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New Let’s Talk Climate Episode: “You Can Do This: Replicable Models for Local Climate Action”
New Let’s Talk Climate Episode: You Can Do This: Replicable Models for Local Climate Action with GreenRoots
New Let’s Talk Climate Episode Available: “You Can Do This: Replicable Models for Local Climate Action”
American Climate Leadership Summit 2022: Must See General Sessions
2022 marked my first American Climate Leadership Summit—and I joined in online with all the fervor and excitement of a fifth-grader on her way to the first day of school. Watch all the sessions on-demand HERE. And here are our…
The Relationship Between Climate and Justice
We are watching the impacts of climate change unfold outside of our very windows. It is undeniable that the climate crisis is a threat to everyone’s physical and mental health, air, water, food, and shelter. Yet, some socially and economically…
Climate Legacies and Climate Justice for All – Climate Safe Neighborhoods
In most American cities and towns, there is a history behind a neighborhood’s structure and design and, by extension, residents’ exposure to climate-related heat, flooding, and extreme weather. Highways, industrial fields, chemical factories, and garbage dumps are often found in…
Becoming a Climate Champion: Community Gardens – a very good thing.
It’s winter. And here in south-eastern Wisconsin, my garden sleeps. The season’s hard work is behind us – the planting, watering, and weeding (and I confess – a little prayer during the dry months) has yielded a bounty of fruits…
How to Tackle Climate With Better Food Systems
Join us for ecoAmerica’s Webcast Series: LET’S TALK CLIMATE Join us for the series, “Let’s Talk Climate.” ecoAmerica is hosting fast-paced discussions with leaders in climate change on a wide range of topics. The latest special episode, How to Tackle…
Good Food Cities
Communities are beginning to recognize that supporting our food systems – such as organic farming, food loss reduction, and plant-based diets – can help mitigate climate change. Read on to discover what they are doing and how cities are taking…
Yes, We Can!
Yes, We Can! The IPCC’s most recent report on climate change is a call to action that we can’t ignore. The report consists of nearly 4,000 pages of detailed information on climate change, most of which is unsettling. Reading it…
Recording Available: “Replicate This: Build on Other’s Successes to Activate Your Community”
Our most recent Let’s Talk Climate episode “Replicate This: Build on Other’s Successes to Activate Your Community” featured two finalists from the American Climate Leadership Awards. Our guests Aniya Butler (Youth Vs Apocalypse), Hannah Estrada (Youth Vs Apocalypse) and Dr.…
Greening Our Faith Communities Summit
Guest blog by NC Climate Ambassador, Rev. Amy Brooks It is amazing that all faith traditions teach some version of this truth: that the earth is a sacred gift and that humanity is expected to take care of this gift.…
Earth Day Wisdom
Happy Earth Day! In honor of the wisdom of all community members, I am sharing some great comments that came through my social media feed today. I believe we are stronger together, and each of us has the ability to…
Utah’s Success Story: the Path to Clean Energy
This week we had a conversation with two leaders from Utah Clean Energy, who have been instrumental in guiding the progress of conservative Utah toward wind and solar energy. Fossil fuel producing states around the country are struggling with ways…
A Conservative Approach to Solving Climate Change
The deepening partisan divide in the United States has been harmful in many ways. One of the most glaring issues where it has hurt us all concerns the public support of climate solutions. In a recent webinar, former South Carolina…
This or That Challenge – Climate Change Edition
Guest blog by Marissa Spraker, FGCU student and SWFL Climate Ambassador, originally in Growing Climate Solutions We all know that climate change has become a huge topic of conversation in the past decade, and even more so in the last…
Racial and Climate Justice – Now is The Moment
I remember an interview I had once, when I was Mayor of Charlotte, when a reporter came to question me about the city’s violent crime and murder rate. Doubtless it was a story fanned by my opponents’ claims that murders…
Climate Solutions Benefit Us All
This is a guest blog from Climate Ambassador Ed Maxwell, written in response to an op ed printed in the Port Charlotte Sun entitled “Let’s Call the Climate Change Bluff” As a Southwest Florida resident and business owner who is…
Clean Energy Can Also Power Racial Equity in North Carolina
Guest blog from Ethan Blumenthal and William Barber III: As [North Carolina]’s economy looks to recover from COVID-19, the clean energy industry provides an opportunity to both hasten our recovery and address other urgent challenges North Carolinians face, including racial…
Power to the People: Climate Ambassadors
In order to move more communities to climate action, citizens have been showing up (virtually at this time) at their city council and state legislature meetings. Around the country, cities have been putting climate solutions on the ballot in response…
Climate Voters: What’s Next
Like many people in America, I woke up today to the reality that we do not have a decisive presidential outcome from yesterday’s election. This was not unexpected; many predicted this, and many messages in social and other media revolved…
Utah Signs Climate and Clean Air Compact
Our Path to Positive Partner, Utah Clean Energy, had exciting news this week – the signing of a new Utah Climate and Clean Air Compact. Progressive and conservative state and local leaders signed this compact in a virtual ceremony in…
Environmental Justice is Racial Justice
Guest blog by Climate Ambassador Nakisa Glover, of SolNation: Environmental Justice is Racial Justice and there is an extensive history of environmental racism connecting the two. The most impacted people have always been marginalized. This month we explore the connection…
The Fierce Optimism of Now
The past months of crisis have brought forward many wrenching, heartbreaking stories about the challenges that people of color in the United States face every day. The need for structural reforms in our systems, from criminal justice to housing to…
I Can’t Breathe: Racial Justice and Climate
I can’t breathe. These powerful words amplify the pain of the multiple challenges we face in America today. We are witnessing the beginning of a movement, a unified desire for change that is lasting, broad, and deep. We need to…
Introducing ecoAmerica’s Webcast Series: LET’S TALK CLIMATE
The must-attend, go-to webcast discussion for the most current and best thinking on climate change ecoAmerica is introducing Let’s Talk Climate to provide guidance and support to climate activists as they seek to expand public support and political resolve for equitable and…
Women Are Leading on Climate Action
Celebrating Mother’s Day this week gave me pause to think about all the women and mothers who have been leading. During this time of COVID-19, we have seen women on the frontlines of the health emergency, as doctors and nurses,…
Comparing Lessons Learned
Happy Earth Day! Yes, we can still talk about caring for our planet in the midst of a pandemic. In fact, there are lessons to learn from effective preparation and resilience, both for climate impacts and for pandemics. The success…
Celebrating Earth Day in the time of COVID-19
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – April 22, 2020 – and many global events to celebrate this milestone have been cancelled. Communities are wondering whether it is even appropriate to celebrate or acknowledge this yearly event,…
Celebrating Earth Day in the time of COVID-19
This month marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – April 22, 2020 – and many global events to celebrate this milestone have been cancelled. Communities are wondering whether it is even appropriate to celebrate or acknowledge this yearly event,…
When the Earth Moves, Video Premiere: “Earth Day is Everybody’s Movement”
“We are in a critical moment in history. We have an opportunity to address the greatest challenge of our time. Earth Day is everybody’s movement.” — Tia Nelson In an era when physical isolation orders are in place, people are…
Congratulations to the American Climate Leadership Award winners
Thank you to all who joined us at the American Climate Leadership Awards Virtual Ceremony on March 25! We had over 200 viewers join us for the virtual ceremony. and we appreciated the engagement via chat from our partners and…
Community Resilience and COVID-19
This week everyone’s attention is focused on COVID-19 and the spread of this particular coronavirus. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones; to those who are sick and in isolation; to the healthcare workers who continue…
American Climate Leadership Summit 2020 Rescheduled
In the interest of our individual and collective health and wellbeing, ecoAmerica is rescheduling the American Climate Leadership Summit to August 26-27, 2020. Given current guidance on COVID-19, and the input from ACLS 2020 partners and speakers, we believe this…
Bringing Climate Into Our Conversations
I recently had the opportunity to attend a lecture at Davidson College by renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. These days I speak about climate a lot, and when it comes to the actual science I always preface my remarks, “I…
Reflecting and Re-charging for Climate Action in 2020
The beginning of a new year is a time for reflection, re-charging, and goal setting. Reflection leads to some negative realities: the COP 25 meetings last month in Madrid were labelled a failure by many; we are seeing devastating images…
Join us at the American Climate Leadership Summit 2020
At the American Climate Leadership Summit 2019, you gained insights and inspiration from America’s foremost visionaries and industry experts, and collaborated with your peers on strategies to transform climate action into a true national priority. The American Climate Leadership…
Climate Ambition for 2020
The year 2019 is drawing to a close. Delegates from around the world are gathering in Madrid for the COP 25 talks. In his address to the attendees, UN Secretary General Guterres spoke about the failure of many countries to…
Holiday Travel and Offsets
Guest blog from our Path to Positive partner in L.A., Jonathan Parfrey, with Climate Resolve: In September, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, sailed across the Atlantic to attend the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. She didn’t take…
A Time to Give Thanks
It is a month of Thanksgiving. In the realm of climate action, that means we need to acknowledge that a number of America’s cities are doing great work in stepping up to the plate on climate action. We are thankful…
Surprising Successes in Utah
Last month, youth and community leaders from all over the world met in Salt Lake City to convene on Building Inclusive and Sustainable Cities and to agree on a resolution for UN member states to use as guidance to their…
When Politics, Science, and Faith Come Together
This blog is a collaboration between the National League of Cities and Path to Positive: For many world religions, a respect for nature and a desire to care for our planet lies at the heart of their practices and rituals.…
Why Some Americans Don’t Worry About Climate Change
National polling data — including ecoAmerica’s — reveals that the vast majority of Americans are concerned about our changing climate. But there remain a staunch group of Americans who believe that the science is wrong, that the crisis is manufactured,…
Lessons from Glacier National Park, Montana
Because of our changing climate, there is now a new form of tourism – climate tourism. When you open up the Condé Nast Traveler article entitled “10 places to visit before they are lost to climate change,” the first picture…
Hon. Jennifer Roberts at Virginia Housing’s Rethink the Box: Innovation at Work
I spoke recently at a Virginia Housing conference called Rethink the Box: Innovation at Work. There were over 400 attendees, focused on the same issue: affordable housing. Why, you might ask, as a Director at ecoAmerica focused on building public…
Time for Charlotte Buses to Go Electric: Compressed natural gas is not the answer
It has been 18 months since the Charlotte City Council passed a commitment to transition the city to reach zero carbon emissions by 2030. Meanwhile, the Char-Meck Climate Leaders, as well as dozens of stakeholders and citizens, have been meeting…
Youth Engagement with CivicSpark
CivicSpark is a California Governor’s Initiative AmeriCorps program, administered by ecoAmerica partner LGC (Local Government Commission), dedicated to building capacity for local governments to address community resilience issues such as climate change, water resource management, housing, and mobility. Community input…
Driving an EV Long Distance is Easy!
Lately, I have been listening to a lot of conversation about the ups and downs of electric vehicles. I have had a Tesla Model 3 for about 2 months, and it has been nice to be able to avoid inhaling…
Growing Climate Solutions – Path to Positive Southwest Florida Partnership Launches
NAPLES, Fla. (April 22, 2019) – The Community Foundation of Collier County, Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Florida Gulf Coast University and Conservancy of Southwest Florida formalized a three-year partnership to align community resources in an effort to address issues related…
International Women’s History Month (a personal perspective)
I participated in the Women’s March in January in Washington, DC, and was pleased to see many signs and placards that supported climate action. Signs like “100% Clean, Renewable Energy for All,” “Protect Our Planet,” and “There is no Planet…
Survey finds support for climate Solutions in Southwest Florida
A recent survey conducted by ecoAmerica and Lake Research Partner revealed surprising attitudes among resident of Southwest Florida, finding that Hurricane Irma was a wake-up call to establish climate solutions for the area. The survey was commissioned by the Conservancy…
Climate Attitudes Differ in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Living
Climate change impacts all Americans, but presents itself differently in every corner of the U.S., ranging from hurricanes to droughts, superstorms and Nor’easters. To inspire more Americans to engage on the issue, we need to meet them where they live…
Turning Climate Panic Into Progress: Your Talking Points
If Americans are hearing anything about climate change, it is likely the bad news. Our planet and its oceans are warming faster than predicted, causing billion-dollar weather disasters, a myriad of health impacts, climate refugees and more, with little time to…
New Hope for Action: Key Republican Climate Attitudes Shift
As we transition into 2019 and welcome a new Congress, there is renewed hope for climate action. While partisan gridlock remains the greatest impediment to bold climate solutions, there is a shift in partisan attitudes in favor of progress in…
Climate Priorities for the New U.S. Congress
Last month’s election results sent a clear message: Americans consider climate change a top priority, and they want elected office holders to act. As the 116th Congress prepares to be sworn into office next month, many Americans are rightly questioning…
Climate Change is Making Headlines: How to Talk About it
Starting meaningful conversations about climate change with our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and policymakers has been a challenge in the past. How do you bring up the topic? How do you have a productive discussion? Recent headlines about reports from the…
After the Fires and Floods
This post originally appeared on November 16, 2018 on The Presidential Climate Action Project. The people of Paradise, California, are going through a phase that virtually every community experiences after it is wiped out by a weather-related disaster. It is…
Serving Up Climate Conversations for Thanksgiving
It’s that time of year again. Pumpkins are being carved, meals are being prepared, and most importantly, families are gathering. Thanksgiving is a time to catch up with loved ones, feast, and be thankful. Given the many extreme weather events…
72% of Americans Say Climate Solutions Should be a Higher Priority
Last month, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their special report outlining the consequence of a changing climate, and the measures necessary to avert the most dangerous scenarios. The report is a collaborative effort of 91…
OUR FUTURE V. THE UNITED STATES
October is traditionally celebrated as children’s health month. This is a time to bring attention to health issues unique to children as they grow, and work to improve the environments they’re growing in, to make them safer and healthier. It takes…
Voting and Climate Change: Talking Points
The midterm elections are just around the corner, and many Americans are beginning to have political discussions with their friends and families, colleagues, and communities. Amongst a myriad of voting concerns is climate change. And, even though it might not be…
Climate as a Voting Issue, Part 2: A Majority of Americans Would Vote for a Climate Candidate
With elections just around the corner, and recent news coverage about politicians talking about climate change, Americans are beginning to think about the candidates and issues they will have the opportunity to vote on this November. Part of the mix of concerns…
Climate as a Voting Issue, Part 1: September American Climate Perspectives Survey
This election season has been filled with reports showing the widening partisan divide in America. Opinion gaps are growing on topics such as poor and disadvantaged communities, the size of government, corporations, military, immigration or other key social issues. Climate…
Are Americans Connecting Severe Weather to Climate Change?
