JUICING ORANGE COUNTY PRESSES CITIES ON CLIMATE ACTIONS

BY CHUCK BUCK AND BOB SMITH
OC Global Warming Committee

For the past four years, the Club's COOL CITIES CAMPAIGN has urge cities to adopt plans for improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions. The US Mayor's Agreement and California AB 32 provided targets for such reductions. At its creation last year,the Orange County Global Warming Committee felt that a follow-up, next step is now required.

What have the 34 OC cities actually done? What actions have they taken since 2005, whether or not they signed on as a Cool City? Based upon reports of energy reduction actions across the nation, an extensive and thorough survey form was constructed by a design subcommittee. It was tested, reviewed and revised through a series of Committee meetings. The final form contains eight sections and a total of 46 objective and open-ended questions. The sections include city policies and practices regardin Green Fleet, Lighting, Energy Production, Energy Consumption, Smart Purchasing, Green Building, Public Engagement, and Cool Cities Progress.

Beginning at the project launch during Earth Week 2009, Angeles Chapter activists who are residents of most of the OC cities were recruited. These City Advocates went through a series of training sessions in late spring and early summer. Their job would be to make personal contact with an official or key staff member of their own city. Such meetings would introduce the Juicing OC project and review and answer questions about the survey form. A campaign resource packet and glossary was also presented by the City Advocate to the city official. The successful completion of the meeting would end with a commitment by the city representative to be responsible for the completion of the survey. In some cases, the City Advocate was referred to another staff member who would be able to be responsible for the survey's completion.

Our goal is to reduce green house gas emissions by raising awareness of what environmentally friendly actions Cities can take that are also economically beneficial. The results of the survey will reach the world stage when Jen Searfoss, co-author of the survey packet, will present them at Copenhagen in December!

As of mid-September, 13 OC cities have submitted completed survey forms. Those who have submitted are Brea, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, and Westminster. Many more are in process and will soon be submitted. The deadline for submission is mid-October.

The OC Global Warming Committee has two sections, a north-central OC section and a south section. Paul Carlton (949-661-9505) heads the south section and Chuck Buck (714-773-1190) heads the north/central section. Both sections meet once per month, the north/central on the first Sunday and the south section on the second Sunday of each month.

On September 22, the Sierra Sage group received a preliminary analysis of the data. Attendees were asked to become advocates for Rancho Santa Margarita, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, La Palma, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda. If you live in any of these cities, you have an essential role in carrying out this project. Please contact us at the numbers above.