The ninth installment of a blog series of 13 sharing art, articles, and abstract ideas that spark a contagious conversation.
Nestled between the Puget Sound and the Canadian boarder lives a quiet town, known for its “subdued excitement” and outdoor lifestyle. Faced with a pandemic, the newly elected city Mayor has been scrambling to protect the health of the city and fulfill his campaign promises. Bellingham, Washington had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 March, 11th 2020. It has followed state orders to shut down all non-essential businesses, and maintain social distancing mandates. The city has also taken an aggressive stance on climate protection. Their ambition is to have greenhouse gas emissions down 100% by the year 2030, as discussed in the 2019 Climate Action Task Force Final Report. Mayor Seth Fleetwood agreed to participate in an email interview for this blog series, highlighting the connections between community, climate, and COVID-19. His responses are below:
Q: Please describe the Bellingham community in 5 words or less.
A great place to live.
Q: How, if at all, has this changed since the COVID-19 pandemic?
It hasn’t changed. It’s still a great place to live.
Q:Is there any cross over in the people who are making decisions about Bellinghams COVID-19 response and the climate crisis response?
Yes. Local government leaders make up the policy making body in charge of the Whatcom Unified Command, the body charged with direct COVID-19 emergency response, and these are the same people who get to develop policy related to how we respond to the climate crisis locally.
Q:What is the biggest impact you see COVID-19 having on the Bellingham community? What about the climate crisis?
It’s making us better, ironically. We are forming deeper relationships and working together more closely than we ever have to solve problems. I am hoping that attitude of improved collaborative problem solving continues after the crisis ends.
That is a huge question with numerous angles and considerations but since you asked me for what I think is the “biggest impact” I will venture an answer. I think the biggest impact will be a future with dramatically increased populations in the Pacific Northwest region as it becomes seen as a comparatively better climate in which to live compared to the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest all of which will get increasingly and unbearably hot. This phenomenon will require us to create a sustainable, socially just future city that accommodates a dramatically larger population. Urban design will be enormously important. As one MIT Design Professor said “the best way to predict the future is to invent it.” If done well it could be very exciting. Save the cities, save the world.
Q: What collective action strategies are the most effective during times of crisis?
Respectful communication.
Q:Why?
Because collective action requires organization and execution and that only happens with agreements that grow out of respectful communication in group dynamics.
Q: Are there any “best practices” that the city of Bellingham follows when navigating a crisis?
Formation of working groups to concentrate on a given problem. We have the capacity to solve all the problems we face when we reach broad agreements on a course of action. It gives me hope.
So, there you have it folks. The city of Bellingham will continue to do what is best for the health and safety of its community. For more information please visit https://www.cob.org/.
Written by Tatum Eames, Western Washington University Senior and Climate Justice Now Intern.