Download report Throughout the country, Americans are noticing something different about the weather. The seasons feel warmer, wildfires seem worse, and floods and hurricanes are more severe. But when they turn on the news or pick up their newspapers, there…
Extreme Weather and Climate Change: Talking Points
Whether Americans are looking out their windows, or turning on the local news, we are increasingly confronted by severe weather events — unprecedented droughts, storms, floods and heatwaves are being seen and felt nationwide and around the world. The impact…
Climate Change Can Bring Us Together: 5 Simple Rules for Climate Advocacy
Everywhere we turn it seems we bump up against something political. The news we watch, the athletes we support and even the restaurants where we eat are all increasingly viewed through the lens of partisan politics. Climate change has been…
Empower Community Leaders with New Climate Communications Training Program
“We need new leaders, more leaders to address climate change. Leaders that can connect and inspire the best in others.” Climate change demands big solutions that can scale up and truly match the breadth of this pervasive challenge. This includes…
2018 June American Climate Perspectives: Mid-Year Summary
Americans’ attitudes on climate are changing, and the change is in a positive direction. To better understand how these views are evolving, and what that may mean, ecoAmerica has pulled together the most recent public opinion survey data from some…
Three Takeaways on Nuclear Power Survey
Within the climate community, one of the greatest areas of debate is the role of nuclear energy in the mix of climate solutions. Nuclear power already accounts for nearly 20% of America’s power supply, and there are growing voices of…
Now Available: June Talking Points
Download Talking Points The discourse around a warming world often gets hung up on politics, but what Americans really care about — and want to hear about— are the challenges and opportunities that climate change has for their families and…
Now Available: April Talking Points
A clean energy future is within our grasp. We can have locally-made energy from the wind and the sun that ensures our air is clean and our water is healthy. Communities across America are learning that smart investments in clean energy protect…
Climate Change is a Rising Policy Priority, Particularly for Millennials
Over the past decade, Americans have placed climate change at the bottom of the list of public policy priorities. But, according to Pew’s January 2018 Public Policy Priorities survey, climate change is on the rise. Pew found that close to…
Now Available: February Talking Points
Our communities are wellsprings of pride, security, and vitality. We’ve built them to be strong, prosperous, and livable so we can live our best lives. Climate change is challenging our essential built, social, and natural systems, and impacts are visible…
A Path to Positive on Climate in 2018
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season…
In honor of MLK, Jr Day: Climate Justice for All
Let’s Lead on Climate, a new guide from ecoAmerica, features case studies in our sectors – Health, Faith, and Communities. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, we highlight a success story from Raleigh, North Carolina and how…
Introducing our Talking Points series!
At ecoAmerica, we work with America’s religious denominations, national health and medical associations, and local communities to support their efforts to understand the implications of climate change, and to develop effective strategies for them to practically support and advocate for…
Cities: Mitigate climate change – or risk financial consequences
This is huge news. Moody’s Investor Services, one of three major credit rating agencies, released an important report in November – Evaluating the impact of climate change on US state and local issuers – which cities, states and sub-national governments…
Top Stories in Communities & Climate – Dec 25-29
We hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season, and we hope you have a fun New Year’s celebration! First, we want to point you to our blog post from yesterday, “How Can Cities Shape Public…
This Week in Communities & Climate – Dec 18-22
This week, we saw many stories highlighting local climate leadership and a few fun Christmas stories. Our favorites are below. Don’t forget to check out our blog post from earlier this week summarizing 5 Ways to Garner Support for Climate…
5 ways to garner public support for climate change: Recs from our Report
Our ‘Hot off the press’ Recommendations Report summarizes the results from several working sessions from the American Climate Leadership Summit, which we convened October 25 and 26, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. with more than 300 national leaders from across…
THIS WEEK IN COMMUNITIES & CLIMATE: DEC 11-15
We’re back to rounding up the most important stories for each week that you might have missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of…
Utah Business and Community Leaders Declare Support for Exploring Climate Change Risks and Solutions
For Immediate Release SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 14, 2017 – Prominent Utah leaders from business, government, higher education, faith communities and civic organizations united on Nov. 14, 2017 to sign a declaration acknowledging shared responsibility for protecting Utah’s economy, air…
ACLS Leader Query: Hon. Greg Nickels on Local Climate Leadership
The 2017 America Climate Leadership Summit has brought hundreds of leaders to the “mantle,” to discuss the next steps for addressing our changing climate. Among them are local government leaders like the Honorable Greg Nickels. The Hon. Greg Nickels is the…
Seizing the Moment to Lead on Climate
Philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” When it comes to planning and action around climate change, though, we need to flip his advice: If we wish to avoid repeating the…
American Climate Leadership Summit: How Communities Can Engage in Climate Solutions
The American Climate Leadership Summit is an annual event that brings together leaders from multiple sectors including ecoAmerica specialty sectors, health, faith, and communities. Each year, ecoAmerica publishes a report of recommendations to help move communities, health leaders, and faith…
Mental Health in the Community: Disaster Preparedness, Survival and Resilience
Communities can come face to face with mental health issues during and after disasters. This is a reality that was made clear after Hurricane Katrina – when survivors showed signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now, Harvey, Irma and Jose…
ecoAmerica Launches Local Climate Engagement Programs with National League of Cities & Local Government Commission
Today, ecoAmerica announced the launches of partnerships with two major organizations, the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Local Government Commission (LGC), to accelerate local climate leadership. Through the Path to Positive program, both partners are activating mayors and other local…
This Week in Communities & Climate – July 1-7
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Lessons from Climate Day LA
Last week, leaders from Los Angeles to Washington DC came together to discuss how they are tackling some of the greatest climate challenges in their communities. The event, Climate Day LA, invited business, community, faith, government, and nonprofit leaders in…
This Week in Communities & Climate – June 24-30
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Climate Leadership in LA: Interview with Araceli Campos
Araceli Campos is Executive Director of the Miguel Contreras Foundation and is a speaker for Climate Day LA. Tell us about your work on climate change. We serve working families in LA County. This includes strengthening the wellness of communities where people migrate,…
Climate Leadership in LA: Interview with Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia is the Mayor of Long Beach and a speaker at Climate Day LA. Tell us about your work on climate change. I’ve made protecting our climate an important part of my agenda as Mayor. Long Beach is a coastal…
Climate Leadership in LA: Interview with Rachelle Reyes Wenger
Rachelle Wenger is the Director of Public Policy & Community Advocacy of Dignity Health and a scheduled speaker for Climate Day LA 2017. Tell us about your work on climate change. Our climate and sustainability goals include reducing waste, evaluating what…
Climate Day LA Is June 27. Join Us and Help Kick Off a New Era of Climate Action!
Much of the recent progress on climate in America has happened at the city and state level – and in the wake of President Trump’s announcement that he plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, local action will…
This Week in Communities & Climate – June 3-9
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Why Conservative Communities Are Coming Around on Climate Change
For many people, whether they accept the existence or seriousness of climate change is not so much about science as it is about identity. People define themselves in large part by the social or political groups they belong too –…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
How Climate Change Affects Your Community’s Mental Health (and What to Do About It)
Climate change is already affecting us in many ways. Around the country, communities are dealing with and preparing for the physical impacts, including sea level rise, extreme heat, flooding, and drought. But there’s another side of climate change that community…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Women and Children Are Being Seen and Heard on Climate Change
Climate change affects all of us – but some more than others. Women, children, people of color, the poor, and the elderly suffer the impacts more acutely. The reasons vary. Some populations are dependent on industries like agriculture, which can…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Los Angeles Leaders: What Inspires Us to Act on Climate
We asked Path to Positive: Los Angeles members, What inspires you to take action on climate change solutions in Los Angeles? Here are some of their answers. John Beynon, United Nations Association and Whittier Area Environment Coalition“Information coming out of…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
How Red-State Mayors Are Addressing Climate Change in Their Communities
For local officials in conservative communities, addressing the ever-more-visible impacts of climate change requires a delicate balance. Ignoring their regions’ vulnerabilities is not an option – but in many cases, neither is uttering the words “climate change.” So polarizing and…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and new climate research are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Cracking the Code to Stronger Communities and Climate Solutions
Upton Sinclair once wrote, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” And for many Americans working in extraction industries throughout the country, it can be difficult to imagine…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
How Climate Leaders in Los Angeles are Making the City Cooler
Climate leaders in Los Angeles just announced what may seem like an impossible task. Rather than pursuing the typical laundry list of climate solutions, Mayor Eric Garcetti and his team are starting with a bold goal—lowering the city’s temperature. Over…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
How Energy Efficiency Builds Communities And Benefits Climate
Drive through any city and you’ll inevitably happen upon neighborhoods that have seen better days. Older houses, run-down buildings, and antiquated infrastructure can blight any community. But where some see neglected neighborhoods, others see climate opportunities. While less flashy than…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
These Bipartisan Leaders Are Cutting Through Politics to Find Climate Solutions
Home to one of President Trump’s grand estates, perhaps the country’s most competitive electoral swing state, and host to some of the most divisive partisanship in the country, Florida represents an epicenter of hard hitting politics in America. You may…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Finding Climate Solutions in Unexpected Places
When we think of our nation’s strongest climate leaders, cities like New York and Los Angeles often come to mind. With vast resources, deep pockets, and environmentally conscious residents, implementing climate solutions in these cities often comes with broad public…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
Walking: A Simple “Step” for Human, Community and Climate Health
Sun, rain, or snow, walking is an eco-friendly form of exercise most people can do throughout their lifetime. According to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, walking has numerous preventative and therapeutic health benefits. It’s also easy: It comes naturally, requires…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories of…
How Your City Can Implement Effective Transportation Solutions
On the list of areas in need of innovation and investment when it comes to community climate solutions, transportation ranks high. Accounting for roughly a quarter of man-made fossil fuel emissions, it can often seem like low-hanging fruit for mayors…
This Week in Communities & Climate
Each week we share the stories that shouldn’t be missed. Local climate leaders, the latest in community climate action, and practical climate solutions are all featured to highlight the good news coming out of cities. These are the top stories…
My Small City’s Big Commitment to Climate Action
This year has been a tumultuous one for climate change. While progress was made, international agreements were put into place, and cities, states and countries have sprung into action—the political commitment to climate action at the federal and global stage…
Mayors Providing Some Climate Hope for the Holidays!
2016 has been a roller coaster of a year when it comes to climate action. Many of the positive developments now seem under threat, and there is a growing concern that hard-fought gains may be lost as we enter into…
3 Immediate Steps to Transportation Solutions in Your City
Developing new climate solutions isn’t always easy, and often times the clearest paths to making an impact are the ones that are most challenging. This is especially the case in cities, where climate action plans focusing on mass transportation, city…
American Leaders to Trump: U.S. Must Look Forward, Not Backward on Climate Change
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to reverse much of the progress our nation has made on climate. His recent appointment of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a fierce critic of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be the EPA’s administrator is…
How COTE’s Mona Telega Helps Advance Climate-Friendly Architecture
Mona Telega is a Principal at the Monmark Agency and Chair of the Committee on the Environment at the American Institute of Architects (COTE AIA | LA). There, she and her team create programs to advance sustainable built environments and encourage…
How to Take Your City to 100% Renewable
Vermont is now home to the nation’s first 100% renewable-energy city. The largest city in the state, with 42,000 residents, Burlington has grabbed the attention of mayors across the country searching for a model they can emulate in transitioning to…
3 Reasons Why Every Friday Should Be Green Friday
As families are still gathered for this long weekend, many are gearing up to hit the shops to find the best deals that follow Thanksgiving Day and kick off the new holiday season. However, the long weekend can be better…
3 Reasons to Still Be Hopeful About Community Climate Action
The events that have transpired over the past two weeks have left most in the climate community shocked. ecoAmerica’s President, Bob Perowitz, spoke to these concerns last week, and helped us all rethink our path moving forward. But with a…
Thoughts on the Election – and Where We Go From Here
12 minutes ago, as I started writing this… it was reported that Hillary Clinton conceded the election to Donald Trump. We should no longer have to argue, as we know and have always said, that people say what they think they…
How Extreme Weather, Health, and Communities Connect
Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, is a Professor at the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. A pediatrician, he has served in many leadership positions in both environmental health and infectious disease with the California…
Celebrating the Good News On #P2Psustainability
While more often than not our news feeds are filled with the devastating impacts, seemingly insurmountable challenges, and overwhelming reality of climate change, progress is being made at every level. And this year in particular has seen great strides forward…
3 Climate Lessons American Mayors Can Learn From International Counterparts
Just this week, a coalition of over 85 mayors met at the United Nation’s Habitat III conference on cities in Ecuador. Their message was simple: cities and local governments are increasingly responsible for the costs and consequences of regional and…
Climate Victories Require Climate Voters!
Over the past year and a half, there have been bold and inspiring moves in the right direction when it comes to climate. The Obama Administration put forward the Clean Power Plan, a landmark policy that promises to move the…
One Way to Encourage Local Climate Action—Make it Free!
