with particular emphasis on the Cumberland Valley region. The virtual event is free, but registration is required. Register here: https://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=CCLS&curName=2021%2F02%2F19_Climate_Action_Commission_Panel_Discussion

January 21, 2021
The third and final event of the Climate Action Planning Series will be held on Tuesday, February 2 at 7:00 PM through Zoom. The theme is "Schools-Where Ideas Take Root." Details and registration info can be found here: https://southmountainpartnership.org/speakers-series/schedule.

December 17, 2020
The Executive Committee of the CAC participated in Climate Action Series #2-Municipal Rules-Where Real Action Happens. You can view the event below.

The next session, Schools-Where Ideas Take Root, will take place on February 2, 2020. Click here for more details.

December 3, 2020
At their December Workshop Meeting, Borough Council approved sending a letter in support of Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Council also appointed Deputy Mayor Sean Shultz as a representative to RGGI.

RGGI is a cooperative effort of New England and Mid-Atlantic states dedicated to finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector while generating economic growth. By joining RGGI, Pennsylvania could potentially reduce climate pollution from carbon emissions by 188 million tons by 2030.

October 15, 2020

Beginning October 20, a series of free community forums about Climate Action Planning will be hosted through 2021 by community groups and agencies in the Cumberland Valley. Residents, leaders, and organizations throughout southcentral PA are invited. All attendees must register for the virtual event, visit https://bit.ly/2XO9CA. Series information and registration will be available at https://bit.ly/34UZrAw.

September 14, 2020
If you were unable to attend last week's Virtual Public Forum about the Climate Action Commission, you can watch it on YouTube.

September 11, 2020
The newly formed Climate Action Commission is looking for volunteers. The commission will be comprised of an Executive Committee and four working groups, each headed by a Team Lead. The groups are the Community Engagement Team, Plathways & Analytics Team, Projects & Estimates Team, and Zoning Team. If you are interested in being a Team Lead, you can learn more about the opportunities on our Volunteer Openings page.

August 7, 2020

The Borough of Carlisle and Widener University Commonwealth Law School's Environmental Law and Sustainability Center recently signed a memorandum of understanding that will support the Borough's climate action efforts. With this partnership, Widener offers its resources at no cost to help the Borough draft any ordinances that may be proposed while creating the Climate Action Plan. Through its classes on sustainability law, Widener previously developed model sustainability ordinances for use in other Pennsylvania municipalities.

This section contains helpful resources and links.