Berkeley, California (Thursday, September 20, 2007)-- Last November, an overwhelming majority of Berkeley voters endorsed Measure G, a ballot measure that sets an aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for Berkeley and directs the City to develop a plan for achieving that target.

Community insight and input is critical to that plan, which is why the City and the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission are co-hosting a workshop for the purpose of gathering public input on how to design an effective “climate action plan” for Berkeley.

Date: Wednesday, September 26 
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m. 
Place: North Berkeley Senior Center, at the corner of Hearst and Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“Adapting to the Impacts of a Changing Climate” is one of a series of workshops the City and City Commissions have held since May. The goal of Wednesday’s workshop is to engage community members in the design and implementation of local climate protection and adaptation strategies. Presentations will address specific global warming impacts that Berkeley must prepare for, including a rising San Francisco Bay, a shrinking water supply, increased incidence of major wildfires and others.

“These workshops are an opportunity for community members to participate in the design of strategies that will have a lasting impact on Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Timothy Burroughs, the City’s Climate Action Coordinator.  “They’re one of many opportunities to be a part of a growing climate protection movement in our town.”

The City is also launching an online “community climate action forum” later this month. The City will use the site to post draft sections of Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan as well as resources for individuals working to reduce their carbon footprint.  In the meantime, residents can learn about the climate action planning process by visiting: www.cityofberkeley.info/sustainable.

Drafts of the Climate Action Plan will be released to the public for review in October and a draft is due to City Council by the end of the year. The plan will consist of a series of strategies that, when implemented, will achieve Berkeley’s greenhouse gas target of an 80 percent reduction below 2000 levels by 2050. The strategies in the plan will affect the emissions that result from transportation, energy consumption in homes and other buildings, and waste generation, among other things. 

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