Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero has been selected as one of 26 governmental leaders to serve on a task force that will advise President Barack Obama on climate preparedness and resilience-building efforts.

The State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience was formed to develop key actions the Federal government can take to better support state, local and tribal preparedness and make recommendations on removing barriers to resilient investments, modernizing grant and loan programs, and developing information and tools to better serve communities.

President Obama announced plans for the task force in his Climate Action Plan, which was released in June.

"It is truly an honor to be selected for the Climate Preparedness and Resilience Task Force," said Mayor Rogero. "Climate change is a real threat to our future, but working with government leaders across the country on solutions and sharing ideas with the Obama Administration on how to better sustain our communities can help to lessen the threat. The City of Knoxville has long been committed to clean energy and sustainability, and we welcome the opportunity to be a leader on this issue."

The impacts of climate change pose threats to East Tennessee's natural resources, local infrastructure, and economic sectors such as tourism and agriculture. The City has taken steps to both reduce its impact on climate and reduce the community's vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change. For instance, efforts to improve the energy efficiency of municipal facilities lower the City's greenhouse gas emissions, while projects to improve storm water management systems will help Knoxville better withstand extreme weather events that may result from climate change.

President Obama outlined his overall Climate Action Plan with three key pillars:

Cut Carbon Pollution in America: The Obama Administration is putting in place tough new rules to cut carbon pollution to protect the health of children and move the economy toward American-made clean energy sources.

Prepare the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change: The administration will help state and local governments strengthen roads, bridges, and shorelines to better protect people's homes, businesses and way of life from severe weather.

Lead International Efforts to Combat Global Climate Change and Prepare for its Impacts: The administration will help forge a global solution by galvanizing international action to significantly reduce emissions, prepare for climate impacts and drive progress through international negotiations.

The first meeting of the Task Force will be held at the White House in early December.

To learn more about the Climate Action Plan and Task Force, visit https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/resilience/taskforce

You can learn more about the potential impacts of climate change in Tennessee by reading "Sustaining Tennessee in the Face of Climate Change: Grand Challenges and Opportunities," a 2012 report from Sustainable Tennessee at http://tectn.org/sustainable-tennessee.