The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 contains the largest effort of any nation to date to address climate issues that threaten the lives and livelihood of our offspring. Yet, national polls show that most Americans don’t know what is in this IRA. Incentives for electric vehicles (EV), solar and wind power production, and home energy efficiency upgrades are just a few examples of the many cost-saving opportunities in the IRA for individuals as well as the commercial sector while greatly reducing our carbon footprints.  

This ten-year IRA plan is ambitious, but by itself will fall short of achieving the national goal of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Some of that gap is being picked up by state and county plans, such as the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP). Additional actions and extensions will be necessary, and challenges to full IRA implementation must be overcome to keep our average global temperatures from rising more than 2.0 C.  Our grandkids depend upon our success.

Come learn about the exciting cost savings and tax credits in the IRA and review the reasons (and status) for the global and national GHG emission goals. 
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Presenter:  Wayne Olsen is a retired Navy Captain, with most of his 30 years as an operational meteorologist and oceanographer. He holds a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis) and an M.S. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD). After Navy retirement, he taught these subjects, including climate change, for a number of years at Pierce College. He is an active volunteer with the Climate Reality Project Thurston Chapter, the Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT), and the Panorama Green Team, giving presentations on climate, carbon emissions, electric vehicles, and the environment.