Welcome to the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter’s Global Warming Campaign Website!

Volunteer with Us
Act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Silicon Valley Region—Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Benito Counties. Our Global Warming Campaign seeks to address this major environmental challenge with local measures that reduce emissions of global warming gases into the atmosphere. Our success depends on volunteers, and interested people such as you, working with dedicated Chapter Staff.

Attending one of our monthly Global Warming and Energy Committee meetings is a great step toward learning about us and volunteering with us!

Find out more about our efforts by viewing a Google Tech talk given in Fall 2008 about our Global Warming Program.

We are currently working in these areas:

1. Working for Livable, Walkable Communities
   Our Building Climate-Friendly Communities Campaign is using teams of residents in each city to work for livable, walkable communities with easy access to public transit. Transportation is the region's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so reducing our dependence on cars is essential for reducing our region's emissions Learn about our Building Climate-Friendly Communities Campaign and join our team in your city.

2. Working for Energy-Efficiency Upgrades of Existing Homes
   Our Green Buildings for Cool Cities Campaign is working to address the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in our area-- buildings. Since most buildings are existing buildings, helping scale-up energy-efficiency upgrades of such buildings is an essential component of addressing local emissions of greenhouse gases.

3. Helping Individuals and Groups Reduce Their Global Warming Emissions:
   Climate Action Team Program: Low-Energy Practices 101 Start reducing your energy use right away, saving money, and sharing what you have learned with others! It is easy to make low-energy practices and cost-savings a reality. Watch videos of our training series and see the associated resources and materials.

4. Reducing Local Barriers to the Installation of Solar Power Systems:
   Our report on solar electric system permit fees led to significant reductions of these fees by many cities in our area--- making it easier and cheaper to install solar power. This highly successful study continues as part of our campaign. Learn more about our continuing efforts to reduce barriers to solar power systems.

• Oct. 9, 2010: Chapter launches Green Buildings for Cool Cities campaign to scale-up existing home energy-performance upgrades
  
• Oct. 12, 2010: Chapter's Commercial Solar Permit Fee Study Finds One-Third of Cities Overcharge
  
• Dec. 17, 2009: Sierra Club Report Finds Significant Local Government Climate Protection Milestones Achieved During Economic Downturn but a Faster Pace Needs to Occur in 2010