Cross posted from the Davis Enterprise, May 7, 2015.

On Earth Day last month, Cool Davis announced awards to several local residents in two categories: Climate Solutions and Eco-Heroes. I couldn’t really tell what the distinction was between the two categories; everything seemed important.

Cool Davis continues to remind Davis that we are on a path to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and everyone can play a part.

The honorees included people of national and even international reputation (Dan Sperling, Dick Bourne), a person of small and local notoriety (me), a brilliant young Davis High School student (Kaiyue “David” Wang), even younger members of the Holmes Junior High School Green Team accompanied by their paraeducator Keri Hawkins and teacher Martha Quenon, and several others.

What impressed me the most, aside from the remarkable awardees, was the fact that this was the fifth annual awards ceremony: Cool Davis has been bringing attention to sustainability since the City Council adopted the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan in 2010, putting the city on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Cool Davis has been bringing attention to sustainability since the City Council adopted the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan in 2010, putting the city on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Davis has a history of knowledgeable and committed city councils willing to stake out a leadership role in energy-related matters, and the CAAP is a forward-looking document that challenges the city to engage in its implementation. The goal for this engagement is to have 75 percent of households actively involved in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction.

Mitch Sears, the city’s sustainability director, realized that engaging the community at this level is a substantial job and that city staff would not be able to do it alone. Mitch created Cool Davis; others were involved, but without him it would not have happened. Over time, Chris Granger become involved and is currently shouldering much of the workload.

The heart and soul of Cool Davis are Judy Moores and Lynne Nittler, both of whom have devoted endless hours to planning and implementing events and nurturing the growth of the organization. Their commitment is truly awesome in its depth and breadth.

The work I do in my roles with Yolo County and the Yolo Energy Watch revolves around increasing energy efficiency in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change as an issue lacks the urgency of other disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The challenges of living — the tasks and responsibilities necessary to keep pace with work, school, family and friends — reasonably takes top priority in our everyday lives.

Keeping climate change and sustainability in the public mind

What I found myself feeling as I sat and participated in the Earth Day ceremony was a strong sense of gratitude to Judy, Lynne, Chris, Mitch and the others who have devoted and are devoting so much time and energy to keeping climate change and sustainability in the public mind.

The events they plan, the activities they organize, the programs they initiate, the literature they distribute, all of that — in the absence of a sustained sense of immediacy or urgency about the slow-moving disaster that is climate change — keeps the issue on the front burner and reminds us that, no matter how busy we might be, we need to stay focused on what each of us can do to help.

The events they plan, the activities they organize, the programs they initiate, the literature they distribute, all of that — in the absence of a sustained sense of immediacy or urgency about the slow-moving disaster that is climate change — keeps the issue on the front burner and reminds us that, no matter how busy we might be, we need to stay focused on what each of us can do to help.

Reaching the city’s climate action goals will require all of us to help out.

Reaching the city’s climate action goals 

Which brings me to the point: The people named above have an enormous task ahead of them. Reaching the city’s climate action goals will require all of us to help out. Cool Davis, through its events and activities, keeps the issue in front of us, reminding us to do what we can. If you have some time, even a little bit, please consider contacting Cool Davis (www.cooldavis.org; click on “Take Action”) and offering a bit of your energy to help in their efforts. I should say “our” efforts; this involves us all.

A Philosophy of fun

There is one very important aspect of Cool Davis’ work that deserves mention. Its mission is to “inspire our community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and improve the quality of life for all.” At one time the organization considered adding the tag line, “And have fun doing it.”

While that didn’t make it into the mission statement, Cool Davis does have a “philosophy of fun” that states; “Climate change is serious — but in order to make change we must engage all of the community and all of our creativity in the process. Cool Davis actively incorporates the organizations and activities that help keep us creative like good food, laughter, music, art, poetry, dance, visual arts and film.”

All hands on deck

The goals Cool Davis is working for are “based on the goals of the city of Davis Climate Action and Adaptation Plan,” and include achieving measurable greenhouse gas emissions reductions, reducing carbon emissions to 15 percent below 1990 levels by 2015, and reaching “carbon neutrality” in the community by 2050.

These are very ambitious goals, generally harder to reach than what other communities have set for themselves. The year 2015 is critical in terms of reaching these goals, and it will take an all-hands-on-deck effort to get there.

Help if you can by volunteering with Cool Davis, or just keep your eye out for the advice it has for what we can do in our homes and businesses.   Contact them at info@cooldavis.org.

I’m grateful that Cool Davis volunteers are here, working their hearts out, and providing information, activities and events that are regular reminders to keep a portion of my time focused on the city’s climate action goals, and have fun doing it.

— John Mott-Smith is a resident of Davis; his column is published on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Send comments to johnmott-smith@comcast.net