Cool Cities, the Sierra Club's solutions-oriented campaign to address global warming at the local level through energy efficiency, is expanding in the Houston metropolitan area. The campaign is forming teams to meet with all area mayors, and we’re having lunch and evening trainings on three consecutive days in July to make it easy for everyone to participate!

The campaign's two goals are specific. We ask mayors to make a public commitment to energy efficiency by signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and we ask the cities to join ICLEI, an organization that provides software and support to city staff in designing and implementing a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This is a great opportunity for first-time volunteers. You do not need expertise in any issue or any previous experience as a Sierra Club volunteer. Background materials are provided to help you and your team prepare your presentation.

Your volunteer commitment is specific: meet with your team a few times to prepare the presentation; go with your team to the meeting with your mayor; help your team with any follow-up that may be necessary until the mayor signs the Agreement and the city joins ICLEI.

Our goal is to put each volunteer on their own city’s team – for example, if you live in Pasadena, you’ll be on the Pasadena team. To make sure there’s a training that’s convenient for everyone, we’re having a training blitz in early July. You only need to attend one session:

1 Monday July 7
2 Tuesday July 8
3 Wednesday July 9

Please RSVP for a training to Ann Drumm, anndrumm@swbell.net or 214-350-6108. Invite your friends to participate! They do not have to be Sierra Club members to serve on a team. To learn more about the Cool Cities campaign, visit the website: www.coolcities.us. See also the Mayors Climate Protection Center: http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/ .

July 2008

Last updated:  06/22/2008.   Content © 1999-2008 by the Sierra Club.