Every few weeks I jump on the Metrolink Train in Southern California. From the station a block from my house to Downtown Los Angeles is about 45 minutes, much preferable to the near 90 minutes that I might otherwise spend…
3 Simple Ways to Kick-start Community Climate Solutions
For too many mayors and municipal leaders, climate action remains a task that seems out of reach. Cities often have limited resources to devote towards developing a comprehensive climate action plan, the absence of funds to allocate to a full…
Setting Bold Climate Goals One Community At A Time
This has been a banner week for climate. While community leaders, mayors, and local officials throughout the country work to develop and implement climate action plans—several in particular stand out. The common thread between the approaches these cities are taking…
Reigning In Urban Sprawl For Communities And Climate
When we think about the range of climate solutions, it isn’t often that we consider systemic choices made by city planners and commercial developers over a span of many decades. This may be beginning to change. Suburban sprawl is the…
How State And Regional Leaders Are Spearheading Climate Solutions
State and local governments are leading the way when it comes to the development and implementation of climate solutions. While each is pursuing different avenues to meet sustainability goals, they each are improving the lives of residents by fostering cleaner,…
The Bad News, and the Good News — Community conservation efforts saving western water
The bad news is that western states are still hurting for water, drought conditions prevail, and climate-driven weather patterns appear not to promise relief in the near future. The good news, according to one analysis, is that many communities have…
With Climate Action, Shout Success From the (Solar) Rooftop!
Thirty miles east of Downtown Los Angeles is the city where I was raised and currently live, La Verne. A small community hugging the foothills, it has a long history in Southern California for its orchards of orange trees. Where…
When it Comes to Climate and Cities, Trees Keep Giving
City leaders are constantly on the lookout for programs that can be implemented to improve the lives of residents in their communities. While cost restrictions, political considerations, and logistical constraints are always limiting factors, there is one simple climate solution…
Maximizing Climate Leadership Through Effective Communication
Over the past twelve months, governments have made enormous progress in working towards climate change solutions. The historic international agreement reached in Paris at COP 21, unprecedented bilateral agreements made between China and the United States to reduce emissions, President…
How Cities Can Bring Solar Solutions To Communities
Anyone following climate action over the past decade is well aware that some of the greatest strides in renewables have come from the broad acceptance and implementation of solar panels. The combination of decreasing costs, increasing generation capacity, and programs…
When it Comes to Climate, Car Sharing is Caring
As anyone that lives in or visits Los Angeles knows, if you want to get around, you need a car. While this perception is especially true in LA, residents of cities throughout the country have a similar dependence on car…
How Our Cities Can Restore Our World
In our world of exponential population growth and rapid urbanization, environmental conservancy often takes a backseat to development. We see this happening all around the globe: in Asia, the Mekong River is being dammed to provide hydroelectric power to surrounding…
Exporting Climate Solutions from the Port of Los Angeles
California is known for its beautiful beaches, healthy lifestyles, and attention to all things green – so anyone who has visited the Port of Los Angeles may be surprised to see the environmental and health consequences that can result from…
15 Steps To Communicate About Climate in Your City
Developing and implementing an ambitious climate action plan is becoming more and more common for mayors and city leaders throughout the country. As an increasing number of Americans begin to see climate impacts in their everyday lives, and start to…
3 Reasons to be Hopeful About Mayoral Climate Supergroups
Confused about all the Mayoral coalitions and partnerships aimed at local climate solutions? You’re not alone. Just last week, two powerful new coalitions aimed at supporting mayors in the US and across the globe were unveiled, bringing together more powerful…
Networking For Climate Solutions
Developing and implementing a climate action plan is often a big task for mayors and city leaders. With countless demands, all requiring a share of already scarce time, resources, and attention, sustainability programs are sometimes seen more as a burden…
Curbing Cars for Stronger Communities and a Better Climate
If you take a good look at any city, large or small, one of the first things you may realize is how much of our communities are dominated by infrastructure devoted to transportation. Roads, highways, parking lots, and the like…
Trading Petrol Power for Pedal Power in Our Cities
One of the best ways to clear up traffic congestion in our cities is to convert daily drivers into public transportation consumers. However, investing in new buses, subways, and light rail is often not a real option for cities due…
For Mayors, It Is Time To Act Boldly On Climate
Across the country, city and community leaders have been making progress on developing and implementing climate solutions. Facilitating rooftop or community solar programs, incentivizing water-wise landscaping, and pushing strong energy efficiency standards for new construction are some of the actions…
Making Climate Action Contagious From Neighborhoods to Cities
Early this month, I had the great opportunity to tour several environmentally friendly homes located throughout my community. The outing was part of a city garden tour featuring native and drought resistant landscaping, grey-water recycling systems, solar panels and a…
San Diego Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is – But Will It Walk the Talk?
Mere months after releasing one of the country’s most ambitious climate action plans, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced a “down payment” of $127 million in spending to implement the measures laid out in the new policy. In the world…
How City Composting Benefits Communities And Climate
With a baby on the way, my wife and I last week met with a local, eco friendly cloth and compostable paper diapers company to set up our service. To our surprise, we were informed that the city of Los…
How The City By The Bay Is Going Solar
This Tuesday, climate leaders in San Francisco made a major step towards making the city a model sustainable city. In its quest to become powered entirely by clean energy by 2025, the city’s Board of Supervisors approved a policy that…
Two Cities, Two Paths For Climate Action
Philadelphia and New Orleans are two of America’s great cities. While their differences may seem greater than their similarities, both cities are on the frontlines of climate change. New Orleans and Philadelphia, and countless other cities across the nation, are…
Planting Seeds of Community Through Climate Action
Several years ago, as a graduate student, I participated in a school-based community garden serving at-risk students in a working class community. Since then, I have witnessed a tremendous growth of public gardens sprouting up in and around the community…
How Salt Lake City Is Leading On Climate
Salt Lake City is feeling the effects of climate change, and city leaders are taking note. For many cities and states throughout the country, the issue continues to divide politicians and residents, and exposes existing partisan cleavages. However, leaders in…
For Mayors, Climate Action Isn’t A Partisan Issue
In San Diego, California’s second largest city, Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer was thrust into the middle of a decision that could potentially chart the city’s climate path for the coming decades. After winning a special election, and defeating a Democratic…
These Mayors Are Leading Climate Action
The consequences and opportunities of climate change are local, and it is the imperative of mayors to inspire their communities to act on climate. This is the message of Jackie Biskupski, Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Cindy Lerner…
Why Mayors Are Crucial to Climate Action
This was an important week for mayors and climate. Three seemingly unrelated climate stories reveal a stark picture of the increasingly urgent call to action facing US mayors. As the leaders most responsible for preventing climate risk and dealing with…
How Communities Can Capitalize on Climate
In Southern Florida, the consequences of climate change are real. They threaten homes, businesses and are visible to residents throughout the region. In Miami, city and municipal leaders have been vocal critics of state and federal inaction, and have been…
How Mayors Are A Leading Voice For National Climate Solutions
Last year, the Obama Administration announced one of the country’s most ambitious climate action plans, the Clean Power Plan (CPP). The aim of the plan is simple: phase in major changes in the way that nation gets its power thereby…
Employing Americans With Climate Solutions
One of the great triumphs across the country has been the realization among city and community leaders that climate change is real, it is happening now, and it is caused by human activity. More difficult though has been the task…
How Cities Can Embrace Nature As A Climate Solution
Large climate impacts like sea level rise will, for many cities, require investing in large infrastructure projects. However, some cities in low-lying areas may have another solution at the ready: nature. In an ambitious collaboration between Miami-Dade County, an environmental…
Leaders Can Bring Big Bucks And Clean Power To Cities And States
The transition to clean energy can be an especially politically contentious issue. That is why focusing on economic impacts of clean power is so attractive. As state, city and community leaders look for ways to slash utility costs, clean power…
How Mayors Can Empower Communities With Solar
Solar energy has been growing to new heights over the last decade. Homeowners are enjoying the benefits of capturing their own power, and many who have access to net metering can even earn credit for excess generation. One of the…
Can You Bring Net-Zero to Your City?
Often, in discussions of climate solutions, policymakers target mass transportation, clean energy generation, and changing consumption habits. All important aspects of a robust climate action plan. Less discussed, but perhaps as or more important than all other solutions, is the…
How San Francisco, And Cities Like Yours, Can Achieve Zero Waste
Better known for the Golden Gate Bridge, sourdough bread and Alcatraz, San Francisco is now playing host to mayors and world leaders to show off the city’s new cutting edge recycling plant. As urban populations grow, and world cities become…
Why Mayors Should Push On-Site Climate Solutions
As many regions throughout the country continue to struggle from a record setting drought, city leaders have begun to search for tools to reduce consumption, improve efficiency, and increase conservation and storage. While many climate solutions depend on large investments…
Maryland’s Concrete Commitment To Climate Solutions
In Maryland, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act of 2016 just made its way to the governor’s desk. The bold new policy aims to slash the state’s fossil fuel emissions by 40% over the next decade and a half. Already receiving…
5 Reasons Why Mayors Are Pivotal Climate Leaders
It has been 100 days since the COP 21 talks in Paris, and the real work of developing and implementing climate action plans is already underway. The talks and the difficult work ahead have illustrated the importance of cities and…
How Mayors Are Shedding Light On Climate Solutions
Mayors throughout the US are working through their climate tool-kit in search of effective climate solutions that can be quickly and easily implemented. One area that is often overlooked, perhaps due to its ubiquity, are streetlights. In a recent survey…
How to Expand Solar to All Communities
One of the challenges that mayors and city leaders face as they develop climate action plans is insuring that all communities are able to reap the rewards and opportunities that can accompany climate solutions. This is especially the case for…
Embracing Climate Action in The Big Easy
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu spoke before the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority this week in an effort to urge action on climate. Louisiana is at the forefront of climate change, with much of the state threatened by rising…
How Massachusetts Mayors Are Working To Save Solar
A new proposal before the state house and senate threaten to derail climate action plans across Massachusetts. The new policy affects the State’s robust net-metering program, which allows residents who invest in solar the opportunity to sell excess power back…
How Cities and Colleges Can Collaborate on Climate
A coalition of climate leaders has formed in Mason City Iowa. City officials, along with faculty and students from the University of Iowa’s Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) are working together to create multiple climate action plans that would…
Why Clean Energy is an Easy Win for Mayors
With increasing technology, a more supportive public, and a recognition of the growing challenges and opportunities of climate change, mayors throughout the US are on the constant lookout for tested and proven climate solutions. Fortunately, recent agreements from the COP21-Climate…
How Seattle is Slashing Greenhouse Gasses
Cities are moving quickly to develop and implement bold climate action plans. One of the leaders in this sprint to climate solutions is Seattle Mayor Ed Murry. In a bold new initiative, the mayor at last week’s Climate Leadership Conference…
How the Tri-Faith Initiative is Leading the Way
In America’s heartland, a church, a synagogue, and a mosque are coming together to build a true interfaith campus – the first of its kind in the world – and the most environmentally sustainable church, also the first of its…
Why Mayors Must Put Climate Pressure on Presidential Candidates
Climate change has been conspicuously absent from recent GOP presidential debates. The divide between those accepting and denying the reality of climate change has long split down partisan and ideological lines. However, as more and more mayors and city leaders,…
How Mayors Can Be The Conduit For Climate Concerns
Americans are increasingly becoming concerned with how climate affects the health and well being of their families and communities. They are looking for leadership from all levels of government—local, state, and federal. However, in a new report released by the…
For Cities, What Does It Mean To Be Green?
One of the most important trends for cities implementing climate solutions is the push to invest in “going green!” But what does this really mean? For many, the transition to green includes steps like increasing building efficiency, investing in becoming…
Why Communities Are Cutting Coal
The announcement of the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan prompted immediate action throughout the country. At the state level, policy makers and elected officials varied in their responses—as many challenged the federal program in federal courts. At the lower levels…
Bringing a Clean Climate and Clean Jobs to Illinois
Often the greatest hurdle to climate action is the misperception that investing in climate solutions will cost jobs. In Illinois, lawmakers are addressing this head-on, and have introduced a bill that would boost local economies, create clean jobs, and improve…
How to Combat Climate Change One Community at a Time
In California, an experiment is underway which may change how communities act on climate. Three cities are collaborating in an effort to enlist residents to work on implementing climate solutions. Dubbed the Cool Block program, community climate leaders seek to…
How Cities Continue To Lead On Climate
With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, mayors and community leaders are increasingly on the front lines of the consequences of climate change—rising sea levels, more severe weather events, and public health challenges. However big…
Can Rural Renewable Use Be A Model For All Cities?
Rural communities, residents and utilities have traditionally relied on cheap, dirty fossil fuels. Often too remote to be connected directly to the national energy grid, rural Americans have traditionally banded together into co-ops, generating and purchasing enough power to sustain…
How San Diego Is Going 100% Renewable, And How Your City Can Too
San Diego is California’s second largest city, and when officials there take action, others follow. This is why the city’s recently announced climate action plan is so important. The new policies include a commitment to 100% renewables by 2035, and…
Why Mayors Should Prioritize Pedestrians
Sometimes the greatest hurdles to getting residents to act on climate are the most simple to resolve. This is especially true in large cities and urban centers where residents don’t yet make use of mass transit, cycling paths, and walking…
Oregon Ramps Up Renewbles
Climate leaders in Oregon are at it again as the State Senate considers a bill that would redefine where residents source their energy. The bill would eliminate coal energy production by 2030 and would double the amount of renewable generation.…
How Maryland is Leading the Way on Climate Action
Progress is being made in Maryland. This week, in a bipartisan vote, Democrats and Republicans came together in the state’s Senate, and overwhelmingly supported a new bill that would require the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 40% over…
How Developing Citywide Climate Action Plans Just Got Easier
How much greenhouse gas is your city emitting? Do you know the levels of pollution in your city’s air? These are questions that should be considered by mayors and community leaders in every city—as municipal officials take into consideration the…
What Mayors Should Know About Microgrids
Alaska’s rural communities have long been self sufficient—having to deal with the challenges of extremely remote locations, a lack of roads and transportation options, and being disconnected from the grid. Out of necessity, residents and community leaders throughout the state…
How Mayors Can Implement Winning Water Solutions
El Nino is anticipated to bring a wet and rainy season to the record droughts that California has faced for over four years. However, one year of rainfall won’t be enough to pull the state out of its serious water…
How Solar Can Bring Power and Hope to Cities
Solar has quickly become one of the greatest resources in the transition to clean energy. Falling prices, an increased availability of community solar programs, and technology that is more efficient than ever are all major factors in the rise of…
A Coalition of Climate Consensus
An unprecedented coalition of 17 governors from across the country just pledged to take bold new action on climate. Elected leaders from both sides of the political divide are increasingly recognizing the necessity, and the benefits, of investing in climate…
How to Empower Mayors, Communities, and Homes
Not long ago, solar energy was relegated to a small number of homeowners able to shoulder the burden of high cost panels. However, much has changed in recent years, and developments in technology, lowered price points, and more accommodating utilities…
How Connecticut is Closing the Chapter on Coal
In Connecticut, the last remaining coal-fired power plant just received its death sentence. Five years from now it will be shut down; replaced by a cleaner natural gas power plant. The transition to cleaner energy represents a greater shift away…
The Sun Is Rising Across America
Now employing more workers than the coal industry, solar represents a growing source of both power and jobs in communities throughout the country. The Solar Foundation, an organization that analyzes the impact and issues surrounding solar generation, just released a…
How Small Moments Can Add Up to Saving the World
“Dad, what do you do for a job?” As parents, we often get this question from our children. For me, as a long-time professional environmental campaigner and policy hack, the answer has never been easy. The issues I have worked…
If This World City Can Divest, Why Can’t Yours?
