Since we started this campaign, I’ve spoken with Newport residents at community events, meet-and-greets and other forums. With the help of volunteers, we’ve knocked on more than 1,000 doors to share my vision for a livable future and the approach I’d like to take to get there. Across all these conversations, the most important aspect isn’t what I’m saying to voters, but what voters are saying to me. Ensuring I understand the concerns people have, the problems they’re facing, and how they want to be heard is paramount to being the kind of representative I want to be.
Like other candidates, I recently received questions from a local outlet about my campaign. These questions clearly targeted areas of perceived controversy, and based on their phrasing, I do not have faith that my positions would be represented accurately. I have no doubt that there are people who will disagree with me, both over this campaign and while on the council, if elected. The disagreements are not the issue — it’s how we handle disagreement and how we treat one another that is the real measure of the health of both our community and our democracy.
As a scientist, I rely on my curiosity to lead me to the right questions, and to open any process with the goal of understanding rather than of proving my initial inclinations right. Leading with curiosity means leaving preconceived notions at the door and engaging to understand, so that we can come to a mutually beneficial outcome. Our community is facing big issues no matter what direction we turn. To tackle them, we have to commit to working together and seeing one another as full, contributing members of Newport. Collaborating means we may have to compromise on tactics and strategies, but we should never compromise on our values. The values I take into my work as a Newporter, and will take onto the dais with me, are compassion, understanding, resilience and integrity.
In my line of work, we talk a lot about resilience, mostly in the context of storms and climate change. Newport has certainly heard resilience from this perspective: from Easton’s Beach to Perrotti Park, from stormwater to drinking water, we are in the process of making decisions that will affect our community for generations to come. Today, Newport is already experiencing sunny-day flooding, stronger storms, warmer temperatures and other impacts of climate change. We know that the intensity and frequency of these instances will only increase over time.
As a member and current chair of the Energy and Environment Commission, I have facilitated discussions around many of these issues, hearing the input of residents who are concerned that we are making decisions that will take us away from the Newport they know. The outcomes of these projects are always uncertain, but delaying decision-making because we fear imperfect results can often mean the decision is made for us.
A good example of this is Easton’s Beach. City staff, the Beach Commission and consultants are in the midst of designing an update to the beach facilities that has the threats of climate change as its central tenets. One of the biggest threats is not to the beach, but to Easton’s Pond, our drinking water reservoir beyond the berm. Historically, storms like the hurricane of 1938 have threatened our drinking water supply and hugely impacted Easton’s Beach.
The beach is a dynamic environment, and as climate change intensifies, so will the impacts on that environment. We need to work from this shared set of facts and address the biggest threats first, prioritizing resilient systems and plans built on scientific integrity. My scientific and environmental background positions me to understand not only the threats we’re facing, but also the solutions and how the city can implement them. To protect the coastline and waterways we love, we have to adjust how we approach the issues. Burying our head in the sand and continuing business as usual will see our plans washed away with the next high tide.
But the importance of Easton’s Beach is not only physical or structural — it’s also cultural. Our community has family and historical ties to this stretch of sand and water. Our work of creating a resilient Newport must incorporate these conditions alongside the environmental and economic ones.
Resilience isn’t just a scientific concept, but a social one. We can’t care for the Earth without caring for each other. Knowing and listening to one another builds our ability to face and respond to crises. When we approach one another in good faith, treat each other with respect and dignity, and operate from shared values, we can approach complex problems collaboratively. Working together in this way makes our community more resilient — not just in terms of our climate readiness, but in our ability to support positive outcomes for everyone.
All residents of Newport are on the same side. We all want a thriving community that is safe, vibrant and livable for the long haul. If elected, I promise to lead with curiosity and compassion, and put the well-being of our community above petty conflict or grievance. I truly believe in a livable future for Newport, and I can’t get there on my own. Centering resilience in our decision-making will help us on that journey, and make sure all voices are heard along the way.
Emily Conklin
Newport. Conklin is a candidate for Newport City Council, Ward 2, and chairs the city’s Energy and Environment Commission.
What’sUpNewp welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds from Newport County residents. Election-related submissions must be received by Friday, Oct. 30. Send yours to ryan@whatsupnewp.com. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style, and do not reflect the views of What’sUpNewp.
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