Transcript Research on a Community Climate Challenge for Fort Collins

Research on a Community
Climate Challenge for Fort
Collins
Tyler Ruggles
Outline
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Purpose
Fort Collins’ environmental mentality
Fort Collins’ climate related programs
Selected Cities
Programs and implementation techniques
Suggestions for Fort Collins
Discussion and Suggestions
Community Climate Challenge
(CCC)
 Residential campaign to educate and
encourage voluntary greenhouse gas
reductions in Fort Collins (FC)
 Program will:
 Educate
 Motivate
 Link residents with tools to act
2007 FC Air Quality Survey
Statement
Strongly
Agree
Somewhat
Agree
I feel an obligation to
improve air quality in FC
55%
38%
I know what small changes I
could make to help air
quality
37%
42%
I feel that small changes I
make can affect the air
quality in FC
45%
41%
Global warming is a serious
problem
54%
22%
A Sample of FC’s Programs
 Energy Rules! - educational
 Residential Environmental Program Series educational workshops
 ZILCH - zero-interest loans for home
improvements
 Lighting with a Twist - discounted CFLs
 Solar Rebate - $2 / kWh for new installations
 Residential Green Energy Agreement - additional
1 cent / kWh for renewable energy
 Track to Win - monitor personal actions
City Selection Process
 Aspen and Denver - local significance
 Portland, Seattle, Berkeley, San Francisco,
Salt Lake City, Boulder, Austin,
Minneapolis, Ann Arbor, Cambridge “Lessons From The Pioneers”
 Burlington, VT - mentioned by Climate
Task Force in CCC write-up
Research Process
 Background research - websites, climate
action plans and other supporting
documents
 Interview - inquired into the processes
behind the different programs
 Results - concrete numbers are scarce
because of poor tracking
City Programs and Their
Implementation
 Correlation between city size and quantity
of programs
 Program directors consider environmental
activism one large pilot program
 Umbrella program is a common and logical
organizational method
Depth of Individual Programs
 Simple Program: “Take 5” of Denver
 Pledge to do 5 predetermined actions
 Complex Program: “Low Carbon Diet”
 Support group
 Discuss home energy renovations
 Pledge to take an action before the next meeting
 Utilizing both types of programs will span a
broader spectrum of interest
Challenge Aspect
 Minnesota Energy Challenge
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Join a “team” where your total reductions are calculated
Has encouraged friendly competition
People go the extra mile
Increased administration difficulties
 10% Challenge of Burlington, VT
 Personal challenge
 No extra administration required
Ranking of Congregations in the
Minnesota Energy Challenge
http://www.mnenergychallenge.org/challenge/standings/
Lead By Example
 All interviewed cities’ municipal operations are
reducing energy use and emissions
 Mayors are spearheading with their own actions
 Personal success interviews
 Minnesota Energy Challenge has cumulative total
of all pledged reductions
 Maps of pledge takers
Climate Change and
Student Activities
 Elementary school
 Berkeley is targeting after school programs
 Seattle has used design contests
 Aspen students have tabled around the city
 High school
 California Youth Energy Services provide free
energy audits
 College and university
 Student internships
Targeting The Message
 Progressive cities - focus on climate change
 Conservative cities - focus on energy
reductions and saving money
 Target toward residents
Marketing
 Face time and tabling - smaller cities
 High school students mandatory volunteer hours
 Mass media - larger cities
 FC Utilities has great success in Coloradoan
 Earned media - mayors and city champions
 Partner organizations
 Email newsletters
Web Presence
 Strong web presence generates interest
 Organize online archive of tools and
information
 Web marketing internship with CSU
 Creative use of Google maps
Boulder’s Map of Pledge Takers
Broadway
Pearl St.
Carbon Footprint Calculators
 City specific calculator
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Local utilities info
Desired depth
Ties into your programs
Excess or unnecessary work
 Non-city specific calculator
 Ease of implementation
 Lack of control
 Difficult to incorporate into municipal programs
Suggestions for Fort Collins
 Have one large umbrella program in FC
 Sub programs
 One simple and one complex program
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Make program challenge based
Engage students
Take advantage of “free” marketing
Develop a sophisticated, user friendly website
Use an outside calculator
Discussion and Prompt Questions
 What kind of message do you think Fort
Collins residents would be more receptive to?
 saving money, climate protection, both? Other?
 What are the most promising opportunities for
a CCC in Fort Collins?
 What are some potential obstacles that will
need to be addressed in developing a CCC in
Fort Collins?