Does your city have an investment fund? Do city workers have a pension? The chances are that you answered yes to both of these questions. It is also likely that at least some of those investment dollars are tied up…
New England’s New Plan for Renewables
Bold action is underway in New England. States throughout the region have begun weighing options for meeting clean energy goals, and everything is on the table. The goal: signing long-term contracts for renewable energy generation that will fundamentally transform where…
How A Federal Program Can Spark Community Climate Discourse
As the price of oil reaches record lows, President Obama has announced a new plan that would tax oil to pay for the latest in renewable transportation technologies. The $10 per barrel fee would raise more than $300 billion, and…
How Massachusetts Is Leading The Way To Affordable Renewables For All
In Massachusetts this week, state and local leaders rolled out plans to make renewable technologies available to all residents. Traditionally, renewable and clean energy systems have been cost prohibitive for many Americans—available only to the more affluent communities and residents.…
Connecting Communities in New England to Act on Climate
Developing and implementing an ambitious climate action plan can be a difficult, and often expensive, endeavor for small cities. Identifying possible solutions and mobilizing resources to effectively advance climate solutions can often seem out of reach, and as though the…
How To Slash Greenhouse Emissions With Existing Technology
Mayors are always seeking the newest solutions to advance climate action in their communities. While attractive, the latest in solar, wind, and increased efficiencies come at a cost, and may be prohibitively expensive for many municipalities. However, there is good…
Coming Together in Faith on Climate Videos: Sustenance for Our 2016 Climate Journey
Communities throughout the country and the world are beginning to take bold action on climate. The effort to implement meaningful climate action plans cuts across sectors, and relies upon leaders from business, health, higher education, communities and faith. This effort…
While Politicos Debate, Mayors Act!
As residents on the east coast recover from the record snowfall of winter storm Jonas, the usual suspects are in full force claiming that cold weather is evidence enough that climate change is a myth. In a series of new…
Greening The Way To Happy, Healthy Cities
Mayors and community leaders have traditionally focused their efforts at building and maintaining infrastructure, implementing new programs, and working with residents to improve the quality of life for city dwellers. So often, these improvements are complex, but from time to…
Why Mayors Back Bike Lanes
In an effort to address the growing problem of traffic, and the prohibitive costs of expanding roads and infrastructure, mayors are now nudging residents to take up cycling. The transition from horsepower to pedal power helps save cities money, improves…
See How Mayors Are Pressing Presidential Candidates on Climate
Mayors have been playing an increasingly important role in the fight against climate change: implementing bold climate action plans that enlarge green spaces, improve access to public transportation, transition to clean energy, and facilitate green job growth. However, mayors cannot…
These 3 Cities are Leading on Climate: Yours Can Too
On the heels of some of the hottest years on record, political leaders around the world are finally waking up to the necessity of taking bold action on climate. 2015 had some banner achievements: the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan,…
How NY is Investing in Climate Action
Elected officials and climate leaders in New York just took a major step in committing to climate solutions. Their plan: to invest $5 billion into the clean and renewable energy sectors over the next ten years. In a move spearheaded…
Why Mayors Should Embrace Cycling as a Climate Solution
With constant competition for scarce resources, the development and implementation of bold climate action plans can be a difficult endeavor for city leaders. One solution to this problem is to focus on solutions, which rely less on resources, and more…
Why Mayors Should Focus on People Before Pandas and Polar Bears
As mayors and community leaders work to implement climate solutions, one of the greatest challenges is communicating with residents about the need to take action. To facilitate local government officials in their climate action, researchers have identified key strategies for…
A Climate Solution for Cities that Doesn’t Stink!
Mayors and city leaders are constantly searching for new and innovative ways to bring climate solutions to their communities. Grand Junction, Colorado is a standout, particularly for its investment in transforming the city’s sewage into usable power. And so far,…
How to Bring Jobs and Climate Solutions to Your City
Mayors across the country are charged with the difficult task of bringing jobs to residents, building up infrastructure, and providing a healthy environment for families. However, too often, the solutions to these challenges are at odds with one another—and bringing…
How Local Governments Can Phase Out Coal
This week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in his state of the state address, announced an ambitious new plan to slash fossil fuel emissions in the state, and reinvest in renewables. The aim of the plan is to quickly phase…
Trees: The Simple Climate Solution For Any City
What do the rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline, development and implementation of the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), and the Paris Climate Negotiations all have in common? Each of these marks a bold step forward in addressing fossil…
Is Climate Action Finally a Bipartisan Issue?
2015 was a banner year for climate action. The Clean Power Plan, the Paris Agreement, and a number of local and state actions throughout the country proved that leaders are finally getting serious about climate change. However, many elected officials…
How Oregon Utilities are Leading on Climate
In communities throughout the country, mayors and regional leaders have pushed hard to facilitate a transition to renewable energies—like solar and wind. Some of their greatest impediments to this shift come from locally operating utilities. However, in a statewide effort…
Why There’s No Better Time Than Now For Climate Action
For decades, climate change and environmental issues have been hijacked by political discourse. One’s political ideology often drove support or opposition to bold climate action. However, recent years have seen a shift in public opinion. More and more Americans are…
Why Solar is A Bipartisan Political Winner
Environmental conservation, climate change, and clean energy have traditionally generated deep political divides. As the consequences of climate change have increasingly become visible in cities, regions, and states throughout the country, elected leaders on both sides of the aisle are…
4 Insights on Climate Action from Sweden
When looking for climate inspiration, mayors and local leaders tend to turn to one another. However, much can be learned by looking internationally, and by identifying opportunities to implement climate solutions that have already been proven elsewhere. Bold climate leaders…
Is Oregon A Model For Pushing Clean Energy?
In August 2015, President Obama announced a new Clean Power Plan (CPP), which seeks to dramatically reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the United States. While some states across the nation begin to take steps to fulfill the…
Why Mayors Matter When it Comes to Solar
Solar power has experienced an explosion of growth over the past few years. New investments have made solar technologies more efficient, affordable, and have helped to spread solar’s populatiry throughout the country. Last year, rooftop solar set new records, however,…
3 Lessons On Climate Leadership
In 2005 an important meeting took place between would-be presidential candidate, John McCain, and then Florida Governor Charlie Crist. After covering campaign strategy and politics, McCain left Crist with one final thought: the need to act on climate change. A…
ecoAmerica’s 11 Biggest Milestones of 2015
2015 was an incredible year for the climate movement, with leaders in every sector speaking out and demanding climate action. ecoAmerica continued to empower those leaders through summits, programs, and research designed to reinforce effective climate messaging and strategies. It…
How Cities are Acting on Climate Change
One of the major disputes at the recently held COP 21 climate talks involved the need for an enforcement scheme to ensure that climate pledges would be met. With too many countries unwilling to accept such measures, a compromise deal…
Climate Lessons from 2015
2015 was an important year for climate action – and one of the most significant climate achievements was the defeat of the Keystone XL pipeline. After seven years of wrangling with the oil industry and politicians, Americans won an important…
Why 2015 Was A Banner Year For Climate
Much has happened this year globally, across the US, and here at Path to Positive Communities. Leaders from all sectors have a lot to be proud of, and their work in 2015 may just mark a turning point for finally…
How Cities are Coming Together for the Clean Power Plan
Last August, President Obama released the details of a comprehensive plan to implement strict new carbon standards primarily targeting power plants and industry. Dubbed the Clean Power Plan (CPP), the new regulations aim to address all sectors affected by fossil…
Does the Congressional Budget Deal Really Affect Cities?
Last week the US Congress passed its first budget in six years. Quickly signed into law by President Obama, the deal marks a major development in the path towards renewable and green energy investments. The incentives and tax credits send…
What Mayors Need to Know About Carbon Pricing
Following COP 21 in Paris, mayors around the globe have been tasked with implementing ambitious climate action plans that will lead their country towards reaching their pledged goals as specified by the Paris agreement. For national, state, regional, and city…
Why Nuclear Power is Not a Healthy Solution to Climate Change
Houston, we’ve got a problem. And if the former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is calling the bluff of the nuclear industry, we know it’s a big one. The recent climate talks in Paris have heightened discussions about how…
5 Steps to 100% Renewable in Your City
With the Paris talks now over, many around the country are eagerly waiting to see how the country will fulfill its emission reduction targets. While this has captured the public’s attention, across the US, city and local officials have been…
The Race to Peak Emissions and What it Says about Climate Progress
One of the most contentious issues debated at COP21 over the past two weeks was the disparate levels of emissions released by developed and developing countries. Emerging economies have traditionally struggled to secure finance opportunities needed to transition to renewables,…
Your Guide to Paris: What the New Agreement Says, and Why it is Important to Your City
The COP 21 talks in Paris are over. After months of planning, and nervous anticipation by climate leaders, a deal has been reached. While these international negotiations are often regarded as top-down agreements, the real work of implementing climate solutions…
What Can Cities Do Now That A Climate Deal Has Been Reached
Now that the much anticipated talks in Paris have come to a close, and a deal has been reached, the real work on implementing climate solutions begins. With each country pledging its own reduction targets, there is a great deal…
Paris, Day 6: Why Connecting Businesses and Communities is a Climate Winner for Both
It’s the day after the huge event Aimee Christensen helped organize— “Climate and Capital” on the sidelines of COP21, to inform and encourage investment in climate solutions—but she is not showing any signs of slowing down. She hops from one…
Paris, Day 5: Connecting the Hip Hop Caucus, Cities, and Climate at COP 21
Outside of the Paris “beltway,” (called the Boulevard Périphérique) far from the climate talks and the palaces and villas where side meetings and donor discussions are taking place, are suburbs that are home to many of Paris’s immigrants, including Muslim…
Paris, Day 4: How Communities Can Use Faith and Storytelling to Inspire Climate Action
John Hill is using communication skills honed over 23 years of work in Washington, D.C., every day this week in Paris at COP21. As Assistant General Secretary for Advocacy and Organizing at the United Methodist Church’s (UMC) Board of Church…
Paris, Day 3: Connecting Colleges and Communities to Enable Climate Solutions
Noah Kittner, a PhD candidate in energy and resources at U Cal Berkeley, ran cross country as a high school student in Raleigh, North Carolina. He may have learned a thing or two about endurance back then that is helping…
Paris, Day 2: Connecting Latino Communities and Climate in Cities
The grand postmodern hall in the “Order of the Architects of the Isle of France,” a stately building near the gare de l’est train station in Paris, is abuzz with a language that is not French—emphasizing the diversity of a…
Paris, Day 1: How Mayors Should Think About Health and Climate Change
At the last COP meeting, in Copenhagen in 2009, there was only one side event focused on health and climate—two areas that are particularly important to cities and communities. This year at COP21 in Paris there have been several every…
Why Politics is the Biggest Hurdle to Climate Action, And How it Can be the Solution
With the COP 21 climate negotiations underway in Paris, countries have begun to outline climate commitments and to push others to increase pledges to cut carbon emissions. However, delegates from the United States are confronted with an additional hurdle—the knowledge…
6 Key Lessons on Talking Climate in Your Community
Last week, we released our latest research report, Let’s Talk Climate: Messages to Motivate Americans. Collaborating with Lake Research Partners, ASO Communications, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, ecoAmerica has developed market-tested messages designed to engage Americans on climate solutions and…
7 Ways to Talk About COP21 With Your Community
For the next two weeks, local and community leaders from across the country will be in Paris to take part in International Climate Negotiations. In a series of events specifically geared to municipalities, leaders will learn and collaborate on strategies…
How International Climate Talks Now Emphasize Local Solutions
Over the next two weeks, climate leaders from 190 countries will descend upon Paris in hopes of reaching new agreements on climate change. Despite failed promises from previous conferences, hope is growing that real progress in Paris can be made.…
5 Steps Your City Can Take To Slash Greenhouse Emissions
As the international climate negotiations get underway this week in Paris, leaders across all sectors are beginning to explore the most effective ways in which to make a meaningful difference on climate. One area particularly ripe for climate action is…
How Megacities Continue to Lead Climate Action
Climate change increasingly poses risks to all nations and can no longer be ignored. While debate and political action often stymie national action, cities are well situated to craft and enact bold climate action plans that can slash greenhouse emissions,…
Let’s Talk Climate
Local and community leaders are key to advancing climate solutions. Their work has drastically amplified national and international efforts to decrease greenhouse emissions and improve the lives of individuals through cleaner, healthier, more economically stable cities. However, in addition to…
Why Local Leadership is Center Stage at International Climate Talks
In the wake of the horrific attacks on Paris, resilient city leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to working together on some of the world’s greatest challenges. Be it terrorism or climate change, cities are often best situated to act boldly…
How NY is Leveraging Renewables to Make Energy Clean, Resilient, and Affordable
New York has long been a leader on advancing climate solutions. Echoing earlier efforts, leaders in the state have recently laid out plans that rethink the state’s energy system. The plan involves a series of ambitious new programs that seek…
Why Cities Must Take The Politics Out Of Climate Change
Cities are the new frontline for climate action. With a majority of the world’s population, and responsible for a majority of the world’s fossil fuel consumption, mayors and city officials are best positioned to develop and implement climate solutions. However,…
How Cities Can Tap Into a Growing Renewable: Pedal Power
Driving to the grocery store, a café, or to work in a dense urban area can turn even a short trip into an unexpectedly long commute. Congested streets, difficulty finding parking, and the stress of navigating downtown avenues all add…
How Local Efforts Can Raise Hope in a Sinking City
Miami is sinking. As sea levels rise due to melting glaciers, city officials in Miami Beach are confronted with the real effects of climate change. The rising waters threaten the low-lying city, but in ways that are not always so…
How One California Community is Working for Social and Climate Justice
Impoverished and minority communities have long been disproportionately affected by pollution. One city, which embodies this long-standing problem, is the small community of Commerce, not far from downtown Los Angeles. For decades, the community has suffered from toxic pollutants, poor…
Is the Road to Renewables Paved with Solar?
