Residents can engage in environmental issues with MI CAN

It is an endless environmental endeavor.

Callie Ridolfi was drawn to environmental issues from a young age and continued her quest to help protect the planet into adulthood. While growing up in Colorado and skiing, hiking and exploring the mountains, she often spotted old mining sites and became interested in the impact of mining on the galleries and streams.

The longtime Mercer Island resident, who is armed with a degree in environmental engineering, founded Ridolfi Environmental in Seattle over 30 years ago and served as the senior climate guide for Mercer Island. Climate Action Now (MI CAN).

Ridolfi also left her mark on the community as the founding director of the Mercer Island Farmers Market. Like that island asset, she hopes MI CAN will serve as a valuable resource for residents, she said.

She is a member of the environmental committee of the League of Women Voters, which launched MI CAN last year at Zoom meetings. About 20 cities have climate guides for the League of Women Voters project, which is a partnership with King County.

“The idea (is) for the League of Women Voters to have the same footprint as the county and also be consistent with the county’s goals of reducing carbon emissions. I thought, well, this is a great opportunity to work locally here in my community, ”said the 28-year-old Islander.

The county updated its strategic climate action plan last year and put in place a climate action toolkit to guide cities in developing their plans. MI CAN works closely with the city in the area of ​​sustainability and engages citizens on climate issues.

“We appreciate the help of a local group in tackling an issue as important as climate change, and we look forward to the benefits that increased public engagement will bring to our city’s climate planning process,” said Ross. Freeman, city sustainability analyst. .

Mercer Island is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from current levels by 2030. One of Ridolfi’s main goals for next year is to educate residents about this goal. climate change and guide them towards the actions they can take to reduce their emissions.

Referring to the county toolkit, Ridolfi said residents can get involved by enrolling in Puget Sound Energy’s green energy program, frequently putting their vehicles aside in favor of cycling, walking and the bus, and by purchasing an electric vehicle or an electric bicycle. Reusing materials when constructing new buildings, composting waste and planting trees are other key ways to make an environmental difference.

“We have champions who have already taken many of these milestones,” said Ridolfi, beaming with pride as he mentioned the island’s monumental mastery in recycling and using green energy.

After deploying MI CAN for Earth Day, 100 residents had participated in the group’s five-minute community climate survey at the time of publication. Its website also offers a Household Greenhouse Gas Estimator where residents can enter information from their utility bill to check their monthly natural gas consumption.

Ridolfi is thrilled to get involved with MI CAN – it’s a project that kept her busy during the pandemic.

“We are starting to raise awareness and I have the impression that the more people will discover us, answer the survey and perhaps meet us at the farmers’ market, we will start to create a dynamic around this idea,” he said. she declared.

For more information, visit www.mercerislandcan.org

For information on the sustainability of the city, visit https://tinyurl.com/23r33b9h