Georgia County Government - February 2008 - (Page 41)

NACoNews Counties and Climate Change: Frequently Asked Questions • What is NACo’s policy on climate change? At the NACo Legislative Conference in March 2007, the NACo Board of Directors approved a resolution that in July 2007 became part of NACo’s Environment, Energy and Land Use Platform. The resolution calls upon Congress to aggressively pursue national and international programs to develop carbon-neutral energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Federal funding of sensible and cost-effective technologies to reduce greenhouse gases should be continued. NACo urges Congress to address global warming, regardless of its source. NACo supports immediate and long-range efforts by the federal government to involve all levels of stakeholders to mitigate possible sources of climate change now through a series of practical incentives and through more federal funding for all means of emissions reduction. • How can a county learn more about NACo’s environment, energy and land use policies? Contact NACo’s Associate Legislative Director, Julie Ufner at (202) 942-4269 or jufner@naco.org. • How is NACo helping counties meet their climate change goals? In July, NACo launched its County Climate Protection Program to support counties as they work to have a positive impact in their communities – reducing emissions, benefiting the environment and public health, and saving taxpayer dollars. This new program will provide counties with best practices, tools and resources to assist them in developing and implementing successful climate change programs at home. NACo is currently working to develop a searchable clearinghouse of county policies and programs on climate change. As counties work to develop their climate action plan, they will submit completed pieces to the searchable database. In addition, NACo has launched an online discussion forum on climate change at: www.naco.org/climatediscussion. NACo also hosted the first national dialogue on climate protection for counties in September 2007. More than 115 individuals attended the 11⁄2-day session, which focused on sharing best practices and brainstorming on new, innovative ways to reduce emissions. Counties may download the draft resolution template at www.naco.org/ climateprotection. You may also contact Kelly Zonderwyk, NACo senior community services associate, at kzonderwyk@ naco.org or (202) 942-4224. • Can a county participate in both NACo’s County Climate Protection Program and another national initiative/campaign such as Cool Counties? Yes! NACo’s program is a source of information and assistance for all counties, regardless of the numerical target they select. Whether a county chooses its own target, or signs onto a national initiative (such as the ones mentioned in this article), the county will have access to the best practices, tools and resources from NACo to help them develop and implement their climate action plan. • What is Cool Counties? In July 2007, the following founding counties launched the U.S. Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration (also known as Cool Counties): King County, Wash.; Fairfax and Arlington Counties, Va.; Montgomery and Queen Anne’s Counties, Md.; Nassau County, N.Y.; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; Alameda County, Calif.; Cook County, Ill.; Shelby County, Tenn.; Hennepin County, Minn.; and Dane County, Wisc. NACoNews continued on page 42 • How does a county become involved in NACo’s County Climate Protection Program? The first step for a county to participate in NACo’s program is to adopt a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a numerical target. Because one size does not fit all, NACo offers counties a pledge template allowing them to select from existing national campaigns with quantifiable targets to reduce global warming (see list in this article), or to establish their own appropriate goal. Where Can a County Go for More Information on Climate Change? To start, contact Kelly Zonderwyk, NACo senior community services associate, at (202) 942-4224 or kzonderwyk@naco.org. You may also be interested in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s resources on climate change (www.epa.gov/climatechange) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (www.iclei.org). FEBRUARY 2008 www.accg.org 41 http://www.naco.org/climateprotection http://www.naco.org/climateprotection http://www.naco.org/climatediscussion http://www.epa.gov/climatechange http://www.iclei.org http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - February 2008

Georgia County Government - February 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters Regional Focus on the Georgia Mountains: Rabun, Habersham and Stephens Counties DNR Commissioner Noel Holcomb Solid Waste Management in Georgia: New Challenges Ahead Essential Elements of Negotiating Professional Service Firm Contracts The Walker County Courthouse at LaFayette Extension News: Partnerships are Key to Conservation Education Research Corner: Interns: An Asset to Every County NACo News: Counties and Climate Change FAQs Georgia Flag to Travel to All 159 Georgia Counties State Announces Regional Recycling Hub Grant Awards Abraham Joins ACCG Support Staff County Parade ACCG Launches e-Magazine Index of Advertisers

Georgia County Government - February 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.