Over a year ago, ambitious city leaders in Amsterdam decided to boldly experiment with a new technology. The plan: to retrofit bike paths with new pavement segments with embedded solar panels. The solar roads look and feel like a normal…
When the Feds Fail, Cities Rise Up
87 Mayors from across the country are stepping up to meet the challenges of climate change. After years of waiting for congressional action, city and community leaders recognize that advancing climate solutions must begin at the local level. To meet…
Washington’s Climate Solution? Tax Pollution And Pay Residents!
Residents throughout Washington will soon be faced with a decision that could reverberate in cities and states throughout the country. That decision? Whether or not to implement a carbon tax. While many ideas on taxing carbon have been floated in…
How Climate Leaders, and Tides, Are Rising Up in Miami
Miami Beach is on the frontlines of climate change. Sitting less than 6-feet above sea level, the city is already prone to flooding at high tides and is particularly vulnerable to the threat of storm surges. So as sea levels…
How to Advance Climate Solutions? Make Sustainability the Default
Cities are now the economic powerhouses in America. Most Americans live in urban areas, and the top 20 cities countrywide generate the majority of the country’s GDP. They also are responsible for creating the majority of waste, emissions, and pollution.…
One Consequence of Renewables: Free Energy
An energy revolution is underway in Texas. While better known for its sprawling oil fields, Texas now has more wind energy capacity than any other state. And the investments in renewables are beginning to pay off. One of the state’s…
How California Leaders are Gearing Up for COP-21
With less than a month to go until the meeting of nations in Paris to negotiate new targets for climate change, leaders in California are planning and refining their strategies. Most of the delegations to the UN conference will be…
How Portland is Leading the Way on Fossil Fuel Restrictions
This week, city officials in Portland will decide whether they want to put a halt to all new fossil fuel developments and activities in their city. The resolutions under consideration would have two primary effects. The first would be to…
A Local Climate Solution that States, Scientists, and Industry Agree On
States and cities are increasingly on the frontline in the fight against climate change. With leaders from private, public and academic sectors recognizing the need to address climate change, a search is on for a solution that all can agree…
Why Mayors Should Embrace Trees
Recently, a number of studies have called into question the assumed benefits of too many trees in densely developed urban areas. The research suggests that trees may be responsible for trapping harmful pollutants by obstructing avenues that pollutants would otherwise…
3 Practical Climate Solutions for City Leaders
Cities have become a hotbed of climate action. Responsible for the majority of the world’s population, economic output, and greenhouse gas emissions—they have become indispensable components of any serious plan to combat climate change. While national leaders are still navigating…
3 Reasons Climate Change is a Political Winner for All
For decades, climate change has been a politically charged issue in American political discourse. Candidates and office holders often had to carefully navigate the science of climate change with alternative considerations, such as their local economy, jobs, and political affiliation…
How Businesses, Academics, and Government Saved an Industry by Advancing Climate Solutions
For all of the discussion on the consequences of climate change, ocean acidification is one of the greatest challenges that remains absent from political and public discourse. A byproduct of fossil fuel emissions, ocean acidification occurs as a result of…
How Local Actions in NYC are Meeting International Climate Goals
The United Nation’s Climate Change Summit this December in Paris, seeks to develop and implement bold new climate change goals that countries will sign onto and commit to meet. However, cities around the globe have already begun to take action,…
The Good News About Climate Change Comes From Cities
With less than 6 weeks until the long-awaited UN Climate Summit in Paris, leaders are looking for opportunities where the least amount of resources can have the greatest climate change impacts. While large-scale projects and international agreements are necessary components,…
What NYC Can Teach All Cities About Climate Action
In NYC, leaders from all sectors are converging to explore possible avenues for climate action. With a population of over 8 million, and countless miles of coastline, the city is on the front lines of climate change. This fact was…
What A Quaint Danish Town Can Teach American Cities
Throughout Denmark, coastal cities, towns, and villages are consistently under threat of rising waters, which is being exacerbated by climate change and rising sea levels. While many municipalities focus their efforts entirely on climate change mitigation, a host of cities…
How New York Continues To Be A Model Of Climate Leadership
A common misconception among those wary of implementing bold climate action plans is that working towards sustainability comes with costs that may simply be too high. However, as technology progresses, ambitious climate action plans have become economic opportunities for communities…
3 Cities in the Climate Leader Spotlight
As the countdown to the Paris COP21 Climate talks approaches, leaders are intensifying their search for answers on how to best address climate change. The international negotiations will feature leaders from roughly 190 countries, however, a growing number of city…
Why LA is Ready for its Close-up
Los Angeles has a well-deserved reputation as a trend setting city, a place that sets the standard on style, fashion, art, and music. At the center of all this influence is Hollywood and the film industry. Some of the most…
Practical Ways Your City Can Prevent Runaway Climate Change
As the world searches for feasible climate solutions that have the potential to make a significant dent in greenhouse gas emissions, leaders are increasingly turning to mayors as the possible solution. With over 80% of the planet’s carbon budget already…
Can Colleges Inform Climate-Wise Community Developments?
City leaders often look to businesses, non-profits, and municipal partners for inspiration in implementing climate action plans. However, one under appreciated source of climate solutions is academia. Researchers and students at Cornell’s School of Sustainable Design are undertaking bold new…
Decisions Made in Your City Could Determine Our Carbon Future
C40 Cities and Climate Leadership Group, an organization devoted to empowering cities worldwide, just released a new report examining the role of cities in shaping the world’s carbon budget. Their research suggests that urban policies can have a major impact…
2 Practical Ways to Advance Climate Solutions in Your City
While national governments fumble attempts to make progress on climate targets, a growing number of organizations are calling on cities to pursue bold action. This comes as an increasing number of research institutes have found that cities alone can make…
Courting Communities to Combat Climate Change
Top-down leadership has been the prevailing model for advancing climate solutions at the state and federal level. However, Washington voters, through a coalition of community groups, are now attempting to leverage citizen action to implement bold climate policies in the…
What Local Officials Can Learn From International Climate Leaders
Strong leadership on climate change solutions can be found in cities and states throughout the US. However, valuable and innovative lessons regarding how to advance climate solutions can also be found by examining international actors. One country providing a particularly…
Why Secretary Kerry and Mike Bloomberg Agree that Climate Solutions Must Begin With Cities
As the Paris Climate Negotiations approach, it is becoming increasingly clear that mayors are taking the lead on climate change action. The advancement of climate change solutions by mayors around the world illustrates that committing to bold action on climate…
How Boston is Building a Coalition of Climate Leaders
Boston has long been strong on climate, and ahead of the upcoming Paris climate talks, the city hopes to cement its place as one of America’s climate leaders. To this end, the city called upon sustainability directors from 19 cities…
Why Communities, States, and Nations are Looking to California for Climate Solutions
California is an anomaly for climate action in the United States. With its unique blend of progressive politics, high tech and environmentally conscious industry, and an abundance of natural beauty—the state is able to pursue ambitious climate policies. However unique,…
How Local Solutions Can Solve Global Problems
Chronic inaction on climate change by national and international governments has made many refocus efforts at getting local governments to take action. Many have called for national government support and financial assistance to communities so that monetary aid is more…
How One City is Responding to the Pope’s Call to Action
Pope Francis has proven to be one of the strongest global voices pressuring action on climate change and environmental stewardship. Earlier this year, the Pope released Laudato Si, an encyclical calling on world leaders to consider the social, economic, and…
Why Your City is Needed to Help Combat Climate Change
For over two decades, international negotiations have failed to make substantial gains in the battle against climate change. While many are focusing on how to increase international collaboration, others have begun to refocus their efforts on getting cities to develop…
NYC’s Collaboration For Climate Solutions
New York City has committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from privately owned buildings by 80% over the next 35 years, and the City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, just released a new plan to speed up that process. The plan…
How New Technology Can Cut Energy and Boost City Budgets
On average, 35% of municipal energy budgets are reserved for the treatment of fresh and wastewater. This financial burden is also a window for opportunity—whereby energy efficient treatment options could potentially free up much needed funds that could be reallocated…
Why did 14 Mississippi River Mayors Sign a Proclamation Pledging to Reduce Climate Risks
When they signed the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative’s Path to Positive Proclamation in Dubuque, IA, on September 18, 14 U.S. mayors made a historic commitment to take action to reduce climate risks and protect the future of their…
How California Climate Leaders are Bringing Solar to All
In an effort to bring green energy to all residents, California recently released a multimillion-dollar plan that will bring solar to communities that are often overlooked or unable to invest in clean energy solutions. The ten-year plan includes a budget…
40 Cities Pledge to be Climate Leaders
Last week the Pope toured through the US, bringing with him a message of hope and a call to action on climate change. His efforts were echoed at Climate Week NYC, and an in an important series of new commitments…
10 Cities Lead the Call for Climate Action
This week saw the Pope speak before Congress expressing the imperative to act on climate. In New York City, the Climate Group hosted its seventh annual climate week to draw together leaders and explore climate solutions. In the South, 14…
How to Translate International Climate Lessons into Local Climate Action
Climate change is a world problem with local solutions. As countries around the globe are gearing up for the UN Climate Change Conference this December in Paris, many nations are looking across borders to identify viable climate solutions. This cross-country…
Why Cities Are Now Laboratories Of Climate Action
CDP, a strategic research group that focuses on finding economically viable business solutions to climate change, recently released a report emphasizing the indispensible role of cities. While they surveyed a diverse mix of cities from around the globe, a common…
4 Reasons to Celebrate Climate Action this Week
Cities have become a focal point in the fight against climate change—and this is a major week for action. From a meeting at the United Nations, to an event in New York, and throughout the Mississippi River Basin, climate leaders…
For Cities and Communities, Pope Francis Brings a Message of Climate Hope
Working towards climate solutions is a struggle that many city and community leaders regularly encounter. Research consistently shows that investments in renewables help to improve local economies, grow jobs, and make cities better places to live. For communities though, what…
4 Keys to Make Cities Climate Leaders
As the world becomes more urbanized, and as populations increasingly shift to cities, community leaders will be presented with a host of new challenges and opportunities prompted by climate change. In response, the United Nations is convening a summit on…
3 Clear Signs of Climate Momentum
This December, the Conference on Climate Change will take place in Paris. Already, prime ministers, presidents, religious and even corporate leaders are anticipating the direction of international negotiations, and the promise of climate action. In an event jointly hosted by…
What Vermont Can Teach Us About Clean Power
Vermont is often associated more with maple syrup and autumn leaves than clean power. However, the state has long been a model of sustainability—illustrating how leadership by residents, communities, and elected officials can make a difference when it comes to…
California’s Commitment to Clean Power: A Model for Cities and States
Last Friday, political leaders in California’s State Assembly voted on a piece of legislation that would dramatically shape the sustainability future of the state. In an overwhelming show of support, the bill, which is now awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature,…
Cities Can Lead and Prosper through Climate Action
The choice between prioritizing economics or the environment remains a strong burden for city leaders. However, this week, current and former mayors from New York City, Houston, and Rio de Janeiro are calling for strong climate action that will improve…
4 Reasons to be Hopeful about Climate Change
For decades now, the difficulties in addressing climate change have been multifaceted—involving economics, national security, and even technological feasibility. Today, much has changed, and all that stands in the way of climate action is political will. But the situation is…
How Cities are Saving the World Trillions through Climate Action
Cities across the country are in a constant struggle to provide for their residents, while maintaining financial security. This is made more challenging as municipalities are forced to spend precious resources on mitigating the threats of a changing environment. However,…
Can A Soft Path Towards Conservation Really Work? California Says Yes!
