Get to know CEC members Alyssa Marcy & Briana Anderson
Name | Alyssa Marcy |
What is your work and how did you end up focusing on the work you do? | I work as the Long-Range Planner for the Unifi ed Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (UG). I have work side by side with local community organizations and regional entities to implement long-range plan goals. I also serve as the UG’s Brownfi elds Coordinator and manage the Interdepartmental grants group. My educational background is in Public Administration with a focus on environmental policy and fi nance. When I fi rst move to the Kansas City region in 2020, I worked as an Environmental Planner for Stantec. However, I felt too removed from the community and wanted to have more of a “boots on the ground” career. I joined the UG in 2022, stepping into a slightly diff erent career path, but one that still allowed me to focus on climate change. |
What’s your biggest motivation to do climate work (or for engaging in climate action)? | I think most folks who are passionate about climate work are at least in part motivated by the crisis itself. In my opinion, the data – and the urgency behind it – is enough to scare anyone into action, and that reality certainly motivates me. When I fi rst became involved in climate work, it was through my involvement with the New York State Water Resources institute. I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and as early as 2013, these vital freshwater lakes began suff ering from harmful algal blooms (HABs). I witnessed fi rsthand how this environmental challenge, exacerbated by climate change, impacted the community I lived in. Leap forward several years, and those impacts are visible in my new community – if slightly diff erent. I also believe that the answers to addressing climate change are the same answers to addressing many other problems we face, such as our extractive economy, racism, and mental health. |
If you could accomplish one big goal related to climate action, what would it be? | Weatherize every home in the Kansas City region. |
Who inspires you the most? | The people I work with in my current role – my coworkers, members of regional organizations that I participate in, others in local government. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the climate crisis, and it is discouraging to watch the actions of certain upper level government offi cials, but the boots on the ground inspire me to keep pushing. |
What’s one book that helped inform your perspective on climate action/the climate crisis? | Silent Spring (Carson), Biophilia (E.O. Wilson), Earth in Human Hands (Grinspoon), The New Climate War (Mann), The Book of Hope (Goodall), The Great Animal Orchestra (Krause) |
What words of wisdom or motivation can you share with those who want to engage in climate action? | The worst thing you can do is nothing. Find your little corner of the world and make it better – one inch at a time.ORFor Christ’s sake, please vote. In every election – local especially. |
What’s one thing you do to recharge from your work? | Be out in nature! Hike, walk the dogs, garden… |
Name | Briana Anderson |
What is your work and how did you end up focusing on the work you do? | My academic background is in wildlife ecology, and my primary focus is animal ecology. I currently work as an instructor of Biology, Zoology, and other science courses at Metropolitan Community College. Educating my community about our interconnectedness with all life is one of my greatest passions. I also work as a veterinary technician at the City of Independence Animal Shelter, as it allows me to directly help animals in the community. In KC’s environmental community, I am a member of The Resilient Activist’s Board of Directors, and I volunteer my time with the Sierra Club, Climate Changemakers, the Missouri River Bird Observatory, and Lakeside Nature Center. |
What’s your biggest motivation to do climate work (or for engaging in climate action)? | The current extinction crisis is so closely tied to climate change, as well as the myriad of other anthropogenic stressors that threaten millions of species across the globe. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to become the next Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey – someone who could go out into the wild and spend time with animals in order to learn as much as possible about them. In college, I learned that most of the species I love are at serious risk of extinction, and I would have to dedicate my life to saving them. I engage in climate action to help the most vulnerable – the communities and wildlife who did nothing to cause the current climate crisis but are suff ering the most because of it. |
If you could accomplish one big goal related to climate action, what would it be? | The greatest climate goal that comes to mind is the immediate and permanent end to all fossil fuel extraction and consumption, including “natural” gas. |
Who inspires you the most? | Jane Goodall is one of my greatest inspirations. At 90 years old, she continues to work tirelessly to educate the world about the importance of protecting species, solving the climate crisis, and uplifting communities. Her greatest tool is active hope. |
What’s one book that helped inform your perspective on climate action/the climate crisis? | All We Can Save, a collection of essays edited by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson |
What words of wisdom or motivation can you share with those who want to engage in climate action? | Do not shy away from the anxiety, worry, fear, anger, and grief you may feel when you come face-to-face with the gravity and severity of the climate crisis. These emotions are completely natural. Sitting with these feelings, sharing these feelings with others in a safe space, and processing these feelings is the only way to channel them properly into the energy we need to do climate work. |
What’s one thing you do to recharge from your work? | Being outside always recharges me. My favorite local spot is the trail at Unity Village. |