CitiesGoGreen - February 2009 - (Page 25) Let’s Get ThemAll How Sonoma County Involved Every City A by Page Buono t a 2001 ICLEI conference in St. sives,” they were told. “You’ll get them in May 2005 in which 32 community Paul, Minnesota, Ann Hancock was anyway. Pick the centrist go-to person.” members, including eight high school looking at a pamphlet for the Los ICLEI’s excellent literature, strong track students, chose a community greenhouse Angeles Cities for Climate Protection pro- record and practical approach helped sell gas (GHG) reduction target. gram. “I thought, ‘Climate protection in the program to elected representatives. In preparation, participants received a LA?’ Then I had my moment,” she said. “If “Cities for Climate Protection is the best climate change “white paper” compiled LA can do it, there’s no reason every city in program I know for thinking globally and by local scientists, engineers and entreSonoma can’t do it.” acting locally. The science and research preneurs, letting them know that scienMike Sandler, co-founder of the cam- compiled by ICLEI show that doing the tific and technological solutions existed. The campaign wanted participants to paign and also at the conference, said, right thing saves money,” Hancock said. “Let’s go get Sebastopol.” “Let’s focus on selecting a target, not “Governments are like sailboats; they go nowhere get them all,” Hancock said, on technicalities. and with that they set the goal Select a target they did. without wind. Community members provide the wind The community representaof getting all nine Sonoma County cities and the county tives decided on 1990 as the in the sails.” — Ann Hancock on board ICLEI’s Cities for Clibase year because it coincided mate Protection program by with the one used in the Kyoto the end of 2002. Working their way around Sonoma Protocol and on 2015 as the target year, Hancock and Sandler were fortunate in County and sharing the ICLEI material, because 10 years seemed like enough receiving two valuable pieces of advice as Hancock and Sandler accomplished their time to meet their goal. Finally, they dethey began. The first was not to enroll Se- goal of signing up all ten local govern- termined that 25% below 1990 levels by bastopol first. As Sonoma County’s most ments in August 2002, four months ahead 2015 should be the target. This target, progressive city, having Sebastopol go of their deadline. “Our motto was ‘no city aligned with the scientific imperative, first would give the Campaign the “kiss left behind.’” was at the time the boldest GHG emisof green.” “If you get the greenest city on sion target of any U.S. community. board first, other cities may be more resis- What’s the target? In the end, all nine cities and the Countant,” they were told. ty adopted the reduction target by resoThe other piece of advice was to recruit Hancock and Sandler didn’t set a reduc- lution, seven of them unanimously. Two climate protection champions on each tion target themselves, or with experts. council members voted against the tarcity council. “But don’t get the progres- Instead, they set up a one day workshop get. Both later changed their minds, and 25 February/March 2009 http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/february-2009/current-features/lets-get-them-all http://www.climateprotectioncampaign.org/news/documents/TS%20-%20white%20paper%20july%205%2005.pdf http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=800 http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=800 http://www.climateprotectioncampaign.org/ http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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