The Low Down on Cool Cities: A Report From the Chapter Global Warming & Energy Committee

and Jan Kidwell

Leaders in the Club are convinced by scientific research that the burning of fossil fuels, oil, coal and petroleum to power our cars, homes and businesses is causing the acceleration of climate change. Scientists tell us the extreme climates we are experiencing can only be attributed to the uniquely human activity of the burning of fossil fuels. Studies tell us that greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate air pollution pose serious threats to our health, safety and environment. Headlines verify this almost daily with reports of endangered species, melting ice caps and ever-more frequent hurricanes and storms. Locally, it means a reduced snow pack and summer water supply, more winter flooding, and increased risk of forest fires.

America's inability to act at the federal level is forcing our Club's membership to reach out to our local governments to ask our mayors to sign on to the Club's new top priority energy campaign, 'Cool Cities.' This initiative was inspired by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

Mayors who sign their cities on to the Climate Protection Agreement will be committing to implement innovative energy solutions that cut dependence on fossil fuels, benefit public health and save taxpayer dollars. Cool Cities are proving that individuals-and individual cities-can do their part to influence global climate change by reducing their GHG emissions. By providing the resources and tools for any Sierra Club member to download a plan to lower GHG emissions one city at a time, this campaign makes it easy for Club members to get involved.

The Cool Cities initiative has been a huge success. More than 200 mayors from across the country and have signed on so far, and our numbers are always growing. Mayors from New York to Boston, Los Angeles to Little Rock are bringing the national concern of global climate change home to their neighborhoods and making a difference.

Steps to becoming a Cool City

• Take the 'Cities for Climate Protection' Pledge: The first step is for a Sierra Club member to write asking their mayor to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. This agreement sets the goal of reducing levels of carbon dioxide pollution to 7 percent below their 1990 levels by 2012.
• Global Warming Emissions Inventory: This information will identify the city's major carbon dioxide sources, the greatest opportunities for reductions, and goals for the plan.
• Create a Solutions Plan: After completing the global warming inventory, a solutions plan is developed to reduce emissions while lowering energy costs for the city.
• Implement and Monitor Progress: A plan alone cannot cut climate-altering pollution. It is essential that the plan be implemented and monitored.

Sample Solutions

In some combination, the solutions listed below will form the foundation of each city's comprehensive energy-saving plan. While every city's energy solutions plan will be unique, the Sierra Club recognizes three main strategies to lower city fossil fuel emissions:

• Green Vehicle Fleets: Improving automobile fuel economy is the biggest single step to curbing emissions, since every gallon of gasoline burned creates 28 pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide pollution. Cool Cities have adopted Green fleets for government vehicles, Hybrid Vehicle Incentives, and Clean Buses to reduce air pollution.
• Energy Efficiency: Using less energy to power industry, buildings, and street lights will have a measurable impact on energy usage. Solutions include:
  • Making New and Existing Buildings More Energy Efficient: Incorporating energy efficiency standards into municipal building codes increases the overall energy efficiency of new city buildings. Improvements to energy usage of existing city buildings can lower energy costs and reduce pollution.
  • Energy Efficient Street Lighting: Many cities have been replacing traditional light fixtures with super-efficient light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
  • Public Benefit Funds: Cities with community-owned, local municipal utilities can integrate energy efficiency into the city's overall energy plan. If your city has a municipal utility, it can set up a local public benefits fund (PBF), where a small surcharge on consumer energy bills is used to create a fund to finance energy efficiency projects in the utility service area.
  • Combined Heat and Power: Residents and businesses will benefit from energy efficient, combined heat and power (CHP) systems. CHPs produce both electricity and steam for heating and cooling from a single power plant located near consumers.
• Renewable Energy: Currently, fossil fuel power plants account for more than one-third of the nation's total emissions. Renewable energy sources from natural sources of energy such as solar and wind can replace our reliance on fossil fuels. Current renewable energy initiatives in Cool Cities include:
  • Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS): This requires that a certain percentage of all electricity sold in a city or a utility area is produced by clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power by a specific target date. For instance, a 20 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard could be phased in over 10 years, requiring an additional 2 percent of electricity generation to come from renewable sources each year.
  • Solar and Wind Installations: Some cities are moving forward by financing the construction of renewable energy projects themselves. Some cities are working with local municipal utilities to construct wind turbines. Others are working with privately owned utilities and renewable energy providers to construct solar arrays on city buildings, schools, and homes.
  • City Utility Contracts: Cool Cities are beginning to incorporate RPS requirements into their contract renewals with privately owned local utilities.
    Our goal is to excite Southern California mayors about becoming a 'Cool' city. Of the 45 California mayors to sign on to the initiative, 11 are from Southern California.

This summer we will introduce the 'Cool Cities' initiative to more than 100 mayors in L.A. and Orange Counties. You are invited to contribute to the campaign by sending invitation letters to your city's mayor or by joining our member database of current supporters. Chapter members can contact megan-at-bwellclinic.com for more information on the Cool Cities campaign. You can also visit the Club's national website to find out more - www.bwellclinic.com.