ALBUQUERQUE COOL CITIES CAMPAIGN - Solving Global Warming One City at a Time

COOL CITIES TAKE THE LEAD

Local governments are leading the way with smart energy solutions to global warming. By signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions city-wide to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012, these “Cool Cities” are helping consumers save money, creating good jobs, and improving our health and cleaning up the environment.

The Sierra Club’s Cool Cities campaigns build grassroots power and work with city governments to ensure that the commitment to help solve global warming is fulfilled. Launched in 2006, the Albuquerque Cool Cities campaign is sustained by volunteers giving their time to one or more of the following 4 teams:

LOW CARBON DIET TEAM (Sallie McCarthy, mcsal@q.com)

Goal. Reduce residential energy usage and resource consumption by organizing “Low Carbon Diet” house gatherings throughout the ABQ area.

Volunteer Activities. Host and/or attend Low Carbon Diet house gatherings with your social networks to learn how to cut energy and water usage at home, as well as make more sustainable consumption choices. Participants will be provided a free copy of the Low Carbon Diet guidebook (Empowerment Institute) along with details to access local rebate programs as well as federal and state tax credits.

COOL BIZ TEAM (Amber Harris, aharris@coolbizabq.org)

Goal. Reduce commercial energy usage and resource consumption by providing businesses with simple low-cost solutions and local resources.

Volunteer Activities. Outreach and recruitment - canvass businesses (door-to-door) or give presentations to business groups to participate in the free CoolBiz ABQ program; Follow up and follow through – make calls and conduct site visits to assist businesses in completing the CoolBiz ABQ program or help organize events for CoolBiz ABQ members to share information and resources; and Program development – create partnerships to expand resources and support services for businesses, develop an e-newsletter, or help maintain the CoolBiz ABQ website (http://www.CoolBizAbq.org).

ABQ CLIMATE COALITION (Shrayas Jatkar, shrayas.jatkar@sierraclub.org)

Goals. The ABQ Climate Coalition works to reduce Albuquerque’s carbon footprint by ensuring the adoption of the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). The Coalition also aims to ensure implementation of relevant pro-environment and pro-equity outcomes (plans, programs, policies) that support and strengthen the CAP.

Volunteer Activities. Grassroots Mobilization Team – table at events or give presentations to community groups to build public support for Coalition policy priorities; City Relations Team – build relationships with local elected officials and other decision-makers to advance Coalition policy priorities; Communications Team – create an e-newsletter, write letters-to-the-editor and op-eds or recruit others to do the same that promote Coalition policy priorities; and Technical Team – analyze the environmental and economic benefits of Coalition policy priorities (current and proposed) or research new policy ideas and strategies that support the Coalition’s overall mission.

Formed in the spring of 2009, the ABQ Climate Coalition includes grassroots and policy organizations in the faith, environmental, clean energy, and business communities. The City of Albuquerque Climate Action Plan (CAP) serves as the basis for the strategies and measures advocated by the ABQ Climate Coalition; the CAP is available at http://www.cabq.gov/cap.

OUTREACH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION TEAM (leadership position open)

Goal. Raise awareness among Albuquerque’s general public, especially among youth, about energy and global climate change with a particular focus on clean energy solutions to climate change.

Volunteer Activities. As of the summer of 2010, the Outreach and Public Education Team is revamping its program goals and tactics. We expect volunteers will still be needed to deliver presentations, to distribute information and sign-up new volunteers at local public events, and to activate volunteers for other ABQ Cool Cities teams and Programs (Low Carbon Diet, Cool Biz, and ABQ Climate Coalition).

JOIN US!

Shrayas Jatkar, Associate Regional Representative: 505-243-7767, shrayas.jatkar@sierraclub.org)
Sierra Club – NM Field Office: 142 Truman Street, NE, Suite C-1 / Albuquerque, NM 87108

Website: www.nmsierraclub.org / Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/342w5w8

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 Distributed over 26,000 Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) to about 6,500 households (program in collaboration with PNM and Public Regulation Commission)
 Environmental Savings: prevented the equivalent of 10,400 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being emitted over the CFLs’ lifespan
 Economic Savings: $260,000 per year ($40/year per household); savings will increase as energy costs rise
 Distribution: 1/3 at 22 Albuquerque Public Schools; 1/3 at 14 places of worship (in partnership with NM Interfaith Power & Light); remaining 1/3 through door-to-door canvasses with 4 partner organizations and at 17 different public events
 Mobilized a total of 47 volunteers
 Developed “Bright Ideas about Energy” slideshow for 3rd-5th graders
 Delivered 19 assembly presentations to area elementary schools and 2 assemblies at local middle schools (2007-2008 school year)
 Mobilized a total of 9 volunteers – 5 assembly presenters and 4 assistants
 Advocated for high-quality, city-wide emissions inventory
 Worked to ensure that electricity consumption is included in inventories of greenhouse gas emissions
 Reviewed drafts of City of Albuquerque inventories and provided feedback to city government
 Sierra Club named to Climate Action Task Force which will work through the end of 2008 to develop a city-wide Climate Action Plan.