Gary Smith
Bio: I was a founder of the Justice in a Changing Climate group at my church, Community United Church of Christ. I am chair of the Energy Working Group at NC Interfaith Power and Light (NCIPL). One thing we do at NCIPL is provide free energy audits for houses of faith in NC. With passage of the Inflation Reduction ACT in 2022, I have also been participating in a group to help access these funds.
I am a biochemist, and the science of climate change is my entry point into this work. As I realized how many people would have their lives disrupted or lost, I felt compelled to do something. Retired now, I spend much of my week networking with other regional and national climate crisis solutions groups. Seeing politically conservative and liberal individuals working together on this problem gives me hope.
When I am not working on climate crisis solutions, I bake bread or read scientific journals. I stay connected to nature by riding my bike on the greenways of Raleigh.