California is in the middle of an historic drought, but what is certainly a dire situation has brought about unprecedented conservation numbers—showing that when called upon, residents and communities can meet and exceed water conservation goals. The conservation targets that…
How Financial Tools can Boost Municipal Climate Solutions
In Virginia, city and state leaders are seeking new and innovative ways to encourage climate friendly investments. To this end, Governor McAuliffe, created a commission to explore opportunities for implementing climate solutions that would also improve the state’s economy. The…
How Cities can Transform Water Woes into Resource Solutions
Urban sprawl and climate change create an environmental double-threat for many cities throughout the United States. Increased infrastructure, housing projects and roads prevent the slow, natural, absorption of rainwater into the ground, and often require vast networks of drainage corridors…
Hawaii’s Bold Move To Renewables
In an unprecedented move, at the Asia Pacific Resilience Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii’s Governor David Ige made public his intention to lead his state towards 100% renewable energy. The bold actions instantly transform the state into a world climate leader,…
What Communities Can Learn from California’s Bold Oil Consumption Cuts
In California, momentum is building to put into place new policies that would cut the state’s oil consumption by up to 50%. The plan already has the support of Governor Jerry Brown, and momentum is building in the state legislature…
Why the Presidential Call to Action is a Call to Cities
President Barack Obama this week trekked to Alaska’s Arctic Circle to address the nation about climate change. The combination of historic wildfires, thawing permafrost, and melting glaciers all served as the backdrop for the President’s push to lead the nation…
How City Leaders in New Orleans are Planning for Success
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Leaving behind nearly 2,000 casualties, leveling homes, and blazing a trail of destruction throughout the Gulf—the Hurricane exposed how vulnerable cities are to natural disasters. While it is impossible to claim…
No Cap on the Benefits of California’s Carbon-Trading Program
In 2012, California implemented a bold cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption and emissions. The program has been a success, generating nearly $2.2 billion. These funds have been a much welcomed boost to the state’s budget, and are…
How a New Policy will Empower Cities with Solar
This week President Obama addressed the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was to promote a new series of loan guarantees to provide municipalities with the resources to invest in renewable energy. These commitments are just…
Everything, Including Solar, is Bigger in Texas
Texas energy production evokes images of sprawling oil fields, but that is about to change. As the Texas economy and population grow, so too does its appetite for energy. To meet demands, in a state where oil was king, solar…
Why Cities will be in the Spotlight at the UN Conference in Paris
This December, Paris will host the UN Conference of Parties, bringing together leaders from countries across the globe in the hope establishing far-reaching climate agreements. The meeting will feature a coalition of U.S. mayors and city officials, emphasizing the increasingly…
How City and State Leaders can Collaborate on Climate Solutions
Increasingly impatient with stalled action by politicians in DC—state, local and regional officials now rely on one another for assistance in implementing climate solutions. This is especially the case in Massachusetts, where state grants in excess of $2 million are…
Rooftop Solar: A Bipartisan Climate Solution
Energy generation and access has long been controlled by a limited number of monopolies. Consumer choice has mostly been absent, and geography has been the primary determinant of where one’s energy comes from. This is all beginning to change. Rooftop…
How Cities Have Become the Solution to Climate Change
As populations concentrate in major world cities, communities are increasingly becoming political powerhouses. Recognizing this, former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is calling for bold action on climate change by specifically focusing on cities to take the lead. Each…
Mayors can Use Treeconomics to Improve Cities and Climate
More than just aesthetically appealing, recent research points to numerous benefits associated with increased tree-canopy and city greenery. Urban trees have been linked to greater health and wealth of residents: people report feeling better and enjoy a higher salary than…
3 Tactics Local Leaders Can Use for Climate Solutions
National political discourse still features intense “debates” over the reality, effects, and potential responses to climate change. However, at the local level, leaders from both sides of the aisle are forced to confront the challenges of a changing climate. Alaska,…
What Can Mayors Learn from California’s Success?
In the last year, California’s economy grew 27% faster than the country’s as a whole. It has seen greater job creation than any other state, and continues to be an economic leader. All of this happened while the state was…
Can Infrastructure Renovation also Provide Clean Energy Solutions?
A constant struggle for city leaders is maintaining infrastructure. Across the country roads are crumbling, bridges are in disrepair, and pipes are bursting. In fact, a recent assessment gave the US a D+ for an inability to maintain its once…
Why Municipal Utilities are the Key to Unlocking Clean Energy in Cities
For many small and rural communities, investing in clean energy can often seem like a luxury simply out of reach. With already stretched city coffers, constructing new projects like wind farms or solar plants simply is not a realistic option.…
How Pope Francis Increased the Spotlight on Local Climate Leadership
A delegation of US mayors and other elected leaders visited the Vatican on July 22 for an audience with Pope Francis. A part of a contingent of 60 worldwide leaders, the mayors of New Orleans, New York, Minneapolis, Boston, Portland,…
Connecting Communities for Clean Energy
The recently proposed Clean Energy Plan laid out by the Obama Administration aims to decrease by a third the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that result from energy production. However, rather than being a one size fits all approach for…
Without Federal or State Support, Mayors in Florida Drive Climate Solutions
As sea levels continue to rise around the globe due to climate change, low-lying cities and regions will be particularly affected. In the United States, this is especially true in Florida, where 2.4 million people live within 4 feet of…
Could your Community Use an Economic and Energy Boom?
Last week the Obama Administration released its Clean Energy Plan, which seeks to reduce by one-third the amount of emissions released from electricity production. Many communities have already made the commitment to develop cleaner energy solutions, including the small southern…
The Innovative Way Communities are Dealing with Extreme Rainfall
One of the primary consequences of climate change is the increased incidence of extreme weather events. One example that has proven particularly damaging in cities is heavy rainfall. Extreme precipitation can lead to flooding, runoff of trash and toxins, which…
Communities the Key to the New Clean Power Plan
The new clean power plan set forth by the Obama Administration this week is already being lauded as the biggest climate policy proposal in US history—even a legacy-maker for the President. While most of the media’s attention has been focused…
What President Obama’s Climate Plan Means for Communities
This week, the Obama Administration issued new rules to address climate change. The ambitious federal plan aims to significantly decrease emissions from a previously untouched sector: power plants. While contributing 1/3 of carbon emissions, power plants have long gone unregulated—until…
Marching to Paris for Climate Solutions
Last year, in a historic climate march across the nation, nearly 700,000 concerned citizens took to the streets to demand climate action. The marchers, united in their frustration with a lack of political leadership, peacefully allied with non-profit organizations, faith…
How Developers and Communities are Finding Eco-Solutions
For over four years, California has been in the midst of a historic drought. Wildfires, diminishing water supplies, and punishing setbacks across numerous sectors of the economy are only some of the consequences. And there are no sign of things…
Climate Change Action: The New, New York State of Mind
This week, federal, state and local officials met in New York to discuss the risks and opportunities posed by climate change. The meeting was prompted by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is seeking to educate city and regional leaders across…
Mayors Calling for Clean, Green, Climate Solutions in Texas
Everything is bigger in Texas, they say. This sadly applies to the threats the Lone Star State faces from climate change. A recent spate of historic floods, droughts that have ravaged the state, and heat-related illnesses have already taken their…
Connecting the 3 C’s: Community, Collaboration and Climate
As city leaders across the country search for ways to implement climate action plans, they are increasingly turning to multi-sector partnerships. Such collaboration efforts bring together businesses, government, non-profits, and community leaders in an attempt to implement programs that without…
Can Cities use Electric Busses to Cut Emissions and Costs?
The electric car revolution is gaining ground, with manufacturers increasingly developing hybrid and all-electric vehicles. While an improvement on the traditional combustion engine, these cars still contribute to traffic congestion, and clog up already stressed city streets. However, a recent…
4 Tactics for Creating Greater Community Involvement
As the Pope’s encyclical on climate change wrapped up last week, mayors from across the United States are returning to their cities seeking ways to implement climate action plans. While these efforts are important, and provide a ground up path…
5-Star Rating Goes to Baltimore: How to Lead your City to Economic, Social and Environmental Success
A recent assessment by STAR Communities, which rates cities on their sustainability practices, gave Baltimore a 5 star rating. While perhaps better known for recent social unrest, the city has become a model for sustainability throughout the nation. The success…
3 Key Climate Takeaways from the Mayors’ Vatican Visit
Upon meeting with Pope Francis to discuss trafficking and climate change, a coalition of mayors from across the world have pledged to take action on global warming. In an overwhelming show of solidarity, the 60 mayors unanimously signed onto a…
4 Steps to Sanitation Solutions: Lessons from New York
NYC has long been a leader when it comes to climate change action. However, like any large city, one of the biggest challenges that NY faces is dealing with its waste. New Yorkers produce an estimated 15 pounds of trash…
Net-Zero: What Was Thought Impossible is Slowly Gaining Ground
Half of the world’s population resides in cities. With increasing greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel consumption, and a seemingly insatiable appetite for energy, these urban environments are major drivers of climate change. However, where many see cities as environmental blemishes,…
How One Community in Iowa is Pushing for Shared-Solar Generation
Communities across the country face major hurdles to constructing solar power infrastructure. Inadequate funds, few options for financing, and a lack of government tax credits puts clean energy solutions out of reach for many residents, businesses and municipalities. To overcome…
Businesses are Worried, but Leaders from Path to Positive Communities have Solutions.
Yesterday’s post focused on five key recommendations from community leaders that came out of the MomentUs 2015 Climate Leadership Summit. The summary report outlined what community leaders collectively agreed were the most important elements of empowering leaders to actualize climate…
5 Recommendations for Community Leaders to Achieve Climate Solutions
This May, MomentUs hosted the 2015 Climate Leadership Summit, bringing together leaders from across multiple sectors of society—health, higher education, business, faith, and local municipalities—to discuss potential areas to accelerate and amplify action on climate solutions nationwide. The summit put…
In the Northeast, Carbon Caps Facilitate an Economic Boom
Critics have long held that carbon-cap programs negatively affect economic growth, yet a recent piece in the Rutland Herald shows that such worries are unfounded. In 2009, states throughout the northeast paved the way on reducing carbon emissions by committing…
4 Tactics to Protect your Community from Dirty Energy: Lessons from New York
Residents of Finger Lakes, NY are organizing in an effort to block construction of what would be a major hub for fracking. The community, which relies on its picturesque landscape and waterways for tourism, fears that plans for fracking infrastructure…
How Connecticut’s State and Local Leaders Empower Communities through Bold Climate Leadership
Two weeks ago, Path to Positive Communities launched its Los Angeles initiative, which seeks to empower faith, business, education, health, and civic leaders with the tools to develop climate action plans. Leaders across the country have responded enthusiastically, working to…
The Pope and Community Leaders are Bringing Climate Solutions to Los Angeles
Last week, Path to Positive launched a new, targeted initiative to help empower communities to take action on climate change in Los Angeles. Focusing on business, higher education, faith, health, and civic leaders—the plan aims to explore climate solutions that…
DTLA Gardens are Serving Up Organic Goods and Climate Solutions
Last week, Path to Positive: Los Angeles launched an ambitious plan to “leverage regional action for global impact on climate solutions.” By focusing resources and efforts on faith, health, business, higher education, and local governments, the program empowers communities with the…
Why Local Governments are the Key to International Climate Solutions
City officials across the globe have a new coalition of leaders to model on their path to climate solutions. Twenty regional and local governments, representing over 220 million people, have made ambitious pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and invest…
Cities can Reward Residents and Promote Conservation
Homeowners in Los Angeles are now able to transform their thirsty lawns into drought tolerant gardens with the help of a new program. The Metropolitan Water District (MWD), which serves over 17 million people throughout the greater Los Angeles area,…
4 Tactics for Mayors to Push International Climate Solutions
Last week, a coalition of 26 mayors from across the nation banded together to pressure national and international leaders to take a more aggressive approach to climate change targets. Against the backdrop of the upcoming climate change negotiations in Paris…
How to Meet Your City’s Climate Action Targets? Portland Taps Into University Brainpower for Help
If you’re a city leader grappling with urgent and complex questions, say, about how to close the gap between where your city’s carbon emissions are now and where they need to be in the future, where would you go for help?…
Silicon Valley Energy Summit: Spotlight on Community Energy Choice
More than 400 cross-sector leaders from Silicon Valley and beyond gathered at the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center’s (sold-out) annual event at Stanford to talk about how to make their organizations and communities more sustainable. And Silicon Valley Energy Summit (SVES)…
Path To Positive: Los Angeles Launches At L.A. City Hall
California Leaders Gathered To Discuss Climate Change Solutions LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2015 – A standing-room only crowd assembled in the Tom Bradley Room of Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday, June 25, for the launch of “Path to Positive: Los Angeles — Leveraging…
How Cities are More Self-Reliant and Proactive than Ever in Energy, Water, Infrastructure Planning
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton is planning for both the long-term growth of his city and for the local impacts of climate change. As James Hohmann points out in this PowerPost video interview with Mayor Stanton, Phoenix is essentially “a blue city…
Big News from New York: Leaders Approve Plan to Achieve Aggressive Energy & Climate Goals
New York State continues to demonstrate climate leadership with last week’s annoucement of its new energy plan, which aims to double its use of renewable power sources (hydro, wind and solar) within 15 years, while amping up energy efficiency efforts. The…
Local Burnsville Hero Uses His Superpower to Teach Sustainability with a Sense of Humor
Bringing a sense of humor and fun seems to come naturally to Marty Doll, communications coordinator for the City of Burnsville, Minnesota, who doubles as the city’s superhero and video star. It turns out that “Sustainability Man” has a very practical super…
Who Doesn’t Love to Laugh? Let’s Use Humor & Comedy to Break the Ice for Climate Conversations
Tired of feeling bummed out by gloomy news about climate change? Well, you’re not alone. That’s why the Guardian has partnered with Ben & Jerry’s to launch its new series “Climate Change: Too Hot to Handle”, featuring smart and funny videos, satirical…
New Report on Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: Action is a Medical Necessity
A new report on health and climate change maps out the profound risks and impacts of climate change on human health, and the policy responses needed to ensure the highest possible standards of health for communities throughout the world. Both the World…
The Road to Carbon Neutrality in Cities: Policies, Programs, Partnerships
Cities around the world have been taking the lead on driving policies and programs to reduce air pollution and cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. A few days before 280 mayors converged on San Francisco for this year’s U.S.…
A Tipping Point: People of Faith Connect the Dots and Call for Collective Climate Action
“We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the underprivileged, and at…
Mayors and Cross-Sector Partners Showcase Solutions, and Brainstorm, at City Innovate Summit
What future do we want? What future do we envision for our cities? For our residents who live, work, and go to school in the cities they call home? What type of “smart” city do we want to build, to…
How to Translate Catholic and Republican Concerns about Climate into Actionable Solutions
According to Pew’s latest public opinion poll, centered on Roman Catholics in advance of Pope Francis’ encyclical (teaching) about the environment’s effect on the poor, the views of American Catholics on climate change mostly track those of non-Catholics. Meanwhile, although concern about…
Success Story in Texas: Mayor Dale Ross and City Residents Choose 100% Solar and Wind
The city of Georgetown, situated in a deeply conservative Texas county, has become a role model for smart energy investment. Under Republican Mayor Dale Ross‘ leadership, the city is planning to power itself with 100 percent renewable energy within the next…
“The C Word” is Off-Limits No Longer: Climate Change Lessons from Montana’s Farmers Union
Discussing climate change can be difficult in Montana nowadays. Moving beyond political ideology means focusing on observable changes upon which farmers can agree. According to Alan Merrill, farmer and president of Montana’s Farmers Union, “farmers are mostly a conservative lot”,…
How to Inspire Others Who Ask “What Can I Do About Climate Change?”
What do optimism, counterarguement, herd instinct, and hopefulness all have in common? Lisa Bennett, a communications strategist who focuses on engaging people to act on climate change, explains that these are aspects of our human nature that we should understand and tap…
Man-made Earthquakes in Oklahoma: A Wake-Up Call for Local Leaders in CA, KS, OH?
