This expo will feature a variety of vendors from the renewable energy sector. It will also include several breakout sessions where local residents can discuss what impacts of climate change they are noticing in the community.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – News 18 is continuing to follow the efforts of the Greater Lafayette Climate Action Plan Committee throughout the year. The committee is working on multiple projects to reduce the effects of climate change here in Tippecanoe County. Now, committee members are seeking the community’s input on one of those projects.
As News 18 previously reported, the committee, which consists of leaders from Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County, is working on a greenhouse gas reduction plan and a tree planting plan. According to a press release from the committee, one step towards creating the reduction plan is engaging local residents throughout the planning process.
To do this, the committee will be hosting the Greater Lafayette Green Expo. This expo will feature a variety of vendors from the renewable energy sector. It will also include several breakout sessions where local residents can discuss what impacts of climate change they are noticing in the community.
To prepare for the expo, the committee is seeking feedback from the Greater Lafayette community about what kinds of vendors to invite to the expo and what types of breakout discussions to plan.
West Lafayette Utility Director David Henderson serves on the Climate Action Plan’s joint leadership committee. He says the expo is a new opportunity for Greater Lafayette residents to be involved in the county’s environmental plans.
"This is our first time to really open up the doors and invite people from all over the community to come together out at the fairgrounds and talk about what their concerns are and see what we've been doing and get comments from everyone,” Henderson said.
The committee has several ideas for what to include at the expo, but Henderson says the public's involvement in making these expo plans is critical to ensure there is broad enough support to make these efforts successful in the long run.
"If we just pick things to do in a vacuum, we may or may not get community support,” Henderson said. “They need to be a part of figuring out how we're going to tackle this. If they're part of planning on the solutions, we should be able to get a good, broad range of support for these activities."
The green expo will take place at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds on Sunday, June 5. The time of the expo is still to be determined.
The committee is asking anyone with ideas about what to include at the green expo to reach out to David Huhnke with the City of Lafayette's communications department. He is also the expo's organizer. To share those ideas with Huhnke, email dhuhnke@lafayette.in.gov. To find more information about the GLCAP committee’s environmental plans for this year and beyond, click here.
