About

We live on the unceded lands of Indigenous people. On Whidbey Island the Coast Salish people, including the Skagit, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Swinomish, Tulalip, Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, and the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, have lived here thousands of years, live here today, and will live here for future generations. Their spirituality and way of living have cared for the land and our plant and animal relatives and define the very nature of sustainability.

Everything comes from the land.

Water is life.

Who We Are

Whidbey Climate ACTION was founded to promote community and sustainability in the the fight against climate change. The group grew out of the work of the Langley City Council's Climate Crisis Action Committee, a citizen's board that advised and proposed projects for the council's declared Climate Emergency (Resolution 818, June 2021). There is now a separate Climate Crisis Action Commission that works on climate policy for the city.

We work with our Whidbey Island neighbors, to promote, finance and implement rapid, just, and measurable actions and advocacy that fully meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis. WCA pursues four strategies to achieve our vision:

REDUCE: Transition away from fossil fuels
ADAPT & MITIGATE: Restore and regenerate ecosystems to boost community resilience
TALK: Engage all of us through education and conversation
ADVOCATE: Advocate for climate policies at the county, state, and national level

Meeting locations and dates are listed on the Meetings page. We invite members of the public to join our meetings, and more importantly, to join our actions as we work together to address the climate crisis.

JOIN Us

Challenges

Ever increasing inequality. Inequality drives injustice and climate change as the globally wealthy contribute the most to GHG emissions and climate change impacts historically oppressed BIPOC and colonized Global South communities disproportionately. Richest 10% contribute 50% of the emissions.
Fossil-fuel driven chaotic climate. Longer droughts and heavier rainfall lower water supplies and crop yields across the globe. e.g. Somalia, Italy, Midwest, Texas.
Biodiversity loss. Monocrops, pesticides, herbicides, deforestation for ag and livestock grazing, ocean acidification, and plastics are driving insect and animal population declines and extinctions, destroying the foundations of all life.
Depleting planetary resources. Our extract-build-dispose consumer culture is based on the exploitation of limited, valuable resources. Oil is depleting rapidly. There is not enough copper ore to rebuild electrical systems for renewable energy transition.
Unsupportable human consumption. The Green Revolution (via colonization) supporting explosive growth was based on fossil-fuel produced nitrogen fertilizers propping up vanishing topsoils. 1.8 Earths are needed to support human civilization.
Local sea level rise. With possible sea level rises of 12 inches by 2050 and over 4 ft by 2100, many Whidbey homes and properties will be impacted.
Forest fires and smoke. Air quality measures will continue to degrade from expanding Northwest fires which are promoted by increased temperatures and drought conditions associated with climate change.

Accomplishments

09/01/2023	Discussed climate legislation with District 10 representative Clyde Shavers.
08/04/2023	108kW of solar panels installed on SW Elementary School from our grant!
08/01/2023	Won grants to study solar + batteries at the Pacific Rim Institute, Langley City Hall and Library.
06/10/2023	Produced "Whidbey's Water Future" conference to examine water in the face of climate change.
06/01/2023	Wrote $87K grant “Microloans for Microgrids” in Langley.
05/25/2023	Created Whidbey Climate Fund for funding local carbon-reducing projects.
03/10/2023	Worked on feasibility grant with Pacific Rim Institute for solar and battery at their facility.
02/02/2023	Initiated Langley City Council support for 65-car parking facility near the Mukilteo ferry dock.
02/01/2023	Collaborated with Langley Parks & Open Space Commission on tree protection.
10/19/2022	Produced "How to Talk About Climate" webinar with communications professional.
10/01/2022	Supported grant for $1M for "Kicking Gas": 100 home heat pumps.
09/06/2022	Supported USL's advocacy for Island County to declare a Climate Emergency.