A series of new peer-reviewed studies have added to the scientific consenus linking the six-fold increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma to the wastewater injection wells used by the oil and gas industry. Oklahoma is now the most seismically active of the lower…
Solar & Wind Energy is Here to Stay: Popular with Builders, Ranchers, Farmers, and “The Billionaires”
What’s not to love about sustainable, renewable energy produced by the sun, the wind, the water? City and community leaders across the nation are finding that these forms of energy are becoming increasingly popular across their diverse constituencies, for (mostly)…
Full Speed Ahead for Electric Vehicles in California, Minnesota, and Nationwide
There’s been plenty of good news and forward progress for electric vehicles, clean transportation, and the smart grid over the past week, with announcements of new public-private collaborations across diverse communities in California, Minnesota, and nationwide. For starters, San Diego’s utility,…
How Local Solar Projects Can Meet (All?) Your Community’s Energy Needs
Despite being on track to meet California’s state renewable energy goals, it looks like solar energy could be deployed even more efficiently and rapidly. A recent study in Nature Climate Change shows that the state of California could power itself up to five…
Do We Have the Power to Affect the Weather? What You Can Do to Stay Cooler and Breathe Easier
The good news first: we have the power to influence the weather of the future! All we need to do is choose to make smart policy decisions today which reduce pollution, minimize our reliance on fossil fuels, and shift to…
What Climate Leadership Looks Like: Seattle Flexes their Local Muscle, Again
While May’s “Paddle in Seattle” showdown with Shell’s “climate bomb” made headline news, Seattle has not been a stranger to climate leadership over the years. Back in 2001, the Seattle City Council passed resolutions to adopt Kyoto emission reduction goals…
Beyond the People in the Room: How to Engage a Broader Audience on Climate Issues
One of my favorite parts of my job is traveling to different cities and towns across America and giving workshops about climate communications. Not only do I have the opportunity to meet extraordinary people working in local government and business…
Putting Down (Oak) Roots in Oakland: How Community-Building & Placemaking Catalyzes Change
The campaign to “re-oak” Oakland — by planting saplings to reestablish the city’s namesake groves of drought-tolerant, fast-growing, California native coast live oaks — aims to reduce air pollution, protect wildlife habitat, and lower the temperature of urban asphalt on hot summer…
A New Ice Cream Flavor as an S.O.S to the World
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a video is worth? Ben & Jerry’s metaphor-climate messaging is powerful. While two degrees of warming may make a mess of an ice cream … it’s an absolute…
Center Stage in Nashville (and Nationwide): Public Discourse about Climate Preparedness
As communities across our nation continue to experience record rainfall and flooding, high tempatures and drought, and other extreme weather patterns associated with climate change, public debate is escalating about how to best prepare for local climate impacts. In Nashville, for example,…
Devastating Impacts of Texas Flooding Underscore the Urgency for Local Climate Leadership
Despite the fact that Texas contributes more to climate change than any other state in our country, legislation calling for climate-change studies, forecasting, or climate-related policies has failed to gain traction in its capital in recent years. Judging from the absence of…
Crop Researchers Help Wheat Farmers to Prepare for Local Climate Impacts in Oklahoma
Climate change is posing a formidable challenge for Oklahoma’s wheat industry: how to plan and prepare for hotter temperatures, drier conditions, and greater extremes in weather. A study in Nature Climate Change estimates that wheat yields will fall by 6% for each…
CA Solar Program Provides Win-Win: Clean Energy plus Cleaner Air for Poorest Citizens
Innovative “win-win” initiatives seem to be surfacing with much greater frequency these days. Hooray!, we love good news like this, and we need more programs that combine the dual benefits of: 1) equitable access to necessary services (in this case,…
Good News from Maryland: Legislation Enables Community Shared Solar for 3 Year Pilot
There’s good news from Maryland this month, where Republican Governor Larry Hogan signed laws which allow for the implementation of community shared solar projects. Maryland now joins 22 other states that allow some form of community solar, which expands public access to renewable,…
The Seattle Times Joins Worldwide Collaboration of 25 Newspapers to Boost Attention to Climate Solutions
In recent years, it hasn’t been uncommon to hear complaints that the media is under-reporting the impending consequences and local impacts of climate change. To tackle this issue head-on, last week 25 publishers announced their plan to share each other’s articles on climate…
Local Leaders Flex Some (Zoning) Muscle to Keep Tar Sands Oil Out of Wisconsin Pipeline
Call it David versus Goliath. Call it whatever you like. But what’s happening in Wisconsin’s Dane County, Prince Georges County, and in the small townships of Michigan is a clear example of how local governments are increasingly flexing their power to…
Omaha’s Trifecta: Better Transit and Less Air Pollution at No Additional Cost
That a car-free lifestyle is about to get easier in Omaha is good news on so many levels. By eliminating route redundancies and prioritizing ridership, the city’s public transit system will bring more convenience and better service to (most) transit riders, while more efficiently…
What Local Leaders Across the Nation Can Learn from NY’s Ban on Fracking
Taking more than six years to produce, New York’s long-awaited, “massive” assessment on the local impacts of fracking concludes that uncertainty over its adverse environmental and public health consequences has “grown worse over time.” Local leaders throughout the country would be well-served to fully…
The Conservative Case for Solar: Key Talking Points
One of the 10 principles of climate change communication is to connect climate change to issues that matter to your audience. As Tea Partier Debbie Dooley points out, this sometimes means avoiding the use of climate change lingo altogether, focusing instead…
How to Lead on Climate Solutions: It Just Takes All of Us
Rebecca Solnit makes a simple point, although not a new idea, one that’s universally and critically important for all of us regardless of our political leanings. “It’s not the belief of the majority or the work of elected officials that will…
Richmond, VA is Worst of Worst 50 Cities: Leaders Must Act to Protect Respiratory Health
A new report shows that climate change could mean more ozone smog and increased production of allergenic pollen, amplifying asthma attacks and respiratory allergies for one in three American adults and children. These negative health impacts are expected to worsen if…
Meet 10 Climate Leaders to Inspire Your Work
We all know the power and benefits of good role models in our lives. Here are ten role models energizing the movement for climate solutions who will undoubtedly help inspire and empower your own work as civic and policy leaders…
‘CleanPowerSF’ Finally Takes Hold, Expediting Transition to Local Clean Energy and Community Choice
CleanPowerSF is a near-perfect example of how a cross-sector coalition of city leaders, policymakers, labor, environmental groups, and concerned citizens ultimately succeeded in launching a program to enable a faster transition toward clean energy alternatives like solar and wind … while…
How Midwestern Communities are Preparing for Changing Weather and Other Climate Change Impacts
We can see our weather changing before our eyes – we’re experiencing increasingly intense storms and droughts – and we know that our communities must respond accordingly to the significant local and regional impacts. Thanks to the National Wildlife Federation for their new…
Giving Thanks for Mothers Like Native American Climate Leader, Karen Diver
After a weekend of celebrating our mothers and feeling thankful for the women mentors in our lives, it seems particularly fitting to pay tribute to Karen Diver, a mother who has emerged as a leader in pushing the American government towards greater…
Friday Refresher: 15 Ways to Communicate about Climate in Your Local Communities
Although this blog typically focuses on how local leaders in the U.S. are leading on climate solutions and engaging their communities around the local impacts of climate change, this Friday we’ll take a look at top suggestions from climate communicators around…
Nantucket’s Third Cable is a Rallying Cry for Local Energy Efficiency and Solar Programs
The desire to avoid the costly implementation of a third cable to accommodate the up-trending peak demand for summer electricity has driven a public education and incentive program for the island residents of Nantucket. A five year collaborative initiative to reduce energy use includes…
Beyond “Iowa Nice”: Local Impacts of Water Pollution Motivate Urgent Tactics
A lawsuit over how three counties in Iowa should deal with water pollution from their farms underscores an underlying tension between rural and urban Iowans, both of whom take pride in neighborliness and cooperation. That the water utility, Northern District of Iowa, is suing…
New Survey Shows Even Oil & Gas Insiders Embrace Climate Action
Ready for a suprise? Warren Business Consulting conducted a survey of oil and gas industry insiders who would seem to have reason to argue against the impacts that we’re seeing from climate change. However, this survey shows just the opposite…
From Words to Action: Mayors See the Economic and Health Benefits of their Climate Investments
A number of mayors are joining together to learn from each other about what’s working in tackling both the global challenges and local impacts of climate change. The two biggest global polluters, the U.S. and China, have finally stepped up…
California Gov. Brown Raises the Bar, Sets Ambitious 40% Target to Reduce Climate Change Pollutants
Governor Jerry Brown’s new ambitious pollution reduction target sends a clear signal to businesses, entrepreneurs, and the American public that California will continue to lead the nation in fighting climate change. Governor Brown’s Executive Order established a California greenhouse gas reduction…
How to Export Electricity: A Crash Course for N.C. Solar Producers
Because North Carolina’s construction costs for solar are below the national median, solar is inexpensive to produce in the state compared to its neighbors. This provides a natural opportunity for N.C. energy producers to export electricity to higher-cost states like…
Eastern Sierra Communities Must Prepare for Local Impacts of Drought and Climate Change
The “front side” of the Sierra is a not as well-known as the Sierra of Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. But as the drought in California continues and temperatures steadily rise due to climate change, the mountain towns of the Eastern…
Upcoming Workshop: Using Public Opinion Research to Mainstream Your Climate Message
The National Adapation Forum (NAF) will convene its second national convention in St. Louis, Missouri, from May 11 to 14, 2015. Every other year, the National Adaptation Forum gathers the growing adaptation community together to “foster knowledge exchange, innovation, and…
Cities in Midwest Collaborate Fund Energy Efficiency Projects and Send a Signal
Michegan municipalities are working together to find innovative funding mechanisms for local energy efficiency projects, despite the challenge of falling property taxes and shrinking state revenue shares within the region. The desire for energy efficiency is definitely out there, explains John…
NY Communities to Receive $1.8M from Coal Pollution Settlement to Innovate around Climate Solutions
Talk about a win-win situation. New York State’s leaders have decided to fund locally-tailored initiatives focused on how to respond to the state’s changing climate, using $1.8M of the nationwide polluter-pays settlement paid out by American Electric Power (AEP). One…
A Moral Imperative To Lead on Climate – 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit
On Tuesday, Pope Francis sent out a call to care for creation as a matter of caring for all of humanity (via Twitter!). His Papal Encyclical on the environment, due out this summer, is expected to include a call for moral…
Climate Success: After 60 Years, Coal Burning in Burnsville Comes to an End
In most cases, when something endures for 60 years it is cause for celebration. In Burnsville, Minnesota, however, the celebration last week was about something that was ending after 60 years – coal. The last coal train has rolled to…
Customer Service 101: Why Hawaii’s Public Utility Should Provide Solar Power to its Customers
Rooftop solar is increasingly popular with residents in Hawaii, in part because the rates they pay for electricity rank among the highest in the nation. But not only has the Hawaiian electric utility failed to adapt its business model to…
Kissing Babies is Not Enough: Our Younger & Wiser Tell Us They Want Climate Action
We know our elected officials (and electeds-to-be) spend a lot of time kissing babies on the campaign trail. But perhaps their time may be better spent taking action on climate solutions … on behalf of our children. Noah Gue, a wizened…
Teens in Oregon Court Case Press State Officials, as Public Trustees, to Protect the Air We Breathe
Two teenagers have spearheaded a legal strategy, dating back to ancient Rome, which holds their state officials accountable to protect the atmosphere – the air we breathe – in public trust for all its citizens. Together with Our Children’s Trust, Kelsey…
Can You Be a Both Conservative and a Climate Change Activist? Bob Inglis Says Yes
Some might think of Bob Inglis as a reformed man. A six-term Republican congressman from one of South Carolina’s most conservative districts, Inglis told the world in 2010 that he believed in human-caused climate change. While this epiphany helped to…
Burnsville MN Celebrates the Last Coal Train, and a New Era Ahead
After more than 60 years, the last shipment of coal used to generate electricity for Burnsville, Minnesota arrived by train to its Xcel Energy Black Dog plant. Its smokestack will be demolished and the plant will switch to natural gas by…
17 Global Cities, including 8 from U.S., Join Carbon Neutral Alliance and Inspire the ‘Next Wave’ of Leaders
The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance launched this week, with 17 of our world’s largest cities committing to hefty goals to reduce air pollution and climate change impacts. Since urban areas account for nearly 75% of humanity’s emissions, this makes a significant impact.…
How to Do What Tesla Did for Cars, But for Towns
A group of next-gen entrepreneurs, most of them in their 30s with little experience in development, are breaking ground on a public village in Utah ski country. Starting with a blank canvas and a great deal of collective searching, both…
2-in-1 Climate Solution: Governor Jay Inslee’s ‘Sin Tax’ Benefits Both Air Quality and Education
Governor Jay Inslee is proposing an innovative, yet practical, two-in-one solution which advances tough new air-quality policies while directing $1.3 billion of new polluter-pay revenues to Washington’s underfunded schools. By focusing on “the education of your children” and the worsening health…
2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit: Creating a Tipping Point for Climate Solutions
Where can you find a bishop, a doctor, and a mayor talking about climate change, and collaborating on ways to inspire Americans on solutions? The Path to Positive 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit, that’s where! How often do 200 leaders from across…
Bright Lights, Big Savings: The Many Benefits of LED Streetlights
It’s been said that there is no such thing as bad press. Local elected leaders and their staff may not completely agree with this, especially if the press brings criticism that takes some of the shine off of the progress…
More Speakers Announced! 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit
We are pleased to announce several additional speakers who will be joining our 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit, taking place May 20-21 in Washington, DC. Our eminent speakers will share their thought leadership to chart a new course on climate change.…
Why We Feel the Way We Do About Climate Change and the Environment
One of the biggest challenges local leaders and policymakers face is understanding what’s most important to the majority of their diverse constituents and stakeholders. As reported by The Washington Post’s Chris Mooney, a number of recent studies help us to…
How to Become a World-Class Bicycling City
Mayor Libby Schaaf believes that improving Oakland’s transportation system is critical to ensuring that residents are safe, happy, and healthy. She’s been a vocal advocate for alternative modes of transit and appointed Oakland’s first-ever policy director for transportation and infrastructure…
Are Electric Cars Cool for Cities?
