City of Santa Cruz kicks off Climate Action Teams Program

April 23, 2008

CONTACT:  Collette Streight, Climate Action Teams Coordinator, cstreight@yahoo.com

The City of Santa Cruz’s new Climate Action Teams Program empowers residents to significantly reduce their annual carbon dioxide emissions. The program uses David Gershon’s book Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5,000 Pounds to give people a simple, straight-forward, and fun way to become part of the climate change solution by making specific changes in their daily lives.

Teams of 5-8 households work together over the course of approximately one month to calculate their current carbon footprints, create action plans to reduce them, report on actions taken, and inspire one another to reach their goals. The typical American household generates 55,000 lbs of carbon dioxide annually. While the Climate Action Teams Program intends to reduce this amount by about 10% in each participating household, Gershon’s book includes many options for people, including ways to reduce one’s carbon footprint to zero. 

The program hopes to create friendly competition among teams in various sectors of the community such as faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, and schools.

For more information about the program and to find out how to get involved, visit us at the City’s Earth Day table on April 27 from 11am to 4pm, at the Lincoln and Cedar Parking Lot in downtown Santa Cruz.