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newsrel -- Cities statewide are invited to cut carbon footprint in second CoolCalifornia City Challenge

Posted: 30 Jan 2014 10:48:57
Please consider the following news release from the California
Air Resources Board: http://bit.ly/1lojTOx
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 30, 2013

NEWS RELEASE 14-07

CONTACT:

Melanie Turner
(916) 322-2990
Melanie.Turner@arb.ca.gov

Cities statewide are invited to cut carbon footprint in second
CoolCalifornia City Challenge 

$100,000 in incentive and prize money offered


Sacramento — Cities throughout California are invited to sign up
now through March 30 to participate in the statewide
CoolCalifornia City Challenge, a community-based competition to
cut carbon emissions.

The California Air Resources Board announced today that the
CoolCalifornia City Challenge will run from April 1 through
August 31. The competition is designed to engage households and
community groups in cities across the state to use less energy,
reduce their carbon footprints and build more vibrant and
sustainable communities. Participants in each city log their
actions to reduce greenhouse gases onto an online carbon
calculator which determines how much carbon is being cut in each
municipality.

The winner is crowned the “Coolest California City,” earning
bragging rights and recognition, while helping to curb the
state’s carbon footprint and foster green economic development.
The program is designed to integrate with cities’ existing
sustainability initiatives and support their greenhouse gas
reduction goals.

“I encourage all California cities to join the City Challenge,”
ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols said. “It’s a fun way to unleash
civic pride and engage both households and community groups in
simple, everyday efforts to cut greenhouse gases. It helps spread
the word that it’s cool to cut carbon, and invites Californians
from all walks of life to become partners in the state’s efforts
to fight climate change and move toward a clean energy economy.”
 
This year, $100,000 in incentive and prize money will be given to
cities participating in the CoolCalifornia City Challenge, with
Energy Upgrade California™ joining as a new partner and sponsor.

The ARB-generated challenge combines social media, community
organizing and sophisticated online tools developed at the
University of California, Berkeley, to reduce California’s carbon
emissions at the local level. The challenge encourages
individuals to make better energy-related choices at home, at the
store and on the road.

Last year’s inaugural competition enrolled close to 3,000
individuals in eight participating cities. Despite a tough fight,
in the end the city of Davis was crowned the 2013 “Coolest
California City” and Chula Vista and Tracy each earned the title,
“Cool California City.”

Cash prizes again will be given to cities that meet certain
milestones. Cities participating in the CoolCalifornia City
Challenge will receive prize money based on how many people they
have signed up and — for the first time — based on how many
points they have earned at the end of the contest. 

Points are earned a number of ways, including by reducing
household energy use and tailpipe emissions. For example,
participants may choose to ride a bike instead of driving, or to
hang laundry out to dry instead of using a dryer. Points are
easily tracked using the City Challenge online software.

Key dates for this year’s competition:
• Now through March 30: Cities sign up to participate. To do so,
send an email to challenge@coolcalifornia.org with “Add My City”
in the subject line. Administrators will work with you to
officially join the 2014 competition.
• April 1 through August 31: Participants earn points during the
five-month challenge
• Starting May 30: Prize money will be awarded to cities based on
new participant sign-ups.
• October 2014: The awards ceremony crowning the victor and
runner-up cities 

To support voluntary actions to reduce carbon emissions, ARB has
developed a variety of tools and resources that are available at
http://coolcalifornia.org/.

The CoolCaliforna City Challenge
http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/challenge is a collaborative
effort between state government, university and nonprofit
organizations with support from program sponsors. A dedicated
team at UC Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory
administers the program in partnership with ARB.

Energy Upgrade California™ http://energyupgradeca.orgoverview is
a state initiative to educate residents and small business
consumers about energy management. The initiative helps
Californians take action to save energy and conserve natural
resources, reduce demand on the electricity grid, and make
informed energy management choices at home and at work. It is
supported by an alliance of the California Public Utilities
Commission, the California Energy Commission, utilities, regional
energy networks, local governments, businesses, and nonprofits to
help communities meet state and local energy and climate action
goals. Funding comes from investor-owned utility customers under
the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. ©2013
Energy Upgrade California. Trademarks are property of their
respective owners. All rights reserved.  


California is in a drought emergency.
Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.

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