“As Hurricane Harvey has clearly shown, climate change will affect us regardless of whether we believe in it or not. We need to set our political differences aside and take decisive actions if we want our children and grandchildren to inherit a livable, sustainable Texas.” These were the words of Adrian Shelley, director of Public Citizen Texas as he announced the launch of the Texas Climate Change Tour last week.

The tour is an initiative from Public Citizen Texas (a local nonprofit environmental advocacy organization) designed to raise awareness of climate change and to encourage Texans to get involved, by working with their elected officials to ensure that sustainable solutions are adopted at local, state, and federal levels. Over the next few weeks, Public Citizen staff will be traveling (via electric vehicle) to 23 cities across Texas, meeting with students, scientists, activists, elected officials and the general public to start a meaningful conversation around climate change and its solutions.

At a press conference kicking off the tour earlier last week, Austin Mayor Steve Adler commended Public Citizen’s efforts and promised that Austin would continue to lead in the fight against climate change. He also stressed the real economic costs associated with ignoring the changing climate, both across the state and in Austin. You can watch a video of the Texas Climate Change Tour kickoff press conference below and you can stay up-to-date on what’s happening on the tour by following Public Citizen Texas’ Facebook page.