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The verdict is in.
After three days of presentations, discussion, and deliberation, a panel of 18 Winona County residents in the Winona County Climate Dialogue produced a statement of their independent conclusions.
And although they had a range of views on whether or not human activity has exacerbated climate change, they all agreed the weather is changing, and we need to be prepared.
In the statement released this week are what the forum’s participants consider the top challenges and opportunities facing the area, related to changing weather patterns. They focus overwhelmingly on water, given increasing precipitation trends and the area’s potential for devastating floods.
“Evidence suggests that Minnesota’s climate and weather are changing more rapidly and more dramatically than many other parts of the country, including through increasing temperatures and more extreme weather events,” their conclusion stated.
“These changes will have a real measurable impact on our overall economy, our environment, fish and wildlife habitat, health, insurance rates, and more. Individually and as Winona County, we need to take action by working together to prepare for the future.”
The statement was crafted solely using participant input, based on six topical presentations from experts in weather trends, energy, water, insurance, public health, and agriculture in Winona County. The dialogue was facilitated by two Minnesota organizations, the Jefferson Center and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
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