“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work, reporting or approval of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to [email protected].
Small Grants, Big Impacts: Why Carrboro Must Expand Its Green Neighborhoods Grant Program
A perspective from Cecilia Kenan
Every time it rains, a neighborhood near Carrboro Town Hall holds its breath. As temperatures worldwide continue to rise with increased greenhouse gas emissions, so does the intensity of storms and rainfall. With every downpour, floodwater makes its way up porches as gardens drown and residents brace themselves to face devastating damage. The Town of Carrboro continues to face the direct consequences of climate change, but its local government continues to be a leader in crafting creative and community-led solutions. To keep up with the urgency of these solutions, Carrboro must expand and better fund one of its most successful initiatives: the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program.
Led by Laura Janway, Carrboro’s Sustainability Coordinator, the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program was created to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase ecosystem resilience, build strong communities, and promote environmental justice and equity. Within the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program, residents of Carrboro can complete an application and be considered for a $2,500 grant to fund an environmental sustainability project of their choice. Despite its recent implementation, the program continues to see an increase in applicants with each grant cycle; however, only so much funding is available to support these essential projects. As the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program expands, so must its funding for neighborhoods to access the critical resources needed to join the fight against climate change and promote environmental justice.
While the negative effects of climate change are global, they are especially felt on local scales in small towns such as Carrboro. As greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere as fossil fuels are burned for energy, temperatures steadily increase and the catastrophic effects continue to worsen. While residents across Carrboro feel these effects, they are experienced on a much higher level in low-income and historically Black communities that often lack the resources and political voice to create change. The Green Neighborhoods Grant Program works to correct this inequity, placing racial equity and environmental justice as the most important factors in the decision-making process. Suppose more funding is allocated to the program to accept more applicants. In that case, the Town of Carrboro can increase its support for environmental justice while simultaneously increasing the amount of greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere.
The Green Neighborhoods Grant Program has been highly successful in funding a multitude of projects that have proven to have highly positive impacts. Many projects in past grant cycles have focused on creating and implementing composting programs to reduce landfill emissions as well as community gardens to reduce stormwater runoff and cut carbon from the atmosphere. In addition to environmental impact, this program has proven its ability to build community based on the continuous increase in applications each year, specifically in low-income and historically Black communities. This increase goes to show the program’s success in promoting racial equity and environmental justice, but this achievement means nothing if there is a lack of funding to support additional projects in these communities.
The current state of the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program in terms of the number of applicants and number of grants awarded shows that the demand for this program is outpacing its resources. In the most recent grant cycle, the Climate and Environmental Advisory Committee in charge of awarding grants received eleven strong applications but only had enough funding to support eight. Additionally, it’s important to consider that $2,500 is a relatively small amount of money considering the type and scale of projects needed to have a significant impact on the community. For example, this grant does not go far when neighborhoods need rain gardens, bioswales, and infrastructure upgrades to successfully fight against the effects of climate change. Without additional funding, the program’s potential is limited and creates the possibility for the most vulnerable communities to be left behind again.
Based on the program’s high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote environmental justice and equity, I strongly urge Carrboro’s local government to increase the program’s budget, possibly through partnerships with local universities and nonprofits. In addition, I encourage the residents of Carrboro to advocate for expansion and show their commitment to environmental sustainability and justice. With increased funding and expansion for the Green Neighborhoods Grant Program, Carrboro could become a strong role model for other towns across North Carolina and beyond in the fight against climate change.
Climate change is accelerating and its threats are impending, so local action is more urgent than ever before. Carrboro has created a successful program that is affordable, measurable, and committed to justice. Let’s not place financial limits on the high potential of this program. Instead, let’s put our money in our communities committed to a brighter, greener future.
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
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