Climate Change…

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Learn how California local agencies are successfully involving residents to address local climate change issues.

• County of Monterey – Involving the Public in Climate Change Action
  Monterey County offers homeowners a voluntary green building certification program, StepUp2Green, as an opportunity to have their home green certified. The goal is to create a standardized certification process that will encourage home retrofitting and assure homeowners that they are making improvements that effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• County of San Mateo’s Green Education and Green Business Certification Programs
  San Mateo County has undertaken a variety of efforts to educate residents, local businesses and employees about climate change and green practices, including an educational website, a “green bag” lunch lecture series, and a green business certification program. It currently is seeking resident input on how to best promote solar and other renewable energy systems for local homes and businesses.
• County of Yolo’s Leadership Summits to Address Climate Change
  Yolo County is holding leadership summits with leaders from all jurisdictions within the county, including cities, schools, and the port to provide information about climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is also working to coordinate greenhouse gas emission reduction plans for each jurisdiction into an integrated regional effort.
• City of Fremont’s “Green” Task Force
  The Fremont city council appointed a “green” task force to provide recommendations on how the city could be more sustainable and address climate change. Prior to submittal of the Task Force’s recommendations to the City Council, 150 residents, including youth and adults, helped prioritize the recommendations at a Climate Change Workshop, which helped build community awareness and support for these efforts.
• City of Manhattan Beach’s Environmental Task Force
  Manhattan Beach established an Environmental Task Force composed of residents and city officials to develop recommendations to the City Council to address a range of environmental challenges, including the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• City of Morgan Hill’s “Carbon Diet Club”
  Morgan Hill established a “Carbon Diet Club” to encourage residents to “lose” 5,000 pounds of carbon in 30 days. The program engages residents in small groups over a 30-day period to support the lasting behavior changes needed to address climate change.
• City of Mountain View’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force
  In early 2008, at the request of the Mountain View city council, over sixty Mountain View residents volunteered to participate in an environmental sustainability task force. They met over a seven-month period and delivered eighty-nine recommendations to thecity council on how the city could become more sustainable and reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
• City of Pasadena’s Green Pasadena Leadership Summit
  The City of Pasadena appointed a resident environmental advisory commission that meets monthly with city staff and the public. The city also organizes events to increase awareness of the importance of climate change and other environmental efforts among all residents, including a two-day Green Pasadena Leadership Summit that involved six hundred residents in developing the city’s “Green Action Plan.”
• City of San Carlos’s Climate Action Plan
  San Carlos offers a number of ways community members can participate in the city’s efforts to address climate change. A subcommittee of the Citizens General Plan Advisory Committee is participating in the development of a climate action plan that will be integrated with the city’s General Plan update. Two community forums involved diverse community members in the planning processes and engaged them in dialogue and choice exercises to prioritize potential climate change actions.
• City of South Pasadena Residents Engaged in Climate Change Action
  South Pasadena encourages residents to become involved with the city’s efforts to raise awareness and stimulate action on climate change by serving on a city commission, collaborating on a bicycle master plan, and volunteering to plan the annual Green Living Expo/ Clean Air Car Show/ Film Festival.