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SMDCoolCities

Cool Cities

Are you concerned about the effects of global warming?

Do you want to do something about it?

The "Cool Cities" campaign is your chance to get involved in your local community to help reduce the effects of global warming.  The campaign is focused on working with community leaders to encourage them to sign on to the US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, then develop and carry out a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  There are many ways to get involved.  Some roles require particular expertise, but many do not, and we'll

continue to conduct workshops and planning meetings to share ideas and expertise.  We need people to help with organizational efforts, contacting local officials, getting friends and neighbors involved, and with a variety of technical topics.  The campaign is a great way to learn more about how energy is produced and consumed in Maryland, and understand how decisions are made in your community and county.

More than 300 cities nationwide have signed on to the agreement and are working on their planning and emissions reductions already, including six cities in Maryland.  In southern Maryland, we have started campaigns in Charles County and would like to have volunteers to conduct outreach for the campaign.

You can read about more about the Cool Cities campaign and the Sierra Club's energy programs at these web sites:

www.coolcities.us

www.sierraclub.org/energy/overview/

Please contact Alice Imlay at 301 283-0808 or if you would like more information or would like to get involved with the campaign.

Do Your Part in Combating Global Warming by Protecting Forests in Charles County

At the last Cool Cities Campaign meeting in Bryans Road we linked our effort to save Mattawoman Forest and recognize the role of forests in Climate Change.  This approach is one local handle for our concern about global warming. 

As globally important storehouses of carbon, forests play a critical role in influencing the Earth's climate. Forest plants and soils drive the global carbon cycle by sequestering carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and releasing it through respiration. 

Of course, the world's forests provide many important benefits.  Home to more than half of all species living on land, forests are sources of wood products. They help regulate local and regional rainfall. And forests are crucial sources of food, medicine, clean drinking water, and immense recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits for millions of people.

----Bonnie Bick