Climate change is heating up our planet, due to the rise of greenhouse gas emissions, and it turns out that our nation’s city dwellers are feeling the heat even more than our country cousins. Michigan State’s Jianguo “Jack” Liu is…
Local Impacts of Climate and Drought Spell Change, and Opportunity, for Lake Tahoe
The local effects of climate change are being sorely felt in Northern California’s idyllic Lake Tahoe, with early season closings for several ski resorts, cancellations of snow festivals, ski races and snow boarding competitions, and laid off ski instructors and…
Key Speakers Announced! 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit
Curious to know who will be sharing their insights at the 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit? In addition to the impressive list of attendees, we are pleased to announce our starting lineup of inspiring speakers. Path to Positive, the 2015 MomentUs…
Double Dilemma: Drought and Climate Impacts Require Strong Leadership and Public Engagement
As California faces its fourth painfully dry year during one of the most severe droughts on record, residents are forced to confront a double whammy of local impacts: steadily warming temperatures plus dwindling water supply due to all-time lows of groundwater and snowpack levels. Despite…
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Green Beer ‘n’ Cheer for Climate Action
Beer and action may not seem to go together, but they do now – as demonstrated last week when 24 breweries across the nation signed a Climate Declaration to reduce the environmental impact of their operations while also supporting national…
Salt Lake City Mayor Becker: Calling for Army of Advocates to Lead by Example toward Climate Action
Threats to Utah’s snowpack levels are the biggest climate change challenge facing Salt Lake City. And “the canary in the coalmine” of Salt Lake City is not alone – cities and states across the nation are dealing with low water…
Announcing the 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit, May 20-21
ecoAmerica is pleased to announce our 5th annual leadership summit. Path to Positive, the 2015 MomentUs Leadership Summit, is being held on May 20th and 21st, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Path to Positive begins with the simple premise that the greatest obstacle to our nation…
Florida Case Study Illustrates How to Not Communicate about Climate Change
In this Path to Positive blog, we like to highlight best practices, tips, and success stories about how to most effectively communicate about climate change, often referring to ecoAmerica’s go-to guide, “Connecting on Climate”. The guide shares advice for communicators, for example,…
A Challenge to Our Civic Leaders: Lift the Hood on Climate Misinformation
A sophisticated campaign to manufacture doubt about climate change and discredit climate scientists has used a similar “how-to handbook for fact fighters” and a familiar lineup of some of the same professional “doubtmongers” involved with the tobacco industy’s denial of…
Wyoming Repeals a Ban on Educating Our Next Generation about Climate Change
It may seem like common sense to repeal a ban on teaching our children what is known to be true. The fact that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity is now a consensus of both scientists and…
Ann Arbor Community Housing to Deliver Lower Utility Costs and Healthier Living for Residents
Ann Arbor is moving forward to revitalize hundreds of public housing units in a visionary sustainable community project designed to lower utility costs and improve the quality of life for its residents, while acting as a “learning laboratory” and showcase…
How Behavior Modification Can Close the Energy-Reduction Gap
Policies and programs aimed at gaining efficiencies and trimming waste form the backbone of any good action plan. Local leaders have a vast array of tools at their disposal for addressing energy consumption, water usage, materials management, and transportation modes,…
Port of Seattle Case Study: How Local Climate Action Impacts Global Challenges
This thoughtful opinion piece by KC Golden, a leader widely recognized for his lifetime of work in shaping climate and clean energy policies and communication strategies, inspires us to think about the wide-reaching power of our local decisions to impact people…
How to Evolve from a Laggard to a Climate Action Leader
Although we know that political partisanship can pose formidable obstacles to the implementation of climate solutions that benefit the general public, more and more Americans are becoming aware of the serious impacts and risks that climate change poses to our…
Join the Top 10 Cities as a Leader in Local Climate Impact
Would you like to see how your city’s sustainability efforts compare to those of recognized global leaders in measuring and monitoring their local climate actions? If you agree that “measuring is the first step to managing”, check out C40’s In…
Inspiring Us to Lead on Climate: Congratulations to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch has proven that it is indeed possible to make a positive impact in fighting climate change. As the mayor of Connecticut’s largest city since 2007, he has been a tireless leader in driving sustainability initiatives and…
Beacons of Change: Our Mayors Demonstrate Global Leadership in Collective Climate Action
Cities have long been recognized as innovation hubs for progressive policies, creative design, and inclusive public planning processes, motivated by the opportunity to raise the quality of life for their urban citizens. No surprise then, that our city mayors are…
President’s Keystone Veto Paves the Way for Accelerated Climate Leadership in our Local Communities
President Obama’s veto of the fast-tracking of the Keystone XL pipeline will benefit all Americans by protecting our right to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities in which to live. By shifting to cleaner fuels – not dirtier ones…
Bipartisan Success Story: Solar is Bridging the Political Divide across the Nation
Feeling burned out by bipartisan bickering? Well, there’s good news on the horizon, with “solar solutions” providing a breath of fresh air (pun intended) across the nation. One inspiring example is the progress being made by groups like Conservatives for…
Too Risky to Wait: Plan Now for Climate Preparedness to Save Lives and Money
Forward-thinking investment in climate preparedness and resilience makes economic sense at both the federal and local levels. By proactively planning to make communities more resilient and prepared for floods, droughts and other climate impacts, American community leaders will not only…
Illinois Moving Forward in the Race for More Jobs and a Clean Energy Economy
Leaders from both sides of the aisle have pledged their support for a Clean Energy Bill in Illinois which will pave the way for 32,000 jobs annually. The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition has successfully united diverse interests from business, labor, faith, environmental,…
Silicon Valley Cities on the Path to Community Choice and More Local Clean Energy
San Mateo County may be the next to join four other California communities – Marin, San Francisco, Sonoma, and Lancaster – in opting out of relying solely on utilities to buy energy. California is one of six states (the others are…
New York City Steps Up With Big Goals for Climate Action
New York City has taken another bold step toward playing a leading role in climate solutions with its announcement of actionable goals to dramatically reduce carbon pollution and commit to a comprehensive resiliency plan. Nilda Mesa, director of Mayor de…
Quick Fix or Risky Business? Local Leaders Must Weigh the Opportunity Costs of Climate Intervention
We often hear that we must do everything we can to combat climate change, there’s no one silver bullet, we must do it all, work with everyone. And we’ve been hearing more about “geo-engineering” as one of the many paths…
How Renewable Energy Policies Are Fueling Clean Energy Jobs
There’s been plenty of good news on the jobs front over the past week, with reports of significant increases in clean energy jobs in North Carolina, Minnesota, and Texas. At the same time, news of Apple’s plans to build an…
What We Can Learn from George Washington about Successful Climate Partnerships
“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.” — as written out by George Washington, ca. 1744 On this President’s Day, it seems fitting to reflect upon…
Divestment from Fossil Fuels: Coming to a City Near You?
The fossil fuel divestment movement is rallying across six continents and 48 countries for Global Divestment Day to demand action on climate solutions. So far, an estimated 200 institutions worldwide, with combined investment assets of more than $50 billion, have committed…
How Sustainability Reporting Leads to Public Engagement for Climate Solutions
Our cities play an important role in shaping strategies for long-term economic (and job) growth while minimizing local climate-based impacts. By reporting on standardized sustainability metrics, cities are able to track their progress, evaluate the success of their programs, benchmark…
Bold Climate Action Plans Can Create Jobs, Affordable Housing, and Equitable Cities
Affordable housing. Job creation. Equitable support for low income communities. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s affordable housing plan addresses each one of these key issues. But a bold city-wide climate action program can play an equally important role…
Taking Action to Protect Communities and Reduce the Cost and Impact of Flooding
President Obama’s recent executive order for a Flood Risk Management Standard aims to make communities across the country safer and more resilient to flooding disasters. In addition the order also ensures tax dollars aren’t wasted on rebuilding infrastructure that can’t…
How Does a Climate Action Champion Handle Fracking?
On Saturday, some 8.000 Californians converged to March for Real Climate Leadership in Oakland, in what some are calling the largest-ever anti-fracking rally. As Mark Hertsgaard points out in his opinion piece, Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to speak out…
People vs. Cars: How Cities Are Becoming More Livable and Likeable
Forward-thinking city leaders and policymakers are listening to the changing priorities of their constituents and working together to transform their communities to become more sustainable, more walkable, more bikeable … in essence, more livable. Across America, city leaders and planners…
How Minnesota Cities are Preparing for Climate Change Impacts
Duluth Mayor Don Ness thinks about infrastructure a lot these days. Warmer Minnesota winters have brought more freeze and thaw cycles, which means more potholes to patch and more roads to replace. Storm and wastewater systems pose even bigger problems,…
City of Burlington Leads the Path Toward 100% Clean Energy and $20 Million Savings
Burlington, the largest city in Vermont, became the first in the U.S. to use 100% renewable energy – including wind, solar, biomass, and hydro – to power all of the electricity needs for its 42,000 residents. Ken Nolan, who helps…
Americans More Likely to Vote for Candidates Who Act on Climate
Here’s a simple quiz to test your knowledge about the opinions of our voting public. Are Americans more likely to vote for candidates who: a) support government action to curb climate change b) campaign on fighting climate change c) question or deny the…
Will Our Greenest-Ever Super Bowl Lead to Lower Carbon (Green) Beer?
This year’s SuperBowl XLIX scored big points for being one of the greenest sporting events ever, using 100% wind power for all of its electricity needs and using energy-efficient LEDs to light the big game for the first time. The NFL…
How to Make Efficiency Savings and Clean Energy Accessible in Your Community
Just like in the field of energy technology, early adopters of energy efficiency financing have an important role to play in proving – and improving – cutting edge innovations aimed at making efficiency investments pay. PACE programs around the country…
A Key to the City: Why City Leaders Hold the Keys to Climate Change
Today, half of our global population resides in cities, and urban dwellers will account for almost 70 percent of our planet by 2050. The U.S. census shows an even greater slice of the pie for the urban population in America, about 80%…
Is Climate Change Finally A Public Priority? Survey says Yes.
American citizens view climate change as more important than they did two years ago, according to the annual Pew Research Center policy priorities survey published earlier this month. ‘Dealing with global warming’ ticked up a substantial 10 points since the…
Power to Portland: Water and Energy for the Price of One?
Does paying the same price for both water and energy use sound too good to be true? The city of Portand (Oregon) is testing this possibility by harvesting the energy potential of gravity-fed water moving through its city pipes to…
Find Out How Wind Energy is Creating New Jobs and Increased Revenue in a Local Ohio Town
Residents of Ohio’s Van Wert County, a rural farming community of about 29,000 people, never thought they would see the “windfall” of new jobs, better school services, tech training, and increased tax revenues all from clean wind energy. Perhaps best summed up…
Transitioning to Cleaner Energy in Coal Country: Are Voters Tired of the Hardline?
For voters in the mining regions of Kentucky, the culture of coal is a way of life. Yet, John Yarmuth, Louisville’s Congressman (D) since 2006 and a vocal advocate for sustainable energy policies, won his re-election handily last November. As…
How Small Cities are Helping to Solve Problems in Climate Change
Our urban centers have historically acted as barometers of change and innovation in this country, and it’s easy to see why. As Pooja Bhatia explains in this USA TODAY article, higher population densities come together with greater concentrations of wealth…
Why Rooftop Solar is a Sure-fire Investment
If you could invest in something that would outperform the stock market while also helping the planet, wouldn’t you? Here’s why rooftop solar can’t miss. The cost of installing solar on homes has dropped by 60% over the past 15…
5 Reasons Why Local Governments Deserve a Voice in Climate Solutions
Our local government leaders are closest to the hearts and minds of the Americans who live, learn, work, worship, and vote in our communities. So doesn’t it follow that these regional, city, and town policymakers are best suited to engage…
How Communities Can Make Local Sustainability More Inclusive
Communities on the front line of climate impacts are leading the movement to address this challenge and prepare for the future. More than 80% of Americans now live in urban communities, including cities, towns, and populous counties. These communities, where…
Get Active: Transit Looks Good On You
It is unlikely anyone will look at you and say, “You look great – have you been riding the bus?” But they could because, as a study in the UK has shown, people who use active and transit modes of transportation are…
What Do Bike Sharing Systems Tell Us About Urban Sustainability?
As American cities reinvent themselves as dense, sustainable centers of commerce, opportunity, and social networks — attracting young, educated residents by the thousands — they are increasingly promoting sustainability in their building stock, land use patterns, and in their transportation…
Hot Town: Summer in the City
Among the many anticipated and increasingly observed adverse impacts of a warning climate is a rise of the urban “heat island” effect. Local leaders have begun addressing this problem with simple measures that protect their citizens from dangerous heat while…
How Millennials Are Making U.S. Cities Future Ready
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, things are finally improving for millennials on the employment and economic fronts. What are the potential climate ramifications of what appears to be a watershed demographic moment? And how can leaders…
How Do You Green a City?
One could debate the cause and effect relationship between the increasing sustainability of American cities and their recent population growth, but whether people are moving to cites because they are more sustainable or city sustainability is rising because of the…
U.S. Mayors Act to Support New Carbon Regulations
U.S. mayors have established themselves as national and international leaders in the effort to fight global warming. Since having formed the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement (MCPA) in 2007, which has now been signed by more than 1,000 mayors, hundreds of…
5 Tips for Catalyzing Climate Solutions at the Local Level
In the twenty years since the release of Santa Monica’s city-wide sustainability plan, four-term mayor Pam O’Connor has championed climate solutions and community livability to make Santa Monica into one of the country’s greenest cities. The Guardian recently interviewed O’Connor…
Local Impacts, Local Response: How Counties Can Prepare Our Communities for Climate Change
As has become abundantly clear over the past several years, climate change is an undeniable global phenomenon that is manifesting itself on the local level through rising heat and sea levels, and increased severe weather and weather-related damage. The local…