SierraScape June - July 2009
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What Is Cool Cities?

by Cool Cities Staff

We can't wait for the federal government to address global warming. U.S. Mayors and other local leaders are re-energizing their cities with innovative energy solutions. These communities are called Cool Cities.

At least 944 mayors from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, representing a total population of over 83,979,945 citizens have signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement so far. This is a resolution to meet the global warming reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol by 2012.

In the spring of 2005, Seattle Mayor Greg Nichol was disappointed the United States wouldn't join the rest of the world in agreeing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. To show support among local leaders, he resolved to get 141 mayors, the same number of countries required to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, to pledge to cut their carbon footprint. Needless to say, more mayors have joined this effort.

In Missouri 21 cities have made the same pledge including St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia. Moving forward is a community effort. With this kind of leadership in city hall, we can tackle global warming in all parts of our communities. Here is a complete list of our cities:

Linda Goldstein	Clayton	MO
Darwin Hindman	Columbia	MO
Harold Dielmann	Creve Coeur	MO
Robert Lowery, Sr.	Florissant	MO
Carol Rudi	Gladstone	MO
Michael Hallauer	Houston Lake	MO
Mark Funkhouser	Kansas City	MO
Arthur McDonnell	Kirkwood	MO
Michael Potter	Lake St Louis	MO
Greg Canuteson	Liberty	MO
Mark Langston	Maplewood	MO
Bill Biggerstaff	North Kansas	MO
Missy Waldman	Olivette	MO
Michael Schneider	Overland	MO
Gerry Richardson	Parkville	MO
David Slater	Pleasant Valley	MO
David Bower	Raytown	MO
Kathleen Rose	Riverside	MO
Francis Slay	St. Louis	MO
Len Pagano	St. Peters	MO
Mike Swoboda	Sunset Hills	MO
Joseph Adams	University City	MO

While the solutions to cutting global warming emissions range from common sense to visionary, many of these ideas are saving local municipalities' tax payer dollars, too. Investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green fleets are some options from a much bigger menu of solutions.

Below are steps for both Mayors and Activists on how to become and promote a Cool City.

FOR MAYORS: How to become a Cool City

Sign onto the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Link to a list of mayors who have already signed on, download the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and find info on where to send it here: www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/

Conduct an emissions inventory.

• Important because it offers a picture of where your city is starting and opportunities for reductions. For instance, does most of the carbon dioxide come from inefficient buildings? From automobiles?
• ICLEI- Local Governments for sustainability offers emissions inventory software to member cities and counties. Someone from the city should contact ICLEI for more information about cost and services here: www.icleiusa.org/programs/climate

Create a climate action plan.

• Use the emissions inventory to see where the biggest sources of pollution are coming from and include reduction strategies in plan.
• Include community input to create the plan, work with local Cool Cities partners to help gather those suggestions, create a Green Ribbon Committee made up of interested groups, individuals, businesses, city staff, etc to contribute to the plan.

Implement the plan.

• Continue to include the community in reducing the overall city carbon footprint. It's easier to move forward if the community supports this effort and the community is more likely to be involved if they see their local government moving forward. Support each other!

FOR LOCAL ACTIVISTS: How to Put Cool Cities Solutions to Work

Get your Cool Cities group together.

• Don't do this alone! Mayors usually are more likely to take action if approached by more than one constituent. It's important to show broader community support for this sort of initiative.
• Then approach other potential partners such as religious institutions, chamber of commerce, PTAs, and Garden clubs to see if they are interested in being a part of the Cool Cities campaign.

Research the progress your city has already made.

• Before approaching your mayor for the first time, it's important to recognize what the city is currently doing. You will want to celebrate these actions, no matter how slight, since they are the foundation on which your city will build and they will help you determine what kinds of solutions make sense to ask for.

Research appropriate solutions for your city.

• If you haven't done so already register at www.coolcities.us and check out the various resources on the "Forum" tab. There you will find a plethora of information on actions that your city or county can do ranging from applying for Stimulus funds to adopting energy efficient building codes.
• Evaluate the solutions and see if there are existing campaigns in your area. For example: Currently in MO there is a campaign to promote the adoption of Energy Efficient Building Codes.
• Moving your Mayor from talk to action can be difficult so start with the easiest and least expensive solutions- changing energy usage behaviors in city buildings; encourage energy saving pilot projects like changing the stop lights to LEDs or purchasing a hybrid electric automobile for fleet.
• Contact a Cool Cities campaign lead staff or volunteer to get information about how you can get involved in the campaign (visit the website to identify leads).

Develop a "game plan" to approach the mayor with your campaign partners (see 4).

• Gather your Cool Cities activists and partners to decide the best way to approach your mayor.
• Educate everyone on the solution and get buy in.
• Send a formal letter to the Mayor requesting that he/she adopt a specific solution and follow-up with a meeting with the mayor or a city staffer.
  1. In the letter recognize the energy saving progress that is already being made.
  2. Detail how the solution will benefit the city.

Make the most out of your meeting.

• Bring all the materials and information that will help convince your mayor to implement the solution.
• Identify someone to be the spokesperson for your campaign that can speak about the solution with some expertise.
• Leave behind information and contact info with the mayor and schedule a time to follow up.
  • NOTE: Don't expect your mayor to agree to implement the solution at the first meeting

Keep moving the Cool Cities Campaign forward.

• Follow up with your mayor after the meeting to determine if he/she plans to follow through.
• After a couple of contacts if your Mayor is reluctant to agree to implement the solution, send a letter signed by your coalition partners, collect postcards or petitions and present them to mayor to show community support, submit letters to the editor, or ask people of influence who support you to speak with the mayor.
• Identify other city officials like City Commissioners or Council members that may support your campaign and encourage them to implement the policy.
• If you have trouble moving the campaign forward, consider approaching your mayor with simpler solutions and then build up to larger solutions.

The Cool Cities campaign is majority relationship building so the better the relationship you build with your city office the greater the chance of implementing a successful campaign. With the recent influx of funding from the Stimulus Act, now more than ever, cities are looking for ways to be more energy efficient and sustainable. You as a Cool Cities activist are in a great position to help lead your city to become more environmentally friendly. The Cool Cities staff post new information on the website on a regular basis so stay up to date by visiting the website (www.coolcities.us) frequently. Don't forget to share your success stories with others on the Cool